Unbreakable Spirit: Rising Above the Ethnic and Class Divides
$16.95
by Michael J. Ryan
Unlike other biographies, this spares none of the depressive details that marked his early life. The author carries you along as he navigates his way out of dire circumstances. You have a view into his thinking as he evaluates the challenges and how to overcome them. There is no sugarcoating, but real life. Once in the business world it is a primer on good effective leadership that caused him to rise above others with more educational credentials to the top operational tier of the Digital Equipment Corporation. On the personal side, the reader watches his romance with his future wife blossom as they marry, raise a son and become partners in life.
This is a remarkable story of a man who survived in the beginning:
- A very dysfunctional family life
- Life in an orphanage
- A poor education
Midway through his formative years:
- Chartered his own way forward
- Gained a very good education
- Established positive personal relationships
In his adult years:
- Rose to the top operations tier of a major corporation
- Recognized for his leadership by his peers
- Established a stable family life
Unlike other biographies, this spares none of the depressive details that marked his early life. The author carries you along as he navigates his way out of dire circumstances. You have a view into his thinking as he evaluates the challenges and how to overcome them. There is no sugarcoating, but real life. Once in the business world it is a primer on good effective leadership that caused him to rise above others with more educational credentials to the top operational tier of the Digital Equipment Corporation. On the personal side, the reader watches his romance with his future wife blossom as they marry, raise a son and become partners in life.
3 reviews for Unbreakable Spirit: Rising Above the Ethnic and Class Divides
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Randy Bean, New Jersey –
UNBREAKABLE SPIRIT captures the life of a youngster born in England in 1940 to an Irish father and an English mother at the height of the “Battle of Britain” when the Irish were generally looked down upon by England’s ethnic population. The author is that child who was subjected to extremely difficult living conditions in the neighborhoods of Birmingham, England. Employment was difficult, and nearly every day was a struggle for local families.
The Birmingham area had become popular for factories from the late 1800’s and was a location for job seekers, although factory work could be very tough due to long hours, low pay, and unhealthy conditions.
The young child’s plight was made more difficult due to additional siblings, very low family income, and a mother who struggled to care for her children. The living conditions of the young boy, as described, were difficult to overcome. The rough teenage years are very well covered as are the subsequent years during which the author was attempting to find a suitable profession which could accommodate his aspirations in the world. He had to deal with unsatisfactory working conditions, low wages, and hard labor jobs, while still trying to survive in decent living conditions. Time after time, obstacles were encountered which might break the spirit of a normal individual. This it the story of a person with a really “unbreakable spirit”.
The author’s writing style enables a very easy read throughout each chapter. His recall ability capturing detailed events throughout his lifetime adds a special dimension. Details are a truly significant asset to the book. It is like placing the reader at the scene.
UNBREAKABLE SPIRIT is an attention grabbing story from end to end, with each chapter speeding by. It certainly is a story worth reading.
John McSoley, Vermont –
First, in the interest of full disclosure, I have known Mike Ryan through my business for a about fifteen years. He was the ex-patriot manager of a local Digital Equipment Corporation plant before the internet age. When he told me he was writing a book I assumed it would be the standard business memoir: a laundry list of tips and an airbrushed look at his career.
“Unbreakable Spirit: Rising Above the Ethnic and Class Divides” is not that kind of book at all. It starts with an unflinching look at his childhood and traces his live through adulthood. He grew up in abject poverty in a dysfunctional family in Birmingham, England in the 1940s to the 1960s and eventually escaped. Like life, his story is at turns uplifting and messy. The book was hard to put down. I highly recommend it.
Mary Jordan, Merrimack, NH –
Mike Ryan is a master storyteller. You don’t merely read his words, you experience life through his eyes. From being delivered by taxi to an orphanage – because that’s what happened in England in the early 1940s when a single parent could not raise three kids and hold down a job – to a stint in the Royal Air Force and an international business career, Mike Ryan’s Unbreakable Spirit will lift your spirit. This is the type of book you can’t wait to tell someone about.