Book excerpt: Ralph Waldo Emerson, the 19th Century American writer and philosopher, wrote about the power of the individual and the benefits of following your own path in life. His work might have defined the modern entrepreneur. Emerson said; Life is a journey, not a destination. The Determined Entrepreneur The Story of Dr George Tinsley and the Values that Guided His Journey to Success looks at the values that guided one of Americas most improbable entrepreneurs on his journey to success. By following his amazing life journey out of poverty the reader is able to experience in a unique way how a truly determined person can overcome tremendous obstacles to achieve a lifetime of repeated success. If you were to bet on a person who was likely to succeed you would never have bet on George Tinsley. The odds against his success would have seemed far too great to be overcome. To follow his journey, George Tinsley had to overcome an environment of extreme poverty while growing up in one of the toughest inner city neighborhoods in an era of open racial intolerance. By letting the values he learned early in life serve as guides throughout his life, he was able to overcome the circumstances of his childhood and beat the odds to achieve great personal success as a serial entrepreneur. George Tinsley's life proves that success doesn't come from luck. Luck might explain one or even two significant accomplishments but becoming a serial entrepreneur comes from the repeated application of a set of guiding principles that lead to the achievement one goal after another. The entrepreneurial values that guided George Tinsley's life can be learned by anyone who is determined to succeed. What were the values that that propelled this serial entrepreneur and how did he learn and apply them?