Profiles in Folly is a historical book written by Alan Axelrod

Alan Axelrod

Alan Axelrod is an author of history, business and management. He resides in Atlanta, Georgia.He received his doctorate in English from the University of Iowa, specializing in the literature and culture of colonial America and the early republic...

 which is composed of many other true stories within the book itself, beginning with the Trojan War

Trojan War

In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...

 in "The Decision To Let Danger In", and ending with Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...

 in "The Decision to Stop Short of Leadership". It is a follow-up book to Profiles in Audacity, and studies 35 of the worst mistakes in history. Each mistake is told in story form and is designed to teach the reader lessons through Axelrod's opinion.

Division of the book

The book is separated into six main parts, all focusing on different decisions leaders made in their actions of folly. These decisions are:

• The Decision to Gamble and Hope
• The Decision to Manipulate
• The Decision to Leap (Without Looking)
• The Decision to Retreat
• The Decision to Destroy
• and The Decision to Drift.

Within each of these decisions are short, historical stories such as "John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....

 and the Bay of Pigs

Bay of Pigs Invasion

The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful action by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with support and encouragement from the US government, in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The invasion was launched in April 1961, less than three months...

" under The Decision to Drift, or "The British Empire and Gandhi" under The Decision to Retreat. There are a total of thirty-five mini stories within the entire book.

The book focuses on mainly contemporary stories, but goes as far back as to the Trojan War

Trojan War

In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...

(the very first story) under The Decision to Gamble and Hope.