On January 15, 2009, the world witnessed one of the most remarkable emergency landings in aviation history when Captain Chesley Sully Sullenberger skillfully glided US Airways Flight 1549 onto the surface of the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 aboard. His cool actions not only averted tragedy but made him a hero and an inspiration worldwide. To Sullenberger, a calm, steady pilot with forty years of flying experience who is also a safety consulting expert, the landing was not a miracle but rather the result of years of practice and training-wisdom he gained in the cockpit of U.S. Air Force jets and in his Texas boyhood. Born to a World War II veteran and dentist father and an elementary school teacher mother, Sully fell in love with planes early. He learned to fly as an eager 16-year-old from a crop duster, an older neighbor in north Texas, who took off and landed his fragile plane on the grass field behind his house. While Sully's father encouraged his interest in flying, he also imparted stern advice he had learned from his Navy service during World War II: a commander is responsible for everyone in his care - and those words have shaped Sully's life and work and continue to guide him today. "Highest Duty" reveals the important lessons Sully learned through childhood, in his military service, and in his work as a commercial airline pilot. At heart, it is a story of hope and preparedness - that life's challenges can be met if we're ready for them - reminding us that, even in these days filled with war, tragedy, and economic uncertainty, there are values still worth fighting for. A few weeks after the crash, Sully discovered that he'd lost a library book about professional ethics, "Just Culture: Balancing Safety and Accountability", in the downed plane's cargo hold. When he called the library to notify them, they waived the usual fees. Mayor Michael Bloomberg replaced the book when he gave Sully the Key to the City in a New York ceremony.

One of the most captivating heroes of the last decade and the author of the New York Times bestseller Highest Duty engages America's best and brightest to explore the nature of leadership, what it means, what it takes, and how it can be fostered and developed in all of our lives.

Among those included are Tony La Russa, legendary baseball manager; Gene Kranz, NASA flight director during the historic Gemini and Apollo programs; Michelle Rhee, founder of the New Teacher Project; former governor of Michigan Jennifer Granholm; Jim Sinegal, co-founder and CEO, Costco; Lieutenant Colonel Tammy Duckworth, former assistant secretary with the Department of Veterans Affairs; and former Labor secretary Robert Reich.

In this inspirational autobiography, Captain "Sully" Sullenberger, the airline pilot whose emergency landing on the Hudson River earned the world's admiration, tells his life story and talks about the essential qualities that he believes have been so vital to his success.

In January 2009, the world witnessed one of the most remarkable emergency landings in history when Captain Sullenberger brought a crippled US Airways flight onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all of the passengers and crew aboard. The successful outcome was the result of effective teamwork, Sully's dedication to airline safety, his belief that a pilot's judgment must go hand-in-hand with--and can never be replaced by--technology, and forty years of careful practice and training.

From his earliest memories of learning to fly as a teenager in a crop duster's single-engine plane in the skies above rural Texas to his years in the United States Air Force at the controls of a powerful F-4 Phantom, Sully describes the experiences that have helped make him a better leader, particularly the importance of taking responsibility for everyone in his care. And he talks about what he believes is at the heart of America's "can do" spirit: the very human drive to prepare for the unexpected and to meet it with optimism and courage.

His wife, Lorrie, has been a pillar of support through all the highs and lows that life has offered, from the challenges of commercial flying to the birth of their two daughters, from financial struggles to the event of January 15, 2009. Though the world may remember Sully as the hero of Flight 1549, the legacy he desires even more is that of a loving husband and father.

"Highest Duty" is the intimate story of a man who has grown up to embrace what we think of as quintessential American values--leadership, responsibility, commitment to hard work, and service to others. And it is a narrative that reminds us that cultivating seemingly ordinary virtues can prepare us to perform extraordinary acts.

Now a major motion picture from Clint Eastwood, starring Tom Hanks-the inspirational autobiography by one of the most captivating American heroes of our time, Capt. 'Sully' Sullenberger-the pilot who miraculously landed a crippled US Airways Flight 1549 in New York's Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew. On January 15, 2009, the world witnessed a remarkable emergency landing when Captain "Sully" Sullenberger skillfully glided US Airways Flight 1549 onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew. His cool actions not only averted tragedy but made him a hero and an inspiration worldwide. His story is now a major motion picture from director / producer Clint Eastwood and stars Tom Hanks, Laura Linney and Aaron Eckhart. Sully's story is one of dedication, hope, and preparedness, revealing the important lessons he learned through his life, in his military service, and in his work as an airline pilot. It reminds us all that, even in these days of conflict, tragedy and uncertainty, there are values still worth fighting for-that life's challenges can be met if we're ready for them.

At a time of political polarization and economic turmoil, Americans yearn for superlative leadership. Few have demonstrated leadership better than Captain Sully Sullenberger, a man who embodies the core values that are the heart of America: responsibility, optimism, integrity, loyalty, and compassion. In this follow-up to his "New York Times" bestselling memoir "Highest Duty", Sully engages nearly a dozen distinguished Americans to explore the nature of leadership, what it means, what it takes, and how it can be fostered and developed in all of our lives. Key questions that are addressed in this book include: Where do the best leaders come from? How do the most successful and creative truly lead, motivate, and inspire? Sullenberger talks to men and women from diverse fields, including medicine, education, sports, public service, finance, and the military, all who embody the truest sense of moral courage and leadership by personal example. Among those included are: Tony La Russa, the legendary baseball manager; Eugene Kranz, the NASA Flight Director during the historic Gemini and Apollo programs; Michelle Rhee, founder of the New Teacher Project; former Governor of Michigan Jennifer Granholm; Jim Sinegal, co-founder and CEO, Costco; Major Tammy Duckworth, former Assistant Secretary with the Department of Veterans Affairs; and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich. This is an inspirational journey that asks us to consider the fundamental question: What is the nature of leadership? "Making a Difference" challenges us with lessons each of us can apply to our own lives.