RISE: Even Death Can't Stop Ne by Frank Thomas

RISE: Even Death Can't Stop Ne Reviews

• 
  Christian Orr

  My fellow USC (University of Southern California, that is, NOT the Univ. of South Carolina) Frank Thomas has written an amazingly inspiring story of battling childhood and young adulthood) adversity: extreme poverty (in the slums of Des Moines and Kansas City), shame, alcohol abuse (which derailed his initial collegiate foray at the University of Wyoming), absentee parents--father imprisoned, mother becoming a drug user AND a drug dealer who made her own son a pawn in her schemes--serious mistakes of his own--to include a couple of failed relationships and a criminal conviction for drug dealing during a brief foray that was nonetheless a serious lapse of judgment--and unfortunate circumstances of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, to include being put on trial for a crime that he didn't commit, thanks his mom's aforementioned criminal activity.
  
  Yet in spite of these horrific circumstances, Frank battled through it all, thanks to his guts, determination, book smarts, street smarts, and most importantly, his faith in God. Thanks to this combo of work ethic and unwavering faith, Frank was able to indeed RISE (hence the book title) became a graduate of the prestigious USC Leventhal School of Accounting (commencement speaker, no less), successful accountant with Deloitte and Touche, motivational speaker, published author (this book was made possible through a Kickstarter campaign to which I proudly donated), and through the power of forgiveness learned through his faith in God, finally reconciled with his mother.
  
  Very motivational, deeply moving, and inspiring stuff. God bless and FIGHT ON, Frank Thomas!!!
  
  P.S. GOODREADS ADMINS PLEASE TAKE NOTE: the wrong Frank Thomas' biography has been placed on this book's Goodreads info; for some reason it contains the bio of an animator named Franklin M. Thomas, not the correct Frank Thomas who authored "RISE." Please fix!