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Patrick Asare, The Boy from Boadua: One African’s Journey of Hunger and Sacrifice in Pursuit of a Dream

We talk with people who have overcome great adversity on the show and my guest today has had more than his share. From a remote village in Ghana, following his dreams to look for the life he wanted in America – Patrick Asare documents his trials and trail in the book: “The Boy from Boadua: One African’s Journey of Hunger and Sacrifice in Pursuit of a Dream”

Growing up in the jungles of Ghana and now thriving in suburban America, Patrick Asare defied all odds on his journey through life. In his incredible memoir, The Boy from Boadua: One African’s Journey of Hunger and Sacrifice in Pursuit of a Dream, he recounts his childhood, family, education, and the experiences that made him into the person he is today, in addition to reflecting on socio-cultural relations, race, and the social structures in the different countries that he has lived. Patrick Asare offers a new perspective as someone who has had first-hand experience in a variety of cultures, specifically within the education system.

Patrick was born and raised in Ghana. After completing secondary school, he attended university in the former Soviet Union, studying electrical engineering at Donetsk National Technical University in the then Soviet republic of Ukraine. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and also completed a certification program to become a Russian language teacher. Patrick resided in the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991, during the historic perestroika era, when President Mikhail Gorbachev introduced the reforms that ultimately led to the breakup of the Soviet Union. He traveled extensively throughout Eastern and Western Europe and became one of the few people with firsthand knowledge of ordinary life on both sides of the Iron Curtain. After graduating from Donetsk, Patrick immigrated to America, where he initially taught Russian and math in public schools in Buffalo, New York. He earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University in 1995 and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in 2003. Patrick is a principal at UGI Energy Services, LLC, a diversified energy services firm in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, where he lives with his family. He previously worked as a senior electrical engineer at Caterpillar, Inc. in Lafayette, Indiana. Patrick has written extensively on social, political, and energy policy topics. He is a Democracy and Development Fellow at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development, an Accra-based think-tank. Some of Patrick’s energy policy articles have received attention worldwide.

S4 E2- Swift Sword: The True Story of the Marines of MIKE 3-5 in Vietnam, 4 September 1967

September 4, 1967, marks a gruesome and terrifying day for U.S. Marine soldiers stationed in Vietnam. Based on 50 interviews with veterans, author Doyle Glass conveys what it was really like on the front lines of Operation Swift in the newest edition of his novel: Swift Sword: The True Story of the Marines of Mike 3/5 in Vietnam, 4 September 1967.

This exploration of this operation comes from firsthand experiences and extensive research, culminating in a book that truly shows the impact of war as well as the courage and sacrifice of the soldiers.As someone with over a dozen combat vets in my family,

Doyle Glass details the beginning of this 11-day operation in Swift Sword by recounting what the Marines witnessed, quoting their own words. Their accounts are shocking, brutal, and most importantly, very real.This is probably as close as one can get to reliving the terror of up-close personal combat without actually being there. Doyle tells the story in the book and joins us on Books Spectrum

Doyle fills the book with detailed research on the operation, including maps, photos, and a glossary of military terms. For anyone interested in military history, this book provides an unparalleled look into Operation Swift.

Swift Sword on Amazon: Amazon.com: Swift Sword: The True Story of the Marines of MIKE 3/5 in Vietnam, 4 September 1967 eBook : Glass, Doyle : Kindle Store

Doyle Glass is an author, historian, and sculptor dedicated to honoring those who fought for freedom. He is a master at recounting true stories of brave men and women who were outnumbered and out-gunned but continued to battle toe-to-toe with ferocious opponents in war. Doyle Glass was born in Midland, Texas among the fifth generation of a pioneer ranching family who was raised with an appreciation for hard work, adventure, and honor. After earning degrees in history and law from Southern Methodist University, he completed law school and worked as an Assistant District Attorney in Texas. Later, he served as Assistant Attorney General in Kentucky, prosecuting some of the worst violent crimes in the state. In 2000, Glass turned to the arts as a way to tell stories of his childhood heroes. He conceived and sculpted a bronze statue of John Squires, who braved enemy fire to save others during WWII and received the Medal of Honor. The statue stands in downtown Louisville, Kentucky as a reminder of the sacrifices made by local citizens who fought and died for freedom. In 2008, Glass designed and sculpted the Texas Medal of Honor Memorial, dedicated to George O’Brien who earned the Medal of Honor during the Korean War. The memorial stands at the International Artillery Museum in Saint Jo, Texas as a symbol recognizing those who earned America’s highest award for combat valor.

S4 E1 – Messed Up Like You with Rick Cullerton

We kick off Season 4 of Book Spectrum with Rick Cullerton, who tells the story of how he overcame mental illness, anziety and verbal abuse to become a success in life and prominent vacation hotel owner in his new book Messed Up Like You.
Rick discusses his family life, how he learned entrepreneurship, how he hooked up with the wrong crowd, wound up in jail and later finally took over his own life — losing several pounds, turning his career aronud and becomng the man he truly wanted to be.
Weaved in and out of the book is Cullterton’s tale of how he got his pilot’s license, which is no small feat for anyone let alone a man with ADD and anziety.
Rick’s life is kind of like that of a movie character who had a lot of things happen to him, yet it all took place in the real world with no cameras, directors or actors.
Come to think of it, we are all messed up in one way or more.

Host Chris Cordani

Host Chris Cordani

Chris Cordani, host of Book Spectrum, used to love reading the backs and sides of cereal boxes, which led to him soon hearing about this place called the Library. After asking, “The library? What’s going on down there?” he decided to check it out. Years later, he created this podcast.

Through his career, Chris has created, hosted and produced several genres of talk and entertainment radio programs, creating and growing several throughout his career. Among his work, Chris also hosts the internationally-syndicated Revenge of the 80s Radio show, produces two shows airing in the NY-Metro market and worked in several capacities for stations of various formats throughout New York, including longtime talk station WOR. Through his work, Cordani creates content for radio shows and podcasts, books and interviews top newsmakers, leaders and celebrities from varied fields including entertainment, business, current events, politics, sports and history.



On Book Spectrum, we delve into some of the interesting new titles with their writers, peer into their minds, creative process and inspiration for their work.

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