Modest Beginnings, High Aspirations: A memoir of Skill, Self-development, and Community Empowerment

Acquiring skills and nurturing talents are attributes that must be inculcated and embraced in homes, schools, work, and play by children, young, and older adults alike everywhere in the world. The title of the book, Acquiring Skills and Nurturing Talent, chronicles my life story. It presents the details of my family experiences, education, work, and community engagement. I have worked and traveled extensively in America, Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Liberia), Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia (Singapore, China), and other parts of the world. The book illustrates the important role that acquiring skills and nurturing talents, such as technical skills, artistic skills, sports skills, language skills, and entrepreneurial skills, play in instilling self-development. They also facilitate community empowerment and contribute immensely toward the complex and difficult enterprise of nation building.

Chapters 1 through 7 is the autobiographical narrative. In the remaining chapters 7 through 15, the book provides a group of lectures, presentations, and some prior publications, whose contents vividly and fully describe my activities. They offer tremendous insight into how I went about putting into practice my strong belief in the value of acquiring skills for the purpose of self-development, community empowerment, and nation building. Chapter 16 is a photo gallery of a portion of my larger extended family. They are spread around the world. It is said that "a picture is worth a thousand words." So I have included lots of pictures to bring the narratives to life.