5 Things To Learn From: “Out Where The West Begins”

A book that digs deep into the stories of several inspiring America leaders and their makings, Out Where The West Begin is all about the United States’ Wild West era. Behind industrial innovations like the building of the railroad system and the creation of the revolving pistol, there are meaningful lessons to be learned, both professional and otherwise. Here are 5 themes that you’ll find among the great lives featured in Out Where The West Begins.

Presented by: Cloud Camp Press

1. Perseverance

Few stories capture the essence of perseverance as well as that of Adolph Coors, world-famous brewmaster. Despite facing hardships and losing both of his parents at an early age, Adolph continued to pursue his dreams, traveling across America as an orphan to eventually found one of the most successful breweries known in Colorado today. Driven by perseverance, grit, and fiery passion, the beer industry would likely look a bit different today had Adolph Coors not left his lasting mark.

2. Ambition

Out Where The West Begins uncovers the unrelenting ambition of William Jackson Palmer, the mastermind behind the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. William’s eagerness and desire to achieve success played an important role in contributing to the boundless transformation of the Wild West. Shortly after the railroads were constructed, new towns followed, including Castle Rock, Palmer Lake, and Colorado Springs, nestled beneath America’s mountain – Pikes Peak. Palmer also donated a generous amount of land and funding to build parks, hospitals, and educational institutions surrounding the Colorado Springs area including Colorado College and the Colorado Springs Public Library.

3. Creativity

Out Where the West Begins also takes the reader on a journey through the creative minds of extraordinary leaders like Henry Ford. After founding the Ford Motor Company in 1903, Ford was determined to invent a reliable and low-cost automobile using techniques of mass production. With creative thinking and determination, this American folk hero introduced the first moving assembly line for efficiently manufacturing automobiles. Bringing his vision to life, Ford made transportation more affordable for a majority of Americans with the manufacturing of Mobile T automobiles, which sparked revolutionary changes in lifestyle and development across the United States.

4. Courage

Embracing failure and using it as motivation to move forward, the courageous leadership of Samuel Colt forever changed the course of history in the American West. Initial failure didn’t stop Samuel from inventing and mass producing the iconic gun design known today as the “revolver.” After spending a number of years perfecting his initial design of the six barrel Colt pistol, the Colt’s Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company was eventually founded in 1855. The fearless entrepreneur went on to sell almost a million firearms during his lifetime.

5. Leadership

Iconic leaders like A.P. Giannini stand out in the West Wild era because of their significant contribution to the growth and the modernization of banking in the United States. Giannini’s extraordinary leadership led to the development of the Bank of America, perhaps one of the most powerful financial institutions in the world today. Like many great leaders, Giannini firmly believed in conducting fair business practices and concentrated on offering banking services to hardworking farmers and immigrants that most rural banks refused to serve. Uninterested in his newfound wealth and power, Giannini established several foundations to support key advancements in agriculture, forest conservation, and even medical research.

Get to know the legendary men and women who shaped the Wild West by picking up your copy of Out Where The West Begins, by Philip F. Anschutz.