The Lucky Wanderer from the Great Plains of America

About the Book

The "Lucky" Wanderer from the Great Plains of America is a unique, inspiring, unusual, motivational ,and portrayal about a worldly traveler, David Edgell, who grew up in a small town on the "great plains of Kansas" dreaming, reading, and later traveling in order to explore some of the exciting mysteries of the world. His life's journey can be defined as: "...taking the less traveled roads of life...which has made all the difference..." making his life more interesting, exciting, fascinating, and fulfilling. His wanderings, a circuit of the world, followed a path that was often determined by a set of circumstances beyond is control, yet always yielding a goal he was reaching for. He was always goal-motivated throughout his life partly because he grew up in a family that stressed the core values of determination, honesty, self-reliance, integrity, and hard work which became an integral part of his life. His diverse activities and achievements as an individual, student, athlete, government administrator, diplomat, industry executive, professor husband and father help to explain how a person, with few privileges and a limited cultural background, but also a person who, as some would say possessed true grit, great determination, perseverance courage and foresight; and certainly an adventurous soul, could learn about and understand global events and appreciate the nuances of world affairs. Throughout this Memoir, Dr. Edgell uses the word lucky to describe the special happenings in his life. You can't choose your parents and siblings so for David that was certainly a "luck of the draw." And, admittedly, he noted that he was extremely lucky to meet and marry Sarah Gust. His Memoir gives you, the reader, insight into his courses of action which allowed him to find and live an exciting life, one that began in a small community of Kansas.

About the Author

Dr. David L. Edgell, Sr., Professor Emerituss of trade, tourism, and economic development Dr. Edgell is a recognized world leader, author, speaker, and educator within the social sciences. He possesses extensive knowledge and expertise in international trade, tourism, economic development. He has a BS in business (University of Kansas), a BA in economics (American University), a MA in Public Administration (Indiana University-with distinction), and a Ph.D. in management (University of Cincinnati) with post graduate education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (econometrics), Harvard University (leadership), University of Michigan (economics). He is an Eagle Scout and U.S. Army veteran. In Washington D.C., David was one of the architects of the National Tourism Policy Act which established, within the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration (USTTA). As senior executive director of USTTA, he led efforts by the U.S. Government to increase international tourism to the United States and to develop global tourism policy, planning, and marketing strategies. At one point in his career in Washington, D.C., he served as the Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism with an office in Washington, D.C. and eight international offices. In this capacity Dr. Edgell served as the principal U.S. delegate to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Organization of America States, the Asia-Pacific Economic Council, the Caribbean Tourism Organization. The May 17, 1993, issue of Business America cited David’s contributions in bringing WorldCupUSA94 to the U.S. His many contributions were recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce where he was the sole recipient of the Department’s highest medal awards: Bronze, Silver, and Gold for his leadership in global trade, tourism and economic development. In 1995, David became the first Commissioner of Tourism for the USVI.