BRANSON, Mo. – Former Speaker of the House and founder of the Missouri Times, Rod Jetton, has released a second edition to his book titled Success Can Kill You. He previsiously co-authored a book on crisis management called The Recoverying Politician’s Twelve Step Program to Survive Crisis. The second edition will have have a new opening chapter and is available discounted with online retailers Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and CreateSpace for a limited time.
“The book chronicles Rod’s meteoric rise from a young Marine officer to the second youngest House Speaker in Missouri state history,” read a release about the book. “His political success made him a powerful force in the Republican Party and he was on the fast track to becoming Governor of Missouri, when his personal life exploded in a very public and humiliating fall.”
“On December 7, 2009, he was arrested for felony assault after a one-night stand with a woman he connected with on Facebook. Soon after that, he received a call from a former girlfriend telling him she was pregnant and he was going to be a father at the age of 42. Then, just a few weeks later, Rod found out he was the target of a grand jury investigation from his handling of a bill when he was Speaker of the Missouri House.”
“Rod’s candid way of explaining his mistakes and pointing out the dangers of putting his career in front of his faith and family will be of great benefit to politicians, businessmen, church leaders and corporate executives focused on accomplishing their goals. Corporate Chaplain Mitch Callis added, ‘Rod’s ability to identify the early warning signs of pride, bitterness and paranoia in his life are exactly the type of cautionary advice anyone who is experiencing success needs to hear. He does a great job of keeping the reader’s interest with forthright stories, useful illustrations and sound advice. Thoughtful leaders would be wise to read this book and heed the warnings gleaned from his mistakes.’
The release includes a quote from Dr. Gina Loudon, who said, “If you know someone who has run, or who might ever run for political office, ‘Success Can Kill You’ is the best contribution you could make to their campaign.”
Since leaving the House, Jetton became a partner in Second Act Strategies, a bipartisan group of former public servants who share their stories of overcoming crises with corporations, elected officials, and not-for-profit organizations. He most recently finished the memoir Son of a Preacher Man about his life growing up in the home of a Baptist preacher.
Rachael Herndon was the editor at The Missouri Times and also produced This Week in Missouri Politics, published Missouri Times Magazine, and co-hosted the #MoLeg podcast. She joined The Missouri Times in 2014, returning to political reporting after working as a campaign and legislative staffer.
Rachael studied at the University of Missouri – Columbia. She lives in Jefferson City with her husband, Brandon, and their two children.
