Six Lessons for Six Sons: An Extraordinary Father, a Simple Formula for Success

In a folksy tone, with the aid of business writer Clow, Massengale, now in his 70s, tells how he overcame great odds and successfully raised six sons. As a boy, Massengale witnessed his father, Hugh, being knocked to his knees in Marshall, Tex., when he stood up to a white man who owed him money. Despite desperate poverty, Hugh imbued his son with the confidence to survive; in 1947, Joe started a landscaping business in California. He passed this confidence on to his sons along with five other lessons: fortitude, pride, persistence, fearlessness and focus. In each chapter Massengale and one son together reveal how one of these traits influenced their lives. For example, Michael, who returned to his first love, acting, at age 40 after practicing law, believes he was given the gift of fortitude in order to pursue his difficult career. Perhaps the toughest challenge for Massengale was to instill focus in his youngest son, Andre, who is mildly autistic, and help him gain an independent life. The book is inspiring, and Massengale's "regular guy" voice and emphasis on honesty and values will resonate for many readers. (Mar.)