The Upside of Fear: How One Man Broke the Cycle of Prison, Poverty, and Addiction

Writers Digest Grand Prize Winner for Best Self-Published Book

Winner of the 2009 New York Book Festival's award in the Biography/Autobiography category

Runner-up for the 2009 Hollywood Book Festival's award in the Biography/Autobiography category

From the brutality of violent street crime to the compassion of a loving father for his son, this powerful memoir takes you from desperation to inspiration through the transformation of a drug-addled criminal into a fully realized, successful man.

The Upside of Fear exposes you to the harsh reality of a criminal life and creates a riveting portrait of true crime at its fundamental level--from buying the duct tape for an armed robbery to saving the life of a prison guard. Long recounts his harrowing journey of self-discovery and how he went from being a drunk in a jail cell to the CEO of a multimillion dollar business. Twenty years of drinking, drugging, robbing, and lying led him to more than a decade of time spent in prisons, jails, and halfway houses--and a strained relationship with a son he barely knew.

Through the revealing perspective of an eloquent criminal, you will learn how to change fear into a positive motivating force and use the mind to strengthen the will, even in the bleakest of circumstances. Long's story demonstrates that love can redeem even the most hopeless criminal, and that there can be no emotions stronger than the desire for redemption and the love of a father separated from his son by prison bars.

Praise for The Upside of Fear:
''This book comes from a magnificent person who learned the lessons of life out of profound prison experiences. Despite the harsh language, Wally Long is a true diamond in the rough who produced this inspiring and illuminating account of the path he took to freedom and prosperity.''
--Stephen R. Covey, author, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and The Leader in Me: How Schools and Parents Around the World Are Inspiring Greatness, One Child at a Time

''Quite a story . . . [of a] turnaround from prison to contribution!''
--Tony Robbins, bestselling author of Unlimited Power and Awaken the Giant Within

Weldon Long knows firsthand that Maui is nicer than prison. After thirteen years of federal and state incarceration, he emerged a transformed man: a powerful speaker, driven motivator, and successful trainer/entrepreneur. Long holds a BS in law and an MBA in management, despite dropping out of high school in the ninth grade.