Robert G. Smith

11 Book Synopsis Bootstraps and Grease tells a powerful tale of tragedy, recovery, and success, all part of a life lived in the coal industry. As a teenager, Bill Emerson worked for his father in the family coal delivery business. In his early twenties, one of his father’s friends owned a trucking firm and asked Bill if he would drive for him. Bill took the job, and after his boss retired, they worked out a deal so Bill could take control of the whole operation. He still made deliveries to keep in touch with his contacts, but one trip turned into a tragedy, bankrupting the company, and putting him in the hospital for a year. When Bill was released, all he had left was his farm. To gain back his strength through physical therapy, he walked all over the farm. One day he discovered the opening of a horizontal shaft coal mine. Bill called a childhood friend in the strip mining business for advice. He decided to mine the shaft to pull himself up by his bootstraps and make back his fortune. Over the years, Bill became an expert at knowing when to grease the outstretched palm, which put him in a strong financial position once again. From there he opened another mine in Southern Ohio, became a partner in a new bank startup, and eventually moved to Florida to enjoy his newfound gains. And all it took was Bootstraps and Grease.

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