About My Favourite Story In Reader's Digest...

I am now going to tell you about my favourite story in the best book " Reader's Digest".The title is "Against the Odds"Part:Money Makers.A person called "Ron Meyer".When Ron was 14 years old,his friend gave him his first tattoo.A crude desing done with ink and a needle.Like many of the guys he hung out with in Los Angeles,Meyer was a secondary school dropout,a kid quick with his fists who seemed to get into fights somewhat regularly.

Today,Meyer is the president and chief operating officer of Universal Studios.As one of the most successful business leaders in Hollywood,he heads up Universal Pictures and Universal Parks & Resorts.He's the guy who overseas the production of multi-million-dollar extravaganzas like King Kong and Cinderella Man.

Even though Meyer could easily afford it,he has no interest in getting his tattoos removed.

They symbolise just how far he has come,and they remind him of the choices he made.Good and bad along the way.

Meyer's story sounds like the plot of one of his motion pictures.The son of German immigrants,he grew up in a modest home where there was little disposable income.It was a big deal to go to a restaurant.

At 15,he quit secondary school and spent his time shooting pool,boxing at a nearby gym and hanging out with the neighbourhood toughs.With little education or direction and few options,he figured he will be drafted to fight in Vietnam.So when he heard about a boxing programme in the Marine Corps,he signed up.

At one point,he was quarantined with the measles,with no television and nothing to do.His mother sent him two books.One was "The Amboy Dukes",a novel about kids in street gangs.The other one was"The Flesh Peddlers",now out of print,about a guy in the talent-agency buisiness who was living a glamourous life."I realised,"he says,"that I was no longer that idiot kid I had been,and I wanted to change my life."

Meyer finally had a goal:to become an agent and live the sort of lifestyle described in "The Flesh Peddlers".He says he must have had job interviews at all of the major talent-agencies."Everyone said no to me.I did not have a formal education.I came from no influence,no money.There was no obvious reason to give me a job."But after that,someoneaccepted him. He then worked hard and succeeded.

That's all I am going to say.Hope you enjoy my story.Bye!