We don’t need to tell our readers that the team here at WDW Magazine are all HUGE #disnerds and such fans of Walt Disney World that we love learning anything and everything we can about the most magical place on earth.  For us, Jeff Barnes’ new book, Beyond the Wisdom of Walt: Life Lessons from the Most Magical Place on Earth, certainly didn’t disappoint!

A few year ago, Mr. Barnes released his first book combining Disney fandom and leadership teachings:  The Wisdom of Walt: Leadership Lessons from the Happiest Place on Earth.  That book had all sorts of clever observations, interesting lessons to mull over, and plenty of magical spirit – all derived from Walt’s original park, Disneyland.  His new book is less a sequel and more a continuation of the great storytelling and motivational tone established in its predecessor.

As a university professor, keynote speaker, leadership coach and Disney lover, Mr. Barnes has the perfect resume to bring life to important business and life lessons that can apply all the way from C-suite executives to your own family.  He’s engaging, insightful, and – forgive me for the pun – wise.

In Beyond the Wisdom of Walt, Mr. Barnes teaches leadership lessons through the lens of Walt Disney World.  While you do get a sense of the history of the parks, this is more than a historical account.  Each chapter includes observations that call to mind his presence as a lecturer, and a “souvenir stop” which imparts an exercise meant for you to take away and use to inspire personal betterment, every day.

Not all of the stories in Mr. Barnes book are derived from Walt Disney World.  He seamlessly combines tales and tidbits learned from the parks (for instance, how Disneyland’s of Pirates of the Caribbean is beloved and infamous, while WDW’s version is successful in terms of capacity but fails in popularity) along with lessons from mundane day-to-day occurrences (his story about a mouldy water leak over Christmas break is something that hits close to home for me).

One of my favorite take-aways from this book is that people forget that the parks were always meant to grow and evolve – Walt said to himself.  As much as we cling to nostalgia and history, the parks aren’t museums and we should embrace what’s yet to come.  That’s a great lesson as Disney fans, but has profound implications for those of us stuck in a rut in our own lives.

You’ll need to read the book yourself to find the lessons that resonate most with your own life, but rest assured that your time will be well-spent.  Not only is Beyond the Wisdom of Walt a delightful look into Walt Disney World from a perspective most of us never consider but it’s a mighty entertaining read as well.

Subscribe to WDW Magazine today for access to all of our issues and read our interview with Jeff Barnes in our December 2015 issue!

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