In "The Power of Ownership: How to Build a Career and a Business," by John Bailey, the reader is transported back to a time and place when life was a bit simpler and relationships mattered most. No Internet, no text messages, and no "social media" except for those getting another pour at the Detroit Press Club. Yes, times were different then. But one thing has never changed, and that is the entrepreneurial spirit of the American worker. It endures to this day because Americans are driven to succeed. It is a part of our collective DNA.

So when the author describes his early days counseling executives of the Stroh Brewery Company, you know he is not only finding his way in the work world, but beginning to forge his own professional identity, too. All the while is he listening, taking notes, and checking his moral compass. Having known the author for 20 years now, I know that ethics are as important to him as any personal or professional achievement.