There are several subcultures in the US that are Oral Cultures and if you cannot think orally, gather information orally, and question people well, you cannot survive.
Patton had attrocious handwriting and some other fine motor issues so he focused on oral learning. He had to work very hard to keep up in other areas with his peers and that work ethic, and EXPECTATION that he had to work hard, carried over into other areas.
The military, government and executive ranks are oral cultures. Some areas of law are oral cultures. Theater and movie directing are oral cultures. Some math departments are oral cultures.
BTW, I just finished this book on Stalin. Stalin was clearly GT - reading very early and deeply. Its a good read and gives background into how he became who he was. It fits in with Paul Johnson's thesis on similar leaders.
We just got through reading Animal Farm and my son loved trying to figure out who the characters represented and what might happen next before going to sparknotes.com to read their analysis and take the test over the book. I think he might enjoy the book on Stalin. My husband, who quickly worked his way up in the military before retiring, wants him to watch a movie about Patton. A few years ago, my son and I got to go to a reunion of some the people my husband used to work with and they were all very smart people.
