David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

to go. “Any fool can spend money. But to
earn it and save it and defer gratification
—then you learn to value it differently.”
His family lived in what people
euphemistically called a “mixed
neighborhood.” He went to public
schools and wore hand-me-downs. His
father was a product of the Depression,
and talked plainly about money. The man
from Hollywood said that if he wanted
something—a new pair of running shoes,
say, or a bicycle—his father would tell
him he had to pay half. If he left the
lights on, his father would show him the
electric bill. “He’d say, ‘Look, this is
what we pay for electricity. You’re just
being lazy, not turning the lights off.