the other side of me

Growing up in 1930s America, the young Sidney knew what it was to struggle to get by. Millions were out of work and the Sheldon family was forced to journey around America in search of employment. Grabbing every chance he could, Sidney worked nights as a bus-boy, a clerk, an usher - anything - but he dreamt of becoming something more.

His dream was to become a writer and to break into Hollywood. By a stroke of luck, he found work as a reader for David Selznick, a top Hollywood producer, and the dream began to materialise.

Sheldon worked through the night writing stories for the movies, and librettos for the musical theater. Little by little, he gained a reputation and soon found himself in demand by the hottest producers and stars in Hollywood.

But this was wartime. Hollywood and Sidney had to play their part. He trained as a pilot in the US Army Air Corps and waiter for the call to arms which could put a stop to his dreams of stardom.

Returning to Hollywood and working with actors like Cary Grant and Shirley Temple; with legendary producers like David Selznick and Dore Schary; and musical stars like Irving Berlin, Judy Garland and Gene Kelly, memories of poverty were finally behind Sheldon. This is his story: the story of a life on both sides of the tracks, of struggles and of success, and of how one man rose against the odds to become the master of his game.

Sheldon always saw 'the glass half-full'. Being an optimistic, he wrote in the beginning of the book- "For my beloved granddaughters, Lizy and Rebecca. So that they will know what a magical journey I had".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Other_Side_of_Me_%28book%29