The Way of the Bootstrapper: Nine Action Steps for Achieving Your Dreams

"The beauty of bootstrapping is that you don't need much," says Reverend Floyd Flake. "You don't need to win the lottery, or receive an inheritance or help from rich relatives to turn your dreams into reality."

He speaks from experience. Raised in the segregated South and one of thirteen children, eight of whom were brought up together in a tiny two-bedroom house, Flake went on to become a member of the U.S. Congress, dean of a major university, and pastor of one of America's largest churches--a church that has become a nationally renowned model of community development.

Yet what is most inspiring about Reverend Flake is his enthusiasm to motivate people to pick themselves up by their bootstraps, rely on their boundless personal resources, and become doers!

What is Bootstrapping?

• A process--to achieve success by making it against all odds.

• A mind-set--to take responsibility for your thoughts, feelings, words, actions, and life circumstances.

• A value system--to transform your relationship with yourself, your neighbors, and your environment.

Bootstrapping is the strategy our ancestors used to raise families, work the land, start new businesses, run the government, build wealth, and care for the less fortunate. The Way of the Bootstrapper shows you how to use this creative and empowering approach to life to fulfill your passions, talents, and dreams.

Rev. Dr. Floyd Flake is the senior pastor of the more than 15,000-member Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York in Jamaica, Queens, and is also the president of Wilberforce Univeristy in Ohio. Flake is also the founder of the Allen Christian School, which he established with his wife, Rev. Elaine Flake. From 1986-1997, Flake served in the U.S. Congress, and is currently a commissioner on the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education and a member of the NYC 2012 Olympic Committee. A native of Houston, Texas, Dr. Flake holds a B.A. from Wilberforce University and a Doctor of Ministry Degree from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH. Author of the best-selling The Way of the Bootstrapper: Nine Action Steps for Achieving Your Dreams (HarperSanFrancisco), Rev. Flake lives in Old Westbury, NY with his wife and four children.

Former U.S. Representative, Reverend Floyd Flake is the senior pastor of the 10,000-member Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church in Queens, New York. Under his direction the church has grown to include expansive commercial and residential development, a private school, and various commercial and social service enterprises that have made it one of the nation's most productive religious and urban development institutions. Because of this success, Allen A.M.E. is a national paradigm of church and non-profit efficiency and is the second largest African-American employer in New York City. In addition to his role at Allen A.M.E., Reverend Flake is also a Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, an influential columnist for the New York Post, and a board member for the FannieMae Foundation.

Donna Marie Williams is the author of Black-Eyed Peas for the Soul and Sister Feel Good. She lives in Naperville, Illinois.