Author Description

Joe Parks was an inventor, sculptor, horticulturalist, computer pioneer, soldier, legislator, train buff, consultant, teacher, philanthropist, entrepreneur, woodworker, bibliophile, real estate investor, Arctic traveler, class president, husband, father, and grandfather. This memoir of a preacher's kid from Oklahoma ranges from stories of his Cherokee grandparents, to growing up in small-town Oklahoma, foiling communist organizers in the 1930's, serving as an officer in WWII, his many years in government service, and his lifetime affliction with the "disease" called gardening. Parks' wide-ranging interests and descriptions of his experiences of 94 years make for a great read.