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Tom Rowley

Turning experience into wisdom since 1969.

Tom Rowley writes and speaks about decisive thinking, resilient leadership, and honest inquiry.

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The literary collection

The Books

Military & history · 2019

Blame It on 'Nam

A combat pilot's reckoning with history, flight, and humanity.

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Military & history · 2021

Blame This On 'Nam Too

The societal ripples, institutional changes, and the long flight home.

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Education & parenting · 2023

Empower Your Children

Cultivating critical thinking, resilience, and autonomy in young minds.

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Education & parenting · 2024

Teacher's Guide to Empower Your Children

A classroom companion for inquiry-driven learning.

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The author

Thomas Rowley, Ph.D.

Tom Rowley writes the way he thinks: directly, without pretense, and with the conviction that most people are smarter than the information they have been given.

His books draw on a lifetime of experience as a U.S. veteran, university professor, international business consultant, licensed pilot, and horseman. At the heart of his work is a simple conviction: critical thinking is not a luxury, but a life skill.

Whether helping veterans reclaim their narratives, equipping parents to raise thoughtful and informed children, or encouraging professionals to question what they have been told, Tom’s writing is grounded in real-world experience and focused on meaningful, practical outcomes.

His published works include Blame It on ‘Nam, Blame This on ‘Nam Too, and Empower Your Children, available in paperback, hardcover, ebook, and audiobook. He has also published an accompanying Teacher’s Guide, available in both English and Spanish.

Invite Dr Tom to speak

Turning experience into wisdom since 1969.

ON THE STAGE

Speaking & Keynotes

What Horses Can Teach Us About Leadership

Presented live at the 2024 Leadership Summit, Tom reveals how horses lead entire herds without a single word, and what that teaches us about earned authority, clear communication, and becoming the kind of leader people actually follow.

Watch Session

Leadership Summit 2024 — Preview

A two-minute introduction to Tom's Leadership Summit 2024 presentation, the core question every leader needs to answer, and why the horse herd holds the answer.

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Connecting With Intent — Conversation with Dr. Tom Rowley

Tom sits down with host Muhammad West to talk about why he started writing, what the military taught him about teaching, and why asking the right questions, not the right people, is the real skill no school teaches anymore.

Watch Session

Mission

Become a critical thinking
decision maker and advocate!

Tom Rowley Book Covers

My goal is to create and support a successful cadre of enthusiastic advocates to restore the teaching of effective problem solving life skills in public education.

Young people deserve to learn how to think not what to think. Developing the skills of critical thinking techniques integrated with the knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of adults will result in balanced individuals who are confident they are making informed decisions with a conscious expectation of the likely consequences.

When individuals practice being ‘respectful skeptics’ and engage in calm social discourse of the important issues of the times, the debate is more peaceful and negotiated outcomes are more productive and less disruptive.

Testimonials

What Readers and Audiences Say

BJ MillerAuthor and Pastor, Queensland
“The author discusses the failure of the public education system in the USA to educate students in critical thinking and problem-solving skills. As an educator, he speaks from first-hand experience. He believes that the Vietnam War is one of the reasons for this. I won't spoil your read by saying why. He is worried that many students and leaders in government, industry and education won't listen to arguments that challenge their points of view. He discusses the effects of the pandemic and generational issues and is concerned re illiberalism. He recommends a plan of action and advocacy to deal with the issues raised.”
MBSpecial Ed teacher, Ohio
“The author does an excellent job using a plethora of sources to show how/why the educational system is the way it is. From having a lot of experience, Tom explains why he believes there should be a framework for responsible decision making and the likely consequences that go along with it.. which is why he "blames it on Nam!" As an educator, I couldn't put this book down, and it gave me a lot of insight such as: the history of education, a biased curriculum, generational archetypes, problem solving opportunities and even an action plan with a lot of tools to implement actual change in the educational system.”
MJHKansas
“I wish every judge, politician, legislator, educator and school board member and parent would read this book. It contains many solutions to the problems in this country. Issues with critical thinking that could be corrected in our classrooms. Buy it, read it, and act upon these crucial issues facing our children and grandchildren.”

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"Complaining about a problem without posing a solution is called whining."
Theodore Roosevelt
Horseman, adventurer and 26th President of the United States.

Continue the Journey

Beyond the books, explore Tom's critical thinking courses and the E3A equine leadership programme for organisations.

Critical Thinking Courses

Deepen your analytical skills with structured online programs designed for continuous personal and professional development.

Visit tomrowleyphd.com

E3A Leadership Programme

Discover experiential leadership training through equine-assisted facilitation, fostering authentic communication and trust.

Visit h3cinc.org.com