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Og Mandino
(December 12, 1923 - September 3, 1996), (Per the 1930 U.S. Census,
he was named after his Paternal Grandfather and his full name was
Augustine Mandino, which explains the nickname - Og) once homeless,
was a "sales guru" and author of the best-selling book The
Greatest Salesman in the World. His works, based on fundamental
Christian beliefs, were also heavily influenced by the likes of
Napoleon Hill, W. Clement Stone, and Emmett Fox. Mandino remains one
of the most inspirational best-selling authors today. His books have
sold over 50 million copies and have been translated into over
twenty-five different languages. He was the president of the
magazine Success Unlimited until 1976 and has been inducted
into the National Speakers Association Hall Of Fame.
Og's mother
encouraged him to become a writer. He was the editor of his high
school paper and was planning to attend the University of Missouri
because of its journalism school. In the summer of 1940, just before
Og was to go off to college, his mother died suddenly from a massive
heart attack while in the kitchen fixing his lunch. Instead of going
to college, Og opted to go work in a paper factory until 1942 when
he joined the United States Army Air Corps. He became an officer and
a bombardier. He flew 30 bombing missions over Germany in a B-24
Liberator during World War II. It was during this time he flew with
fellow pilot and movie star Jimmy Stewart. Og kept a personalized 8
X 10 photo of his friend on the wall of his home office where he
wrote his many books.
After the military,
Og discovered that companies weren’t hiring too many bomber
pilots. He later got into selling insurance. Finding himself
traveling on the road and sitting in bars at night, he soon became
addicted to drinking. He was soon unable to hold a job. Finally, his
wife had enough and took their only child and left him. He was
homeless and jobless.
Then, one cold
wintry morning in Cleveland during the month of November, Mandino
was at the point of committing suicide. He entered a public library
to stay warm. As he wandered among the thousands of books, he found
himself standing in front of the shelves containing scores of
volumes on self-help, success, and motivation books. Og selected
several of them, went to a nearby table and commenced reading and
searching for some answers.
That library visit
was the first of many library visits he began making as he wandered
across the country. Mandino read hundreds of books dealing with
success and gradually his drinking subsided. Then, in a library in
Concord, New Hampshire, he discovered W. Clement Stone's great
classic, Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude. And his
life has never been the same since then.
~~from Wikipedia |
