‘The Advantage of Being Poor’: Ernie Buresh — Giving credit where it’s due

Ernie Buresh has written a book that's just like he is - honest, humble and filled with good will.

'The Advantage of Being Born Poor” (CreateSpace, 304 pages, $17.95) is a Horatio Alger rags-to-riches tale of interest to readers of any age.

Buresh and Dave Rasdal, the former Gazette Ramblin' columnist who helped Buresh with the manuscript, organized the book into 88 chapters - one for each year of Buresh's life. The bite-size chapters - a good guide for anyone thinking of writing their own memoir - make for easy reading.

One of the most appealing parts of the book is the readiness with which Buresh credits those who helped him during his life.

His gratitude starts with his mother, the most important influence, and includes people like his father-in-law, George Paulsen, and Guy Sleep, who taught him about banking. The list includes an honor roll of Iowa notables - industrialist Howard Hall, who was his mentor, Heartland Express founder businessman Russ Gerdine, University of Iowa presidents and football coaches, and former Iowa Gov. Robert Ray.

'You never know when meeting someone will lead to a lifelong friendship,” he writes, emphasizing the importance of building relationships with other people.

One example is his and his wife's long friendship with Nan Wood Graham, the sister of artist Grant Wood, a frequent guest in Anamosa. In her will, she left them a portion of the royalties from her brother's famed 'American Gothic” painting. Twenty years later, the Bureshes still receive a $200 to $300 royalty check every three months.

Buresh's book has its share of truisms - and they're truisms because a lot of successful people live by them. Be practical, not extravagant. Look for bargains. Show appreciation. Help others. Count your blessings.

Buresh, though positive, is no Pollyanna. He shares his disappointments in people who let him down, in organizations that wanted his money but not his opinions, in people whose egos got in the way of getting things done.

His love of and pride in his daughters is evident, too, throughout the book. Wendy is a doctor in Cedar Rapids. Sandy, who died three years ago at age 57, had a number of heart surgeries as a child and lived with the Bureshes all her life. They traveled the world with her because Sandy liked to travel, and she opened the door to many friendships. Her death, Buresh writes, is the 'biggest blow of my life.”

And now Buresh has a book about his life that he hopes will help others. It's safe to say: It will.

Book signings

' Saturday, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Anamosa Library, 600 E. First St., Anamosa

' Aug. 9, 1 to 3 p.m., National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, 16th Avenue SW, Cedar Rapids

' Aug. 15, 1 to 3 p.m., Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 333 Collins Rd. NE, Cedar Rapids