Prisoner of the Truck
Book Review by J.R. Smith
What gives meaning to a man’s life? Is it an unquenchable determination to succeed, the pursuit of honesty in relationships with others, an abiding faith that goodness will prevail, a belief that a spiritual resource is ever present, an attitude of enthusiasm that meets the challenge of each day, the ability to recover from personal crises, the development of one’s introspective nature, or is it the inner motivation that urges a person to continue to create new goals to achieve?
In his autobiography, Prisoner of the Truck, the author, an American of Lebanese ancestry and a self-described “skinny, bow-legged, knock-kneed, pigeon-toed, dark-skinned boy who was mocked by his classmates” reflects on those shaping forces in his life which have carried him from his youth to his current aspirations at age 74. Deeply grounded in Roman Catholicism as a young boy, his faith supports him through the many trials which confront him on his way through school, military service, business, parenting, and retirement. Much of his success as well as his personal turmoil derives from his relationship with his father, his “incarceration” as a prisoner of his father’s vegetable truck, and the lessons he learned from this experience.
A successful businessman several times over, the author details his struggles to achieve self esteem in his boyhood, to attain financial success as a young man, to recover from his devastating losses in business, to understand the complexities of human afflictions, and his desire to share his wisdom with all who may be captivated by his spirit. Each episode in his life journey is crafted with insight and humor, reflecting the author’s perceptions of how human relationships guided him in positive ways.
Throughout the book the reader will find innumerable life lessons to be applied, and all conveyed with an openness and frankness revealing compassion and conviction of a man tested by the depths and heights of human emotions. The author shows that hard work and inventiveness, the persistent pursuit of a dream, the reliance on moral integrity, and the expression of caring can be fulfilling and a way of finding meaning in one’s life.
This is a book that will inspire you with its message as it reveals the inner strength of a man who loves life, who confronts adversity, and who demonstrates how to be of service to mankind.
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J. R. Smith is a Professor Emeritus, Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana. He was an educator for 38 years – a secondary school English teacher, a Coordinator of Humanities, a Director of Demonstration School and then a College Professor. He taught at Abington High School, Abington, PA 10 years, and at Earlham College for 24 years. He majored in English and French Wabash College, Crawfordsville, IN, and followed that with graduate studies at Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, a fellowship at Yale University, and the University of Massachusetts.
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