Ciampa, an independent consultant, and Watkins, a Harvard Business School associate professor, advise three key missions for new leaders: create momentum; master the ability to learn, convey a vision and build coalitions; and know and manage yourself well. A fast start is especially crucial. They say the most important period starts with the recruitment or interview process and runs through the first six months in a new role. Right From the Start provides plenty of real-life examples of successes and failures, from building coalitions to changing corporate culture. The stories tend to suffer sometimes because the executives remain anonymous. Nonetheless the book is instructive for business people assuming new management roles. --Dan Ring, Amazon.com