Review of Bull Sh*t with Cream on It: A Lesdership Memoir
Posted: 20 Apr 2025, 04:23
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Bull Sh*t with Cream on It: A Lesdership Memoir" by Linda F Robertson.]
Bull Sh*t with Cream on It: A Leadership Memoir is as unexpected and provocative as its title.
Linda F. Robertson’s memoir focuses on her early years as a young child on a remote Wyoming sheep ranch. Reminiscent of Little House on the Prairie, just some decades later, Linda melds her account of her life and how her experiences shaped her mentality and career with tidbits of knowledge about effective leadership traits and skills. She tells the story of her journey from rancher’s daughter to schoolteacher to university director, leader, and women’s advocate. As a descriptively painted picture of the life of a rancher, it is full of interesting historical aspects, humor, and wholesome lessons. You don’t need to be looking for a memoir or leadership education book to enjoy this.
There is a reason Linda hones in on her earlier years. As an educator, she understands the impact her upbringing had on the leadership qualities she exhibits today. As she points out, her parents were often busy with the farm, and she never attended any formal kindergarten or playgroup. But studies show that children left to use their imagination and observation skills develop “self-reliance, creative problem solving, and independence.” As a parent, I appreciated this book shining a spotlight on early childhood leadership “education.” We think of education as being formal learning and planned lessons, but the value of a rural, well-rounded, hands-on upbringing, with parents who model leadership-worthy behavior, is more important than the best education money can buy. While she continued to learn and hone her skills in her later years through advanced degrees and professional development, she knows the foundation of learning she was given was indispensable.
As the head of many train-the-trainer programs over the years, the author is well-equipped to write this book on leadership roles. A list of leadership skills and traits is presented at the beginning of the book for reference, and then each list item has a corresponding part in the stories. Linda does a fair job of meshing memoir with leadership guide, but this definitely leans more heavily towards a memoir with inserted life lessons. The leadership points are sometimes lost in the story or awkwardly segued. Questions are included at the end of the book and at the end of each chapter to draw a connection between the author’s and reader’s experiences and invite reflection. However, they don’t fit the writing smoothly and seem like an afterthought. It is otherwise well-written to keep the story flowing and engage the reader.
The memoir aspect is what really stands out for me. The addition of family photos and other memorabilia is endearing and pulls the reader in, painting the author as relatable and authentically human. Some parts are narrated from a child’s perspective, giving little instances of innocence and humor. As a former farm kid, this book offers a bit of nostalgia—for the workings of the farm, for the excitement of cousin or neighbor visits that were few and far between, and for the involvement in everyday tasks from an early age. The whole process of shearing sheep and the systems that are in place in this dwindling livestock industry is interesting. Everything is explained simply enough for those who aren’t familiar with rural life, with enough detail to be interesting but brief enough that it doesn’t bore someone with a similar upbringing. There is also the inclusion of interesting tidbits with familiar connections, like that the new (1947) “Wranglers” jean brand included mini comics with depictions of stars of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association with their jeans.
Unfortunately, I cannot give this book a perfect score. The major glaring issue was the unprofessional editing. With over 30 obvious errors to mar the reading experience, it significantly detracted from my enjoyment of an otherwise wonderfully written book. Including extra letters, missing words, and run-on sentences, I think the worst of all was the misspelled name of a Wyoming governor from one sentence to the next. Not just any governor, but Nellie Ross, the first woman to become a governor in any state. Add to that the overused statements and repetitiveness, as well as some awkward formatting and layout (new paragraphs starting without any break, or breaks mid-paragraph), and it was disappointing enough that I am taking away 2 points.
That being said, my final rating for this book is 3 out of 5 stars. It is a valuable read for aspiring leaders, educators, parents, or rural history enthusiasts. The story is still inspiring despite the lack of editing, and the author coaxed more than one laugh out of me with her quirky humor. The leadership lessons were simple enough to follow and impactful, even if they weren’t as prominent as expected. Despite the title, there is very minimal profanity inside the book for those who are worried about being offended. Overall, I would recommend this book to a friend.
******
Bull Sh*t with Cream on It: A Lesdership Memoir
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Bull Sh*t with Cream on It: A Leadership Memoir is as unexpected and provocative as its title.
Linda F. Robertson’s memoir focuses on her early years as a young child on a remote Wyoming sheep ranch. Reminiscent of Little House on the Prairie, just some decades later, Linda melds her account of her life and how her experiences shaped her mentality and career with tidbits of knowledge about effective leadership traits and skills. She tells the story of her journey from rancher’s daughter to schoolteacher to university director, leader, and women’s advocate. As a descriptively painted picture of the life of a rancher, it is full of interesting historical aspects, humor, and wholesome lessons. You don’t need to be looking for a memoir or leadership education book to enjoy this.
There is a reason Linda hones in on her earlier years. As an educator, she understands the impact her upbringing had on the leadership qualities she exhibits today. As she points out, her parents were often busy with the farm, and she never attended any formal kindergarten or playgroup. But studies show that children left to use their imagination and observation skills develop “self-reliance, creative problem solving, and independence.” As a parent, I appreciated this book shining a spotlight on early childhood leadership “education.” We think of education as being formal learning and planned lessons, but the value of a rural, well-rounded, hands-on upbringing, with parents who model leadership-worthy behavior, is more important than the best education money can buy. While she continued to learn and hone her skills in her later years through advanced degrees and professional development, she knows the foundation of learning she was given was indispensable.
As the head of many train-the-trainer programs over the years, the author is well-equipped to write this book on leadership roles. A list of leadership skills and traits is presented at the beginning of the book for reference, and then each list item has a corresponding part in the stories. Linda does a fair job of meshing memoir with leadership guide, but this definitely leans more heavily towards a memoir with inserted life lessons. The leadership points are sometimes lost in the story or awkwardly segued. Questions are included at the end of the book and at the end of each chapter to draw a connection between the author’s and reader’s experiences and invite reflection. However, they don’t fit the writing smoothly and seem like an afterthought. It is otherwise well-written to keep the story flowing and engage the reader.
The memoir aspect is what really stands out for me. The addition of family photos and other memorabilia is endearing and pulls the reader in, painting the author as relatable and authentically human. Some parts are narrated from a child’s perspective, giving little instances of innocence and humor. As a former farm kid, this book offers a bit of nostalgia—for the workings of the farm, for the excitement of cousin or neighbor visits that were few and far between, and for the involvement in everyday tasks from an early age. The whole process of shearing sheep and the systems that are in place in this dwindling livestock industry is interesting. Everything is explained simply enough for those who aren’t familiar with rural life, with enough detail to be interesting but brief enough that it doesn’t bore someone with a similar upbringing. There is also the inclusion of interesting tidbits with familiar connections, like that the new (1947) “Wranglers” jean brand included mini comics with depictions of stars of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association with their jeans.
Unfortunately, I cannot give this book a perfect score. The major glaring issue was the unprofessional editing. With over 30 obvious errors to mar the reading experience, it significantly detracted from my enjoyment of an otherwise wonderfully written book. Including extra letters, missing words, and run-on sentences, I think the worst of all was the misspelled name of a Wyoming governor from one sentence to the next. Not just any governor, but Nellie Ross, the first woman to become a governor in any state. Add to that the overused statements and repetitiveness, as well as some awkward formatting and layout (new paragraphs starting without any break, or breaks mid-paragraph), and it was disappointing enough that I am taking away 2 points.
That being said, my final rating for this book is 3 out of 5 stars. It is a valuable read for aspiring leaders, educators, parents, or rural history enthusiasts. The story is still inspiring despite the lack of editing, and the author coaxed more than one laugh out of me with her quirky humor. The leadership lessons were simple enough to follow and impactful, even if they weren’t as prominent as expected. Despite the title, there is very minimal profanity inside the book for those who are worried about being offended. Overall, I would recommend this book to a friend.
******
Bull Sh*t with Cream on It: A Lesdership Memoir
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon