Pittsburgh Author Publishes Autobiography

Daring Choices: Stories From An International Life in Politics, Business, and Technology, a new book by James B. Kelly III, has been released by Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc.


"How did you have the career you had?" graduate business students regularly asked Jim Kelly, an Executive in Residence at the University of Pittsburgh. That question was usually followed by a second, "How can I have a similar career?" In his book, Daring Choices, Jim answers both questions.

Kelly has had an exciting and adventurous life. An experienced international executive and entrepreneur, he lived in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia while directing the global growth of a variety of companies. He founded two software companies, SynXis in the hotel reservation space and Flight Explorer serving aviation. He also served in the political sphere: on Senator Richard S. Schweiker's Washington staff; as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives; and subsequently as a trade official in the Reagan Administration, responsible for economic policy in Africa, the Near East, and South Asia. His stories and the people he met along the way stir the imagination and provide an example of what can be done in a lifetime.

In these pages, Jim pays tribute to the influence and roles of mentors like Elsie Hillman and former Secretary of Transportation Drew Lewis while describing the importance of making self-challenging decisions outside one's habitual comfort zone and handling the change that follows.

Jim's eclectic career, diverse life experiences, and unusual encounters with the likes of Alice Cooper, Charles de Gaulle, the King of Spain, and the President of Algeria, inspire us to live our lives the way we want, journey beyond expectations, and make daring choices.


Praise for Daring Choices: Stories From An International Life in Politics, Business, and Technology

"Jim Kelly's life can best be described as "remarkable." Remarkable for its variety, importance, and success." - Jim Roddey, former President, Turner Communications, Inc., former Chief Executive, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

"Daring Choices is a great read. Jim Kelly personifies what a true entrepreneur with vision, determination, and a plan can accomplish. His SynXis platform was a revolutionary "game changer" in the hotel reservation space. A fragmented reservation network became connected effectively and efficiently resulting in maximum revenue management and control. Today over 50,000 hotels use SynXis. Kudos!" - John Russell, former CEO, Red Lions and Cendant (Wyndham) Hotels, Past Chairman American Hotel and Lodging Association

"In Daring Choices, Jim Kelly provides insights on how he propelled himself from such diverse professional accomplishments as working with Alice Cooper, to participating in negotiations in the Middle East for the Reagan Administration, to becoming a serial software CEO in the hospitality and aviation worlds. Jim's approaches to proactively creating an adventuresome career are instructive indeed." - Alexander H. Good, former Assistant Secretary of Commerce and head of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service in the International Trade Administration, former Executive Vice President, Verizon

About the Author

Jim Kelly is a retired international businessman and member of the Strickland Global Leadership Institute Board of Directors. He and his wife, Janet, live in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA. Daring Choices is his first book.


Daring Choices: Stories From An International Life in Politics, Business, and Technology is a 254-page paperback with a retail price of $20.00 (eBook $15.00). The ISBN is 979-8-89127-581-2. It was published by Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For members of the press, to request a review copy, visit our virtual pressroom at https://dorrancepressroom.com/daring-choices-stories-from-an-international-life-in-politics-business-and-technology/ or to buy the book visit our online bookstore at https://bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com/daring-choices-stories-from-an-international-life-in-politics-business-and-technology/