But life wasn’t always easy for Barney’s family, who 120 years ago went from rags to riches and then back to rags again.
In fact, Barney says he inherited a “self-destruct gene” from his Irish forbears.
This book, written especially for Barney’s six grandsons, is to show them the hard work that went into giving the family the rewards they now enjoy – and to serve as a warning about what can happen if they allow that gene to take over.
“You will learn little from winning,” he tells them. “However, much wisdom can be derived from losing. The trick is not to make a habit of it!”
Barney wrote the book himself and asked me to edit it and arrange design and printing. He was delighted with the final product.