This story chronicles the life of a hard-working man who may well fit Walt Whitman"s epitome of the "Common Man." His story as seen through the eyes of his son is compelling, wrought with obstacles, and ultimately a story of a family living just above the poverty level. It is about love, respect, and someone who lived the American dream. In the end, Leo Larsen, the main character, can be celebrated not for what he wanted but instead what he did or tried continually to do for others. He lifted America on his back and broke that back but remained himself, unbroken and a hero in many ways. This is a story that awakens the best in all of us. It makes us want to go beyond our insular selves. Situational humor, pathos, and sardonic wit all are present in the story of this orphan who only finished 8th grade but whose favorite authors were Carl Sandburg and John Steinbeck. His political understanding and critical understanding of how people operated made him formidable to anyone who thought to argue stupidly, and he was not beyond telling them so. All said, it is worth reading as a survival guide, a heroic saga, and a social history of the times and values over thirty years, while being fun to read.