The Education of an American Dreamer: How a Son of

"For years, Pete Peterson has performed with distinction on the world's stage-both in finance and public policy. But he still remains the same Nebraska boy who counted change in his father's café. His journey is a remarkable story and his book is an entertaining and refreshingly honest account of his education in business and life." (Warren Buffett )The name Peter G. Peterson brings to one's mind the word success. From advertising to finance to politics, Peterson has proved to one and all that he has the ability and foresight to lead a generation of thinkers. His ability to say no to things that would tempt even the strongest of us, he has made choices in his life based on his own ideals and the ability to look forward. He is definitely not a man who lives for today only. He has always been a forward thinker, even today, as he wrote this work, he worries about what leaving a mess for our children and grandchildren .. . . This was a good read. It provided a good analyst of today's problem areas while telling the story of a young Nebraskan man who made his life one that everyone will find interesting and motivating. In today's economy, $34.99 is a hefty price to pay for elective reading. However, I will go as far as to say, 'It may be one of the best investments you make this year.' (The Midwest Book Review )"Dire economic times have left many people wondering if the American dream is just a fairy tale. In his autobiography, The Education of an American Dreamer (Twelve, $34.99), Peter G. Peterson offers a refreshingly credible, often cautionary tale of his own classic rags-to-riches rise -- and a few glimmers of hope, inspiration and guidance for the rest of us . . . At 83, Mr. Peterson is a child of the Depression, but his resume puts most modern-day multitaskers to shame. He is a self-made billionaire and philanthropist as well as a former ad executive, manufacturing mogul, Wall Street financier and secretary of commerce. What distinguishes this book from most memoirs by business titans is Mr. Peterson's ability to mix insider tidbits with humor, painful self-revelation and candid skepticism of the Eastern establishment that eventually welcomed him as a tuxedo-wearing member . . . Mr. Peterson recounts his private life with self-effacing candor . . . Mr. Peterson may be among the last of a dying breed, but it is still uplifting to be reminded that the son of Greek immigrants made his American dream come true." (The New York TImes Harry Hurt III )"When the memoir of an important person contains insightful information, large dollops of self-deprecation, some humor and clear writing, count that memoir unusual. The memoir of Peter G. Peterson,The Education of an American Dreamer, qualifies as unusual ." (USA Today )