I didn't read the book, but there seems to be a "rags to riches" theme from the comments on this thread. It makes sense that having no other choice but to work your tail off to get food on the table for your family would lead to a strong work ethic that generalizes to academics. I often wonder if my kids are, at some level, at a disadvantage, because they don't have that expectation placed on them. There's no doubt that their work ethic isn't what it would be if we had no choice but to work year-round every day. Then again, they seem happy - and I'm willing to sacrifice a little work-ethic for that.