A triumphant, modern-day Horatio Alger story—based on the life that inspired the major motion picture—The Pursuit of Happyness is a memoir that will have you rooting for the underdog as it stirs you to pursue your own dreams.

Abandoned by his own father and left to the vicious rage of a mean-spirited and abusive stepfather, Chris Gardner made a vow that no matter what happened in his life, he'd be a committed father figure to his children. Yet even the most well intentioned would have been excused for breaking that vow if confronted by the challenges that Gardner faced, circumstances that left him and his toddler son homeless, living on the streets of San Francisco. But rather than give up his son, Gardner continued to pursue his dream of becoming a successful stockbroker—despite having neither Wall Street experience nor even a college degree. Now a successful broker and the founder of Gardner Rich & Company, a multimillion-dollar brokerage firm, Gardner epitomizes what it takes to claim the American Dream, even when others would doubt you.