Leonardo da Vinci by Kathleen Krull

 The biography series Giants of Science for middle grade fascinates with the story of Leonardo da Vinci who was an Italian polymath during the High Renaissance.  

Leonardo da Vinci (1734-1818) was born in Vinci, in Tuscany, Italy. He was an illegitimate child, raised by grandparents. His uncle Francesco farmed family’s land. He liked experimenting with different crops. Leonardo spent hours helping his uncle, and that probably influences his curious mind.

Leonardo from childhood was very observant, observing everything around him, making notes and drawings. He always carried a pen and paper with him so no thought would escape him. He supposedly developed this habit already during his childhood.

He received minimal schooling and because of his illegitimacy, he wasn’t allowed to attend university. He pretty much had two options: either to join the army or to take up a trade.

His father used his connections to get him apprenticed as a studio boy to Andrea del Verrocchio, the leading Florentine painter and sculptor of his day. Leonardo was twelve or thirteen at the time. He started with sweeping the floors, running errands, and cleaning paintbrushes. Meanwhile, he continued to practice his drawing.

It was a time when paintings were being developed from appearing flat to giving the illusion of depth. Like Leonardo’s uncle, Verrocchio also liked experimenting and innovating. He encouraged his shop to break new ground in the arts.

Leonardo was a quick learner and his talent was noticed. Verrocchio was delegating more work to him.

Leonardo spent time at hospitals, furthering his study of anatomy.

By twenty, he became an official member of the Florentine painters’ guild, but he remained with his teacher for another 12-13 years, perfecting his skills.

Leonardo was a man of many talents, but he wasn’t good at finishing tasks. He quitted many commissions. He left behind many sketches and plans and less finished work.

It could have been that with so many talents and passions focusing on one idea for an extended period was becoming disengaging for him.

He was always busy. If not creating, then reading and educating himself.

Leonardo became obsessed with flying. Thus, he studied the motion of bird’s wings.

He was fascinated with Greek philosophers, but he never followed blindly. He always questioned and made his own observations.

He also was solving practical problems, one of them was designing warfare weapons as the city – states of Italy were at war much of the time.

Above all, Leonardo wanted to be original. He was much more interested in inventing and designing. And for that he needed a patron.

Lorenzo de Medici – the greatest patron of art – didn’t pick Leonardo. Thus, it was time for him to leave Florence.

At thirty, he moved to Milan – the city known for advances in science and learning. And that’s what interested him the most. He entered the service of Duke Ludovico Sforza, Milan’s ruler, and served him for years as principal military engineer and also as an architect.

When another epidemic of Black Death struck Milan, Leonardo designed an ideal city, to make it clean and healthy as he connected the filthy conditions with the cause of plagues. But the design was never used.

During his time in Milan, he painted The Last Super.

Past his forties, he taught himself Latin, so he could read books that weren’t translated into Italian.

In 1499, when French invaded Milan and his patron was overthrown, at forty-seven, he began to roam with his assistant Salai.

From 1513-1516, he lived in Rome with the pope for a patron.

In 1517, Leonardo travelled to France as King Francis I became his patron.

This biography demonstrates a man who didn’t have a formal education and yet became a polymath thanks to his curiosity. What exemplifies him is his curious mind which led him to asking many questions about everything, including how things worked and what people imposed with their believes. He was open-minded and never relied on long-standing theories.  

This biography for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, for most part with simple sentences.

Source: Puffin Books, 2008

 

 

 

·         TRENDING INSPIRATION: “Learning never exhausts the mind.” – Leonardo da Vinci (He never stopped learning. Fascination in a subject led him to study it in order to understand it).

 

 

Traits:

·         From childhood, he was very observant, observing everything around him, making notes and drawings.

·         As a boy, he was apprenticed to clean the art studio, but meanwhile continued on improving his drawings.

·         He spent time at hospitals to further his study of anatomy, so his drawings would look natural.

·         Even when he was at age to strike on his own, he remained with his teacher to improve his skills.

·         He was a man of many talents, but he wasn’t good at finishing tasks.

·         He was always busy. If not creating, then reading and educating himself.

·         When he became obsessed with flying, he studied the motion of bird’s wings.

·         Past his forties, he taught himself Latin, so he could read books that weren’t translated into Italian.

 

 

 

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci

“The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions.” – Leonardo da Vinci

“There are three classes of people: those who see, those who see when they are shown, and those who do not see.” – Leonardo da Vinci

“The noblest pleasure if the joy of understanding.” – Leonardo da Vinci

“Wisdom is the daughter of experience.” – Leonardo da Vinci

“Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation…even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind.” – Leonardo da Vinci

“Nature is the source of all true knowledge.” – Leonardo da Vinci

 

 

 

 

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION:  

 Leonardo da Vinci was one of the greatest intellects in the history of mankind, very productive, always having a pen and a piece of paper with him to write down whatever came to him. He wanted to make sure that no thought escaped him. Yet, he understood balance very well as he said:

“Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgement will be surer; since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose power of judgement.”

Dr. Wayne Dyer explores the subject of Balance in his book “Wisdom of the Ages,” where he further explains the words of da Vinci: “The great Renaissance master is telling us to let go, relax, don’t try so hard, remove the struggle and allow our natural divine guidance to assist us.” One of the ways is to meditate before undertaking any pursuit. Meditation creates space or gap in our mind, allowing ideas or answers come to us. Thus, becoming more productive in less time.

Who Was Milton Bradley? by Kirsten Anderson

 Who Was…? biography series for middle grade inspires with the story of Milton Bradley – a talented inventor and printer, who became the father of modern board games.

Milton Bradley (1836-1911) was born in Vienna, Maine. From childhood, he had a talent for drawing. Thus, in order to utilize his talent, his first jobs were as a draftsman. However, right after High School, in addition to working as a draftsman, he also worked as a patent agent which later came useful.

At twenty-three, he went to school to learn lithography. And a year later, he set up the first color lithography shop in Springfield, Massachusetts, but the business wasn’t doing well.

His friend tried to cheer him up by playing games. At the same time, Milton got an idea to invent a board game. Some people saw games as a waste of time. So he wanted to create something that was fun and meaningful.  He came up with The Checkered Game of Life, which he took to NYC to different stores. After selling them all, with the money in his pocket, he was ready to marry the love of his life.

When the Civil War began in April 1861, Milton was asked to help draft plans for new types of weapons. His patent business took off.

Nevertheless, Milton felt an obligation to join the Union Army, but he was told that designing the new guns was the most important job he could be doing. When passing by a group of soldiers, he noticed them being sad and bored. That’s when he came up with a small pocket-size game board. He called it the Game Kit for Soldiers.

Then, he came up with the rebus puzzle cards which became a huge success, too.

A German man named Friedrich Froebel introduced an idea of kindergarten, which was learning by playing. Elizabeth Peabody was an American teacher who believed in Froebel’s idea of kindergarten and became a leader of this movement in the US.

The Milton Bradley Company was growing but they wanted to stick to games only.  Milton himself was of different opinion and persisted in creating material for teachers, which were considered less profitable. At the end, it also turned out to be profitable.

He believed in meaningful ideas, making a difference for humanity. He stood by it and at the end made his mark with big profits.

He believed in working hard, and staying close to your family. Also, that learning and fun were both important and could be combined.

This biography exemplifies a man who strongly believed in his ideas, of learning and having fun at the same time. When others looked at profits only, he persisted with something that was considered not profitable, and his creativity made it profitable.

This illustrated biography for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts. 

Source: Penguin Workshop, 2016

 

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” – Milton Bradley

 

 

Traits:

·         He had a natural talent for drawing.

·         He utilized his talent by getting the closest jobs he could reflecting what he liked.

·         He went to school to learn lithography for a year. His schooling wasn’t about getting a degree. It was about a specific goal.

·         When his business wasn’t doing well, his friend tried to cheer him up by playing games. It’s important to surround ourselves with friends that will cheer us up, not drag us down.

·         When his friend tried to cheer him up by playing games, that’s when the idea came to him to create board game. When we relaxation, we allow space in our mind for ideas to come in.

·         His goal was to create something that was fun and meaningful, to serve other people. (When the money is the driven factor, then it won’t sustain itself in long run. It has to have a purpose of serving others). 

 

 

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Milton Bradley

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Milton Bradley

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Milton Bradley

 

 

 

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION:

 Many artists, scientists, scholars and others who achieved great things – they all understood the power of silence, quieting mind, creating a gap and letting ideas come to them.

Dr. Wayne Dyer explores this subject further in his book “Wisdom of the Ages” under chapter one – Meditation. “It has been estimated that the average person has sixty thousand separate thoughts each and every day. (…) Learning to be quiet and meditate involves figuring out a way to enter the spaces between your thoughts; or the gap. (…)”

Pythagoras, Greek philosopher and mathematician wrote: “Learn to be silent. Let your quiet mind listen and absorb.”

Blaise Pascal, French philosopher, scientist, mathematician, and writer, said: “All man’s miseries derive from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone.”

Who Was Nikola Tesla? by Jim Gigliotti

 Who Was…? biography series for middle grade aw-inspires with the story of Nikola Tesla who was one of the most brilliant and influential scientists of all time, whose experiments with electricity, remote control, and wireless communication changed the world.

Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) was born in Smiljan, now Croatia. His family was Serbian. Nikola from childhood had a natural instinct for figuring things out. His mother was not educated but she had an inventive side.

When he was four, he followed his mother’s example by experimenting and coming up with his own ideas.

When he was five, he created a spinning wheel on a stream, which showed him how energy was created to spin the wheel.

When he was seven, his family moved to Gospic town. Nikola didn’t like the city. He missed his village where he experimented with his waterwheels. To fill the void, he became an avid reader, reading through the night. In one of the books, he read about Niagara Falls. It became his dream to create a giant waterwheel to create power.

At school, he proved to be very good at math. He could easily solve an equation in his head.

At Gymnasium, he liked electrical and mechanical experiments the most.

At Higher Gymnasium (High School), he was impressed with his science classes and experiments. He always had a thousand questions after an experiment.

His heart was set on research and made up his mind to become an electrical engineer, but his father wanted him to become a priest. It was during a time when cholera broke out and Nikola got sick. When Nikola was fighting for his life, his father agreed for him to study electrical engineering.

Nikola went to university in Gratz, Austria. As always, he worked tirelessly. He slept only four hours a night. In his second year, a machine arrived from Paris which forced an electrical current to move in only one direction. Nikola argued it would be better to let the current flow back and forth, but it was never done to power a motor. He couldn’t get it work and got frustrated and dropped out in his third year.

When his father died, he felt an obligation to help in supporting his mother. Thus, he looked for a job. His uncle’s friend built a telephone exchange in Budapest, Hungary. Nikola worked as its chief engineer. He made many improvements. Meanwhile, he was still thinking about alternating current (AC).

One day, when he walked in a park with his friend reciting poetry, it came to him. The answer were the magnets to reverse the direction of an electric current.

In 1882, Nikola went to Paris to work for Edison Company. In his spare time, he built a model, but he couldn’t find an investor to build an entire system. His boss suggested that he went to New York to work for Edison Company.

In New York, he worked long hours as Thomas Edison himself. When Nikola completed a project and didn’t receive a promised bonus, he left Edison.

He was broke and hungry. He went to dig ditches which turned out to be his big break. The foreman overheard him talking about his AC (Alternating Current) motor, and he knew an expert electrician, who was Alfred Brown.

Nikola and Alfred opened a laboratory in NYC in 1886 to develop patents on AC technology. His patent ideas got an attention of George Westinghouse, the owner of the Westinghouse Electric Company, who was a competitor of Thomas Edison. Westinghouse offered a huge amount for the patents and Nikola accepted.

Now, Nikola had freedom to open his own laboratory and work on his ideas.

Westinghouse Corporation was awarded contract to build turbines and generators for Niagara Falls using Nikola’s patents and AC technology.

Nikola’s next goal was wireless communication. His ideas were way ahead of his time, but technology had to catch up to his ideas.

Later, his ideas were getting stranger.

Nevertheless, after his death, his reputation grew and he continued to be honored for his brilliance and his many scientific developments.

This biography exhibits a man who was way ahead of his time. His mind was influenced by his mother’s curiosity to experiment. From childhood, that propelled Nikola to explore his natural instinct with experiments, mostly the ones exploring energy that led to electricity as it fascinated him the most. Despite some challenges, he never lost his fuel for his passion.

Source: Penguin Workshop, 2018

 

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: “My brain is just a receiver. There is an essence in the universe from which we derive knowledge, power, and inspiration.” – Nikola Tesla

 

 

 

Traits:

·         From childhood, he had a natural instinct for figuring things out.

·         He followed his mother’s example by experimenting and coming up with his own ideas.

·         At five, he created a spinning wheel on a stream in search of energy.

·         When he couldn’t experiment, he read book after book.

·         When he read about Niagara Falls, he dreamed big of building a giant waterwheel.

·         At school, he always had a thousand questions after an experiment.

·         At school, as always, he worked tirelessly but that didn’t lead him to success. Rather, he got so frustrated when he couldn’t figure out what he cared about the most that he dropped out of school, and never graduated.

·         Only when he relaxed the mind while walking in a park and reciting poetry, the answer came to him.

 

 

 

“The present is theirs, but the future, is mine, the future for which I worked so hard.” – Nikola Tesla

“I don’t care that they stole my idea…I care that they don’t have any.” – Nikola Tesla

“If your hate could be turned into electricity, it would light up the whole world.” – Nikola Tesla

“Be alone, that is the secret of invention; be alone, that is when ideas are born.” – Nikola Tesla

“The human being is a self-propelled automaton entirely under the control of external influences.” – Nikola Tesla

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION: 

 Nikola Tesla had to go through some humility lessons in his life in order to allow his genius to be exposed to the world.

Dr. Wayne Dyer explores the subject of Humility in his book “Wisdom of the Ages,” where he further explains the subject by bringing an example of an English poet and satirist Alexander Pope, whose body was deformed. Pope “lived in Windsor Forest outside London. He had a curvature of the spine and a tubercular infection that limited his height to four feet, six inches, and he had suffered severe headaches throughout his life. His deformity and illness made him particularly sensitive to physical and mental pain, and therefore the solitude of nature, and the ability to be self-sufficient away from the noise and mayhem of the crowds, was a subject of his poetry.”

As Dyer explains the words of cited poem by Pope, he further explains how important it is to get away from every day noise, to breathe clean air, and find self-sufficiency in nature.

It’s important to take time to study what interests us and to take time to ease any pressure we feel by doing what we enjoy. It’s kind of a meditation which we should practice daily (not necessarily the strict pose and trying to quiet our mind, but by doing what we enjoy).

Highly evolved people subdue their egos and live as silent sages. They seek no credits for their great gifts.

The measure of greatness and happiness is achieved when we remove ego, and have no need for taking credit for accomplishments, not needing gratitude or applause, not needing good opinions of others, and just doing what we do because it is our purpose to do so.

“Learn to live unseen and unknown, free of the need to be noticed. Do what you do because you feel guided, and retreat in dignity and peace. (…) The greatest teachers are aware of the need to maintain anonymity and humility.”

Who Was Pope Francis? by Stephanie Spinner

 Who Was…? biography series for middle grade inspires with the story of Pope Francis – a man who became the first pope from South America.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio (1936-2025) was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Italian family. He was the oldest of five children. His grandmother took care of him during the day. She taught him about the Catholic saints, prayed with him, and took him to church. She also taught him to be open-minded, and accept all people of different faiths; and instilled the love for books in him.

In 1956, he enrolled at a seminary in Buenos Aires. In 1961, he continued his studies at Jesuit school in Santiago, Chile. When he taught religion to third- and fourth- grade children, he saw poverty of hungry children, some wearing rags, no shoes. His heart went out to them.

Upon returning to Buenos Aires in 1963, he taught at the best Catholic High Schools.

In 1973, he took his final vows. Soon after, he was made a Jesuit provincial superior of Argentina and Uruguay. He worked hard to help the poor. He opened new churches. But he made a lot of decisions on his own without listening to others. That had its consequences after the Dirty War 1974-1983. During the military dictatorship called the junta, he ordered the Jesuit priests to stay quiet. It was brought up after the Dirty War in 1983, and later in 2013 when he became pope. He admitted that he made mistakes and regretted them.

The priests, who disliked his actions, stopped his rise. Instead, he was sent to Cordoba where he needed permission for anything he wanted to do. It was a harsh punishment for him, to go from giving orders and making decisions on his own. Now, he was serving poor people of Cordoba.

In 1992, his punishment ended and he was appointed to help the archbishop of Buenos Aires run all the Catholic churches in the city. After many years of humble work and soul-searching, he had changed. Now, he listened to others before making decisions. And he focused even more on helping the poor.

When he became archbishop in 1998, he didn’t wear silk robes or used any luxuries. He remained in simple robes, lived in a small apartment, and used public transportation.

Now, he wasn’t afraid to speak up publicly against the government. His courage impressed many people, including the pope, at the time, John Paul II, who made Jorge a cardinal in 2001.

With his continuous work, he proved to be a strong leader who chose to lead humble life despite his titles and luxuries they offered.

On March 13, 2013, Jorge became the new pope taking the name of Francis, honoring St. Francis of Assisi who was known for helping the poor.

One of the first things he did, he got in touch with the US and Cuban presidents, and offered to be their go-between. So the two countries could bridge their differences.

He continued to be outspoken in regards to the poor. He said, “I want a Church that is poor and for the poor.”

This biography illustrates a man who found his calling as a teenager and followed through despite his parents wanting him to take a different vocation. He was smart and empathetic toward poor, always wanting to help them, but along his rise he made some decisions that made others question his actions. His descent gave him time to reflect on his decisions. After soul-searching, he had risen again to the very top by becoming a pope, and continuously serving those in needs.

Source: Penguin Workshop, 2017

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Through humility, he learned how to listen to others, and included them in decision making.

 

Traits:

·         His grandmother instilled good values in him, including to be open-minded, and accept all people of different faiths which he displayed throughout his life.

·         When he taught religion and saw poverty of hungry children, it touched him deeply, and reinforced his calling of serving the poor.

·         During war time, he made some questionable decisions, for which he felt regret afterwards, and paid a price of his descent.

·         He went from giving orders and making decisions, to having ask permission for anything he wanted to do.

·         His time of reflection and soul-searching allowed him to rise again and make much better decisions.

 

 

“Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated.” – Pope Francis

“Have the courage to swim against the tide. Have the courage to be happy.” – Pope Francis

“Let us not be satisfied with a mediocre life.” – Pope Francis

“Life flows through our relations with others.” – Pope Francis

“Trivial choices lead to a trivial life; great choices lead to a great life. We become what we choose, for better or for worse.” – Pope Francis

“We didn’t come into this world to vegetate. We came into this world to leave a mark.” – Pope Francis

 

 

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION:

 Pope Francis’ one of the latest books is A Good Life: 15 Essential Habits for Living with Hope and Joy.

It’s written in a form of vignettes, capturing the significant passages of life. It’s one of those books that can be read one passage a day, and reread for months and years. It’s a kind of read that lingers and stays with a reader for a long time. 

We all have our mindsets, and in this book Pope Francis uses his wisdom and compassion to touch those mindsets with so much depth and warmth. They fill each fiber of human body. With gentle suggestions and nudges, he mentors how to have a meaningful life filled with purpose and growth.

Review of this book, is on this site: https://biopurposeland.blogspot.com/2024/02/a-good-life-by-pope-francis.html

Who Was Frank Lloyd Wright? by Ellen Labrecque

 Who Was…? biography series for middle grade captivates with the story of Frank Lloyd Wright – the greatest American architect of all time.

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin. His mother’s family moved from Wales to Wisconsin where there were no houses to buy. So his mother’s brother learned how to build a house and his skills became in high demand.

The mother wanted Frank to have the same useful skills as her brother. She hung drawings of English cathedrals on the walls of their house to inspire his young brain.

Because his family moved so often, Frank didn’t have any friends and to fill his time he turned to art and music. He cherished his birthday gift of blocks which taught him about geometry, math, colors, and shapes.

The mother adored Frank and was convinced he would grow up to be a great and famous man. Frank believed the same. (The seed planted in childhood and strongly believed in throughout the years manifested later in life).

Frank didn’t like the hard farm-work, but what he liked was the beauty of nature. He was observant of the nature, its colors and shapes. He saw the shapes of his boyhood toys everywhere on the farm.

When Frank was in High School, his parents divorced. To help out his mother, he dropped out of school. He was an average student. He didn’t like to sit still and listen to teachers. He liked to learn by exploring, creating, and doing things on his own.

He got a job as a draftsman and learned the skills on the job. At the same time, at University, he took classes in Civil Engineering, but only for a year. He dropped out after a year.

From the money he earned, he dressed himself well to have a look of a famous person. (He wasn’t famous yet, but played the part).

After the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871, he moved to Chicago as he wanted to learn from the best while the city was being rebuilt.

In Chicago, he not only learned from the best, but also fell in love with Kitty who came from a wealthy family.

Over the next few years, he designed many homes for wealthy families in the area in a style that was distinct, simple and uncluttered, which blended with the surrounding area. People started noticing his style, which he called “organic architecture.”

His design became in high demand, but the people were also drawn to Frank because of his personality. He was funny and his laugh was contagious.

After making his name in Chicago, he took a project in New York upstate to make his name known in the United States. Then, came book offer which made him worldwide famous, followed by project offers outside the United States.

After the Great Depression, there was mass-production of buildings. Frank had to reinvent himself and came up with opening a school next to his house and teaching his craft. One of his students was Edgar Kaufmann Jr. His father asked Frank to design a house near waterfall. What Frank did, he actually designed a house on the waterfall. Frank’s work once again became in high demand.

This biography exemplifies a person who had a guardian, namely mother, who believed in her son and showed him a way to thrive. It demonstrates how important it is to have mentors in our lives to help us thrive. It also exemplifies a man who was very observant of nature. Nature seems to be a common denominator helping people to get inspired and to find calmness. The latter helps to create space in our mind, which is needed to allow ideas to come to us.

This illustrated biography for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts.

Source: Grosset & Dunlap, 2015

TRENDING INSPIRATION: “Study nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

 

 

 

Traits:

 

·         His mother wanted him to have useful skills. Thus, hung drawings of English cathedrals on the walls of their house to inspire his young brain to become a builder.

·         His mother, despite of being tight on money, bought him blocks for his birthday. She continued to encourage him to build.

·         He was very observant and learned geometry, math, colors, and shapes from his blocks.

·         The mother was convinced he would grow up to be a great and famous man. Thus, Frank started believing the same.

·         He didn’t like the hard farm-work, but what he liked was the beauty of nature and how it related to shapes and colors of his blocks.

·         He was an average student. He didn’t like to sit still and listen to teachers. He liked to learn by exploring, creating, and doing things on his own.

·         He got a job as a draftsman and learned the skills on the job. He didn’t have a formal education in architecture.

·         After the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871, he moved to Chicago as he wanted to learn from the best while the city was being rebuilt.

·         He developed his style, which he called “organic architecture.”

 

 

“Space is the breath of art.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

“The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

“Regard it just as desirable to build a chicken house as to build a cathedral.” – Frank Lloyd Wright - (Frank’s words align with many successful people’s words - who say whatever you do – do it with passion – no matter how minor or important work is).

 

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION:

 The first book I’ve read by Wayne Dyer over two decades ago was “The Power of Intention.” While reading the biography of Frank Lloyd Wright, the book by Wayne Dyer came to my mind. I highly recommend the Power of Intention to understand better how Frank’s mind was shaped from childhood and manifested later in life.