ROLLING PENNIES IN THE DARK

With humor, compassion, faith, and brutal honesty, Douglas MacKinnon tells his story of life below the poverty line and how he struggled to overcome his childhood. He shares poignant stories of his youth, including one about rolling pennies by candlelight because the electricity had once again been cut off and his little sister needed medication. At one point, his alcoholic parents abandoned him and his two siblings for five days with no food, heat, or electricity in the middle of winter.

But as Doug grew, his determination to survive grew with him. Despite beingaccepted to the Air Force Academy directly after high school, he stayed closer to home so he could look after his younger sister. And as various opportunities opened up to him, he discovered that his heart belonged in the political arena, for it was there, he believed, that he could work for real change and bringhelp to those who suffered as he did as a child.

ROLLING PENNIES IN THE DARK reminds readers that it is possible to grow up in the most deplorable of conditions and still find success. More significantly, MacKinnon offers real solutions to the problems of poverty. This is an important, essential book.
Doug's story begins with a childhood lived in abject poverty, parented by an alcoholic mother and father who were mentally cruel and physically negligent. This inspirational memoir continues with his triumphant transition into his "escape" to college and then to a successful career, which included a high-clearance job at the Pentagon and a White House writer for two presidents.

Inspirational "Against-All-Odds" Story
Doug MacKinnon reminds readers that it is possible to grow up in the most deplorable of conditions, and against all odds and obstacles, still escape from an environment that has destroyed the lives, dreams, and hopes of so many others. Through determination, a deep faith in God, and belief in himself, Doug walled himself off from the negative energy and destructive behavior around him to overcome these odds and find tremendous success. Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official. While at the White House, he served as awriter for two presidents. At the Pentagon, he served with a top-secret clearance in a joint command as a Special Assistant for Policy and Communications and also as a spokesman for the Department of Defense, briefing all of the major television networks. He later went on to become Director of Communications for Senator Bob Dole. Today, aside from being a principal in one of the world's largest international law firms, he is also a regular contributor to several major newspapers, the influential web-based publications Townhall.com and The Huffington Post, and is syndicated on a regular basis. He has published over six hundred columns to date in every major paper in the country including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, The Houston Chronicle, The Baltimore Sun, and The Washington Examiner.