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NAVADMIN 041/09
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MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/FEB// 
SUBJ/NAVY PROFESSIONAL READING PROGRAM REVISION// 
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  OVER 180 YEARS AGO NAVY SECRETARY SAMUEL SOUTHARD 
ORDERED EACH NEW SHIP OUTFITTED FOR SERVICE WITH A COMPLIMENT OF 37 
BOOKS ON TOPICS INCLUDING MATHEMATICS, HISTORY, AND PHILOSOPHY.  HE 
RECOGNIZED THAT A ROBUST READING PROGRAM COULD GREATLY IMPROVE THE 
QUALITY OF THE FORCE.  THIS FACT HOLDS TRUE TODAY.
WE WILL SOON CELEBRATE THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF OUR HIGHLY-REGARDED 
NAVY PROFESSIONAL READING PROGRAM (NPRP) BY INTRODUCING "NAVY READING 
2.0," THE FIRST REVISION OF THE NPRP WHICH ADDS FIVE NEW TITLES, "LONE 
SURVIVOR," "AIRCRAFT CARRIERS AT WAR," "THE ELEPHANT AND THE DRAGON,"
"FORGOTTEN CONTINENT," AND "SIX FRIGATES."  WHILE THESE UPDATES REFLECT 
THE CHANGING WORLD AND GROWING CHALLENGES WE FACE, THE NPRP PURPOSE 
REMAINS UNCHANGED:  TO FACILITATE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF ALL 
SAILORS THROUGHOUT THE FLEET.  
2.  THE KEY TO MAINTAINING THE STRENGTH OF OUR NAVY IS CONTINUALLY 
INCREASING OUR KNOWLEDGE BASE.  BOOKS ARE TOOLS THAT EXTEND PERSONAL 
AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH BEYOND THE DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES OF OUR PERSONNEL.  
NPRP IS MUCH MORE THAN A SUGGESTED READING LIST.  
THESE BOOKS DEVELOP A GREATER APPRECIATION OF THE VIEWS OF OTHERS; HELP 
US BETTER UNDERSTAND OUR CHANGING WORLD; ENHANCE PROFESSIONALISM AND 
IMPROVE CRITICAL THINKING; FOSTER A DEEP APPRECIATION FOR NAVAL AND 
MILITARY HERITAGE; INCREASE OUR KNOWLEDGE OF JOINT WARFARE; STRENGTHEN 
OUR ABILITY TO MAKE SOUND JUDGMENTS; AND STIMULATE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE 
MARITIME PROFESSION AND THE EVER-EVOLVING ROLE OF SEAPOWER.
3.  THE 5 NEW TITLES ARE INTEGRATED INTO THE NPRP LIBRARY OF 60 BOOKS 
THAT ALIGN WITH 6 AREAS OF IMPORTANCE FOR THE NAVAL
PROFESSIONAL:  LEADERSHIP, NAVAL AND MILITARY HERITAGE, JOINT AND 
COMBINED WARFARE, REGIONAL AND CULTURAL AWARENESS, CRITICAL THINKING, 
AND MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC PLANNING.  AS AN AID TO GUIDE READERS TO 
BOOKS OF PARTICULAR RELEVANCE, THE NPRP LIBRARY IS SEGMENTED INTO 5, 
12-BOOK COLLECTIONS, WITH EACH COLLECTION SUGGESTED FOR SAILORS AT 
SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE LEVELS.  THESE GROUPINGS ARE SUGGESTIONS ONLY, AND 
EVERY SAILOR IS ENCOURAGED TO READ ANY BOOK THAT INTERESTS THEM.  
4.  NAVY READING 2.0 ALSO ENHANCES THE NPRP BY MAKING IT MORE 
INTERACTIVE, AFFORDABLE, AND ELECTRONICALLY ACCESSIBLE.  THE NAVY 
EXCHANGE (NEX) HAS INCREASED ITS ABILITY TO SELL BOOKS IN PRINT AND 
AUDIO-CD, AND OFFERS AN AUDIO BOOK SERVICE AT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE 
PRICES.  MANY NPRP TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD IN DIGITAL AUDIO 
FORMAT AT THE REFERENCE SECTION ON NAVY KNOWLEDGE ONLINE (NKO), UNDER 
NAVY LIBRARY E-CONTENT. IN THE COMING MONTHS WE ARE WORKING TO PROVIDE 
ONLINE DISCUSSION FORUMS FOR SAILORS AND INCREASE ACCESS TO AUTHORS OF 
NPRP BOOKS.
5.  I EXPECT EVERY SAILOR TO READ AT LEAST TWO TITLES PER YEAR.  
THIS LIST IS NOT INTENDED TO LIMIT PROFESSIONAL READING IN ANY WAY, 
MERELY TO PROVIDE EASY ACCESS TO SOME OF THE MANY TITLES THAT ARE 
RELEVANT TO OUR SERVICE.  THE ENTIRE LIST, WITH BOOK SUMMARIES AND 
ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENTAL TITLES IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.NAVYREADING.NAVY.MIL.

6.  COMMANDERS, COMMANDING OFFICERS, AND OFFICERS IN CHARGE WILL:
A.  ACTIVELY PROMOTE THE NPRP, INCORPORATING IT INTO COMMAND 
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND GENERAL MILITARY TRAINING BY 
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES TO READ AND DISCUSS THE BOOKS.  
B.  USE UNIT OPTAR AS NECESSARY TO REPLACE WORN, DAMAGED, AND MISSING 
BOOKS AND TO PURCHASE SUPPLEMENTAL TITLES FOR COMMAND LIBRARIES.
C.  DEVELOP INNOVATIVE METHODS TO PROMOTE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THE 
NPRP.
D.  FACILITATE INCREASED ACCESS TO NPRP TITLES VIA PRINT AND ELECTRONIC 
MEDIA.
E.  ENSURE THE FIVE NEW BOOKS ARE INTEGRATED INTO EXISTING COLLECTIONS 
AND MADE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL SAILORS.
7.  READING, DISCUSSING, AND UNDERSTANDING THE IDEAS AND CONCEPTS FOUND 
IN THE NPRP WILL NOT ONLY IMPROVE OUR CRITICAL THINKING, IT WILL ALSO 
HELP US BECOME BETTER SAILORS, BETTER LEADERS, AND BETTER CITIZENS.  AS 
PRESIDENT JOHN ADAMS ONCE WARNED, "A FIGHTING SPIRIT WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE 
WOULD BE LITTLE BETTER THAN A BRUTAL RAGE."  I ENCOURAGE ALL PERSONNEL 
TO RENEW THEIR FIGHTING SPIRIT THROUGH THE POWER OF PROFESSIONAL 
READING.  
8.  RELEASED BY ADMIRAL G. ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.// 
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