Abraham Lincoln received only 18 months of formal schooling. He offset this disadvantage by voraciously consuming any book he could get his hands on. At age 22, Lincoln packed his meager belongings and paddled out on his own. He taught himself the law and became a successful attorney and state legislator in Illinois. He eventually wins the presidency and the rest is history. Abraham “Balls of Steel” Lincoln went on to guide America through her darkest and stormiest hour.