Smith Professor's New Book Details the "Road Rules" for Navigating Life

Andrew J. Sherman has been an adjunct professor of business management, strategy and planning at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business for over 20 years now. Sherman has been a keynote speaker on business growth topics in over 35 countries at thousands of conferences around the globe. Whether a professor, speaker, advisor or a senior partner in Jones Day in Washington, D.C., he has spent his entire career helping companies grow. 
 
After writing 17 books on business growth and development, Sherman has expanded his focus. His recent book Road Rules - Be The Truck, Not The Squirrel: 12 Rules for Navigating the Road of Life is Sherman's first look at personal growth and development.
 
One of the central themes of Road Rules is that it is you are in control of shaping your own destiny -- you as an individual have the power, the tools, the resources and the energy to influence and change your direction as you progress on your journey of life. Road Rules shares some of the insights, war stories, parables and general observations that Sherman has accumulated in his 25 years of working with entrepreneurs, as well as leaders of established companies. The book draws on the parallels between the challenges of our daily commute to work and our journey down the highway of life.  
  
Sherman surmises that the time you spend behind the wheel of a car, however uninspiring it may be, teaches you more about life’s most meaningful lessons than you might initially think. From speed and direction, to knowing when to refuel or change lanes, the rules one must follow on the road are not too different from the rules one should use to set the life priorities and goals that matter most. 
  
"With the heart of an educator and after 21 years as an adjunct professor in the MBA program at the Smith School, I am excited about the publication of Road Rules," says Sherman. "It examines the parallels between business growth and development, and personal growth and development. While the business school curriculum offers many excellent courses on business strategy, it [the curriculum] is a bit less concerned with our personal road maps, which are equally if not even more important as we embark on our journeys down the highway of life," remarks Sherman. 
  
Over 50 reviews have already been written on Road Rules, and the response so far is overwhelmingly positive. Sherman is very encouraged by the early praise and hopes that the book can continue to be well received at a time in our country's history when we could all use some solace and a few laughs.
 
Road Rules is currently available for order on Amazon.com (use this link to donate a referral fee to Smith School scholarships). In addition, Sherman's Web site (http://www.bethetruck.com) includes information about the book, as well as links to media interviews and video clips on the book’s key principles and the 12 road rules themselves. 

Pete Baird, MBA Candidate 2009, Smith Media Group