In this podcast we explore these fascinating questions: What is the origin of the phrase “the American Dream.” Why does it seem to exert such a powerful influence on Americans and others? How do the underdogs chronicled in this book measure up to promise of the American Dream? How well does the American Dream work in occupations beyond the worlds of sports, entertainment and politics? What is the role of factors like parents’ social class and education? Do people continue to believe in the American Dream? How do stories, like those chronicled in this book, figure into that belief? Is the American Dream really alive and well in America – and, if so, will it survive?

When you look at the traits, skills and attributes that were the keys to succeeding in baseball, film and politics, they seem to have very little to do with humble beginnings. Whether it is the stamina, strength and coordination it takes to be a major leaguer, the looks, voice and style it takes to be a movies star, or the confidence, interpersonal skills and optimism it takes to be a great president – none of these are qualities that are class or economically based. Mike Kail posits the one characteristic that is shared by those who make it to the top, a characteristic that may be fostered by struggling at the start. And he shares his views about why we revere the heroes in his stories, even if their early life challenges did not directly impede their rise to fame and fortune.

Join Mike Kail as he explores the many ways in which Americans are enamored of underdogs. What are underdogs, and what influence did the fairy tales, Bible stories and fables we heard as children have on our belief that underdogs could defy the odds and succeed? What role did books and movies have on reinforcing those beliefs as we became adults? Mike encourages you to think about the real underdogs who have inspired you during your lifetime. And he shares his theory that America’s roots -- our immigrant population, our improbable revolutionary leaders, our victory in the Revolutionary War -- had a powerful influence in shaping our attitudes toward underdogs. Add it all up and this podcast will show why rooting for the underdog is indeed ‘baked into the American DNA.’

In Podcast 3, we learn about a little boy who had a challenging childhood but still managed to ascend to the height of Hollywood—John Wayne. Podcast 3 explains how the seemingly one-dimensional movie actor, John Wayne, bears little relationship to the boy, Marion Morrison, who took on that adult role. Critical to shaping his childhood was the horrible relationship between his mother, a mercurial harridan of a woman, and his good-natured but hapless father. The future John Wayne was an excellent student, a bookworm and a fine athlete. While he loved going to the movies, he had no interest in getting into the movie business. Though he was a model at school (except for a few occasional pranks), he was a veritable hellion on the weekends. Before he was a teenager, Wayne was working a slew of jobs, both before and after school and on Saturdays and Sundays. These are just a few of the things revealed in the complex portrait of this simple movie cowboy. ”Heroes with Humble Beginnings” also describes the difficulties and deprivations encountered by Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Jimmy Cagney, Gregory Peck, Kirk Douglas, and Sidney Poitier.

In Podcast 2, we meet young David Dwight Eisenhower, who was later to become one of America’s most famous and well-respected presidents. We learn how the great success of Dwight Eisenhower’s grandfather psychologically doomed the future president’s father, after he proved a failure in business. We also learn how Eisenhower’s mother, a truly extraordinary figure in the lives of the six Eisenhower boys, compensated for their father’s shortcomings, both as a provider and as a parent. The podcast describes three pivotal events during Eisenhower’s childhood that years later still were sources of trauma and regret. And it gives us a picture of this Kansas boy at home and in school, at work and at play. It ends looking at Dwight David’s circuitous path to West Point, blasting the supposition that his path to the military academy was foreordained. ”Heroes with Humble Beginnings” also covers the traumatic early years of Lyndon Johnson, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama.

Podcast 1 opens with a glimpse into the life of Henry Aaron’s grandfather and namesake, a sharecropper leading a hardscrabble existence in Camden, Alabama. It ends with an 18-year old Aaron boarding a plane for his first minor league team in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Join us as we trace his father’s move to Mobile, Alabama, and see the meager lifestyle he and his five brothers and sisters endured. Learn how his early neighborhood games, the prevalence of amateur teams and winter barnstorming by Big Leaguers sparked his passion for baseball. Discover how Henry showed superior talent right from the beginning, from hitting bottle caps with broomsticks, to his uniquely effective but unorthodox batting style, and how this poor, shy boy believed from an early age that he would make it to the Majors. You will find out how wise advice from a mentor, who saw greatness early on, rescued Henry from obscurity and helped him reach the pinnacle of his profession. And you will hear about Henry’s stint with the Negro League’s Indianapolis clowns, forerunner to the Harlem Globetrotters, and his extraordinary feats in this, his first professional stop on the road to the Majors. “Heroes With Humble Beginnings” also tells of the childhood challenges faced by Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Ted Williams, Roberto Clemente, Josh Gibson and the one and only Babe Ruth.