"Growing up, he never got the chance to know his mother and father. And he often had no money for new shoes, or even for bus fare. When Thomas Sowell left home at age seventeen, all he had in the world fit into a single suitcase. While he looked for work, he often had nothing to eat save for some stale bread and a little jelly. But Sowell refused to give in to despair or self-pity. He was determined to make his life better--and to do it on his own, without favors from anyone. Thomas Sowell went on to become a famous thinker, inspiring millions with his writings on self-reliance, the free market, and personal responsibility. His incredible life story, no less than his books, demonstrates the power of his ideas."--Back cover