These days, thoughts of life on the farm are filled with the picturesque country setting, raising kids away from the big city and relaxing on the porch playing chess or surfing the web. Many people dream of living where they don’t have neighbors, and the only grind they experience is for their coffee. It hasn’t always been so idealistic, and life in the country even today can be a lot more work than play. Today, it’s often a choice made by a family, rather than the only choice as it was in the past.

Farm life is hard work and there are valuable life lessons everywhere. In Smell the Dirt, author Leon Weiland shares his experiences growing up on a farm in rural Nebraska. From a young age, Weiland found himself fighting the inevitable forces of poverty, abuse, and despair, never wanting those to be part of his future. Then when he found the love of his life, Jean, they married and began their family. After the complicated birth of their fifth child, Jean was stricken with a condition that left her weak and chronically in pain. Leon searched for answers for his family. Many of those answers came in the form of a crude fiberglass door. He started Weiland Doors from virtually nothing, to where decades later those doors are specified by international companies.

Smell the Dirt is an inspiring read not only that it tells a story of grit, determination, attitude, and thankfulness, but poignantly conveys these lessons in a straight forward and sometimes brutal manner.

In a time when many are striving to discover their way, Smell the Dirt can be an essential part of your own personal journey.