Strive

Introduction

You are worthless—a good‐for‐nothing.

Have you ever heard those words—or perhaps thought them about yourself? There are few things more hurtful than thinking that you may have no value. Hurtful words were just a small part of the struggles in Larry's childhood. Larry never knew his biological father, a U.S. Air Force pilot, a serious setback for any boy. However, Larry also struggled in other ways. He became very ill with pneumonia when he was only nine months old, and his mother decided she could no longer care for him. She eventually sought out relatives, Lillian and Louis Ellison, who could raise her son. She would not see him again until he was in his late 40s.

Larry was raised on the tough south side of Chicago by his Jewish adoptive parents in a cramped two‐bedroom apartment. He was an intelligent, rebellious kid who loved lefty ace pitcher Sandy Koufax and slugger king Mickey Mantle. Although his adoptive mother was warm and kind, Larry had a difficult relationship with his adoptive father. Part of this problem may have been due to the strain on Louis, who had lost everything in the Great Depression. Whatever the reason, Larry and Louis did not have a strong relationship, and home life was not always pleasant.

A bright student, Larry enjoyed science and math, pushing himself through self‐guided study, but some of the most difficult challenges in his life were still ahead. At first, it seemed that his hard work was paying off. During his freshman year at the ...