A Gift of Dreams
It's a rare treat to rethink and rediscover ones own childhood. Robert A. Benjamin skillfully guides the reader back to a time when possibilities were endless and dreams had no bounds. It's fascinating to observe the natural progression from youth to manhood and see how the smallest influences can impact a life, to watch a boy s simple love of model airplanes and the drive to rebound from disappointment and to succeed transform itself into a strong work ethic and the desire to excel. Benjamin s "Dreams" will touch old memories in all of us. It's a warm, wonderful yet bittersweet reminder of our own youth and of what got us to where we are today. --Brian Richmond, Alaska Airlines CaptainThese were the Eisenhower years. The story is about a young man who dares to aspire to excellence, facing and standing down adversity, learning about life and about himself through his dream to build and fly a radio controlled model airplane,  a dream that everyone knew could never come true. His quest, in many ways a metaphor for life itself, reminds us of the struggles of our youth, the insuperable demons we faced   demons that still lurk within our souls.   The story is inspired, the prose lively and the message timeless. --Gary Ritchie, Ph.D., Retired ScientistReading Bob Benjamin brought back memories of an idyllic time in life, when ones biggest concern was deciding between that new model airplane kit, some fishing gear, or taking a girl to the school sock hop.  It captures the innocence of youth, and the challenges of growing up in a time when it was easy to be innocent, and the times, at least for most of us kids, were less challenging. I found this book riveting in a strange way, in that I would read it for a while, and then had to set it down while I reflected on the memories it instilled in my mind, yet, I couldn t keep my hands off of it, and would soon be back re living those wonderful days of my youth. Those of us fortunate enough to have grown up in the 50 s and 60 s will recognize much of our youth in this book, and those who have struggled to understand why we all talk so fondly of those times will gain an understanding of why we gush on so of those times.  It s a great read. --Dave Brown Pres., Academy of Model Aeronautics