>> here is a look at the current best-selling nonfiction books according to the "washington post."

>> next a combat a combat veteran of the war in afghanistan and author of the work talking about his search for a meaningful life and the people who had inspired him along the way. .. so just a little bit about you. i studied all of the role that you have had army captain rhodes scholar white house fellow with the state department international investment banker tv producer host best-selling

author political and economic analyst. by my guess you are 60 years old. but you don't look 6-d. you have been married recently so i don't know how that works but so you are not 6-d? >> guest: not yet. >> host: but somehow you got all of this great life already in these accomplishments so it's really great switch because of those experiences you have been able to write two books articulating the experiences and life lessons and other examples of your journey through this time in your life. it's really amazing.

you are a talented writer and a really good storyteller. this is a very good read but they tell you. i thoroughly thoroughly enjoyed it and i am busy like a lot of professionals who work but it was really worth my time to read this. first let's talk about the book generally. why write this book collects what compelled you after your other great book the other wes moore what inspired you to write this? >> guest: first it's an absolute honor to be here. and you know i remember the conversation i had with the publisher about what turned them to be a work where they were telling me one of the most common questions we get about the other wes moore is what happened next because it stops abruptly in 2000. i want to try to get people to wait for both of those stories my story and the other west who is in your 14 of the light sentence in a correctional

institution of maryland. when i thought about this idea what happened afterwards in it there was no way i could tell more about my life since then because it's impossible to give people my story and two west at this point. i could write about west's life in a paragraph. that's a life decision he made and the like that he now looks forward to every single day. when they said why don't you write about your time in afghanistan or your time working in the white house doing these things and what success has meant to you that actually cause me to pose for a second. that word success and what that actually means because i felt like over the past decade it wasn't so much an easy life to divide where it was or where would be but it was this constant search to find something that matters to find a

sense of impact, to find a sense of greatness that you can can latch onto them have it be all your own. so what i then tried to do with "the work" understand the idea of your work isn't necessarily an occupation. your work is one of your greatest gifts and your greatest joys began to start overlapping and then you actually choose to do something about it. with the story of what i want to talk about with both my adventures and misadventures but to celebrate what the work is sent so many workers and people who aren't so many different industries have found their point which makes life really exciting. >> host: well i think what is unique about this book is to go back and forth pretty at people in your life that have come in and out of your life and chapters and you weep in your experiences. it's very cleverly done but a couple of things i want to talk about today but one of the things i really liked when he talks about that work and how

you make it meaningful for your life and others is to have passion. i'm a big believer in having passion for your work. in fact so much so that i have talk people out of jobs because they didn't have passion for their work. and it's not that they were not an effective contributor as an employee in the cases that i'm referring to. it was the fact that they didn't have a passion for the place they were in at that time. they could move into another place and have great passion and become an outstanding contributing team member. i think about and volunteerism is community service and millions of americans are volunteering as a federal agency and partnership with non-profits but what about my board members.

one of my board members was the wife of the senate -- she said put your passion into action. i think that is what you are referencing oftentimes throughout this book where if you are passionate about something it may be mistrustful and there's another thing we don't talk about and to me if you find someone who is passionate and you say while mackey will sure are passionate about your work is also saying you are authentic, you are genuine you are the real deal. i don't think you can fake passion. how do you feel about some of the individuals you write about? do you feel that is true that they are authentic people? >> guest: i feel like it's one of the only unifying themes. i have come to really believe that if you look at people who are really great at what they do, i mean really really great

at their work, at their job and what they take on there is only one thing that all of them have in common. it's not their family history, it's not what part of the country or if they are from this country. the thing that every person that falls into the great category of what they do is they are incredibly passionate. i have never met anyone who is great at what they do and you asked you asked and you enjoy it they say it's okay. i have never heard that before. it's only people who wake up in the morning think about it and they go to bed at night thinking about what they do because it's their lifeblood. i remember when i was leaving to head back into the world of finance i was leaving the "times" and i went to see a mentor of mine a guy named bill brody who is a former president johns hopkins university. he asked me me what are you doing that; i'm going back into the world of finance. he said really? i said that's not the answer

that i was expecting to hear. he said just tell me why. why did you choose to do this? i told them i felt like was an important skill set and i felt like i was good at it and i was protecting and supporting my family in ways that i had never been able to support them before. he said listen wes i'm never going to judge you particularly things you think that are best for your family but he said i just ask this. the moment you feel like you can leave, leave because every day you do something that you are not passionate about you become extraordinarily ordinary. >> host: well said. >> guest: that hit me like a ton of bricks because we all are striving to do something special. we strive to make a mark on this world so long after we are gone or impact is still around. it's impossible to do that if you find yourself becoming

extraordinarily ordinary because you don't care about what it is you are doing. get. >> host: i totally agree. passion turns into a authenticity carrying and success so i think you can line them up. in our life work we need to make sure we land in a place that we care about. otherwise it's not worth anyone's time. the organization you are serving or yourself or family members and it works against you if you are not happy until feel passionate. guess when you become dispensable. you are not great at what you do you become dispensable and that's something we saw with these people. they achieve. they achieved their greatness because as dr. king said everyone can be great because everyone can serve. that is part of the beauty. when you lose yourself in other people, when you lose yourself in this idea that i have something to contribute something bigger and i am part of her world is bigger than myself that is how people find their passion.

>> host: that's so true. a couple of things i want to go through but i also want to reference one particular individual in your life and his name is daniel blavatsky. in every book you read at least for me there is always a moment that you just almost exhaled. this is one of those moments. i will set this up where the viewers today but what this is about is his grandfather a lithuanian -- his grandfather was jewish and his father. his father's grandfather in europe and the nazi lithuanian people were killing jewish people at this time. this is pretty tragic. he comes back to his apartment complex and he sees the superintendent who was there on

a regular basis and the superintendent says there's something going on that's tragic. he didn't exactly know what it was. i will let the readers read but it looks really bad and the superintendent says what's going on? he says well unfortunately i have had to tell the nazis who the jewish residents are and they killed all of them. he said oh my and here is what the superintendent said to daniel blavatsky's grandfather and his father was there. i spared you because you treated me with respect. you looked me in the eye so i spared you. now get your stuff and get out of here. daniel lipinski, the grandson goes on influence by his parents and his grandfather's story goes on to create an organization called kind but that is such a

powerful statement. because this gentleman was just being himself and he obviously was a kind individual and he cared about others. this was the superintendent of the building. most of us never pay attention to and i imagine if we dug deep into his grandfather's life he would have been that way and treated people all of his life that way. it's a powerful lesson wes to us about treating others with respect and generosity and kindness. tell me more about how you feel about daniel. guess that daniel is such a role model to me. also because you think about that decision and daniel is clear. he says i can't condone the actions of the man because he is fully saved my family there were so many others that were killed.

but you think about had a different decision been made by that individual i would never have known him. the world would have never known the contributions that he had given every single day. we don't know how much her actions are going to impact ourselves and others. i had a student wants is said to me there are certain decisions more important than others and i thought it was a really interesting question and i said my ms answer is yes certain decisions are bigger than others. the problem is we don't know which ones are which. so what then happens is we then have to treat every decision that we make with the gravity that decision might one day earn earn. so this idea that do you go in one direction or another or say hello to the person holding the door for you?

do you treat the person down on my block with a sense of respect or apathy? part of the beauty of it is that this isn't just for an adolescent. we are going to make 25 decisions before we go to bed tonight that will help determine what our tomorrow looks like. we then have to treat each and every one of those decisions with a sense of gravity. one of the other things that was powerful about the story is to talk about who his mother, his father would tell them that story and how his mother would tell the father and say don't tell them. they are so small. don't tell the kids though stories and his father were saying they have to hear it. we had to live it and it goes to show the importance of making sure that stories are then passed on and people understand the nature but we are talking about and the humanity behind what we talk about. sometimes we think we can share things because we are sparing. they don't need to hear that

they don't need to know that but if they don't know their own past in their own history how are we supposed to keep that in context when we think about her on future? daniel story in so many ways epitomized a so i think we should think about our past and e how kindness can truly change the world. >> host: and make you feel good good to matter. i will tell you i don't understand people who walk around their life and they are just down and withdrawn. it makes you feel good. i am someone who talks to the person in the elevators on the wrong one to talk about this but it lifts me up. another individual and it's very uplifting. a young afghanistan, young man and i think when you met him maybe -- real young. he actually works for the u.s.

army as an interpreter. and he had a tragic story on his own but it was really uplifting to hear your connection with this young man and how he helped your unit at great risk of peril to himself and other loved ones i'm sure. what is so special about him? >> guest: i would argue that abdullah had more than even us. there wasn't a single mission we went on that abdullah wasn't there in the fight with us. there wasn't a single operation that we conducted and some pretty dangerous operations that abdullah was right there. we couldn't do her our job in many ways without him. he spoke all the local languages. whenever we were communicating with people he was the person i was with us helping understand

what people were saying if we had things that we wanted people to know was him passing on the messages. the thing that was so amazing for us is abdullah when we were done with missions and returned back to the forward operating bases we had all of our soldiers in these areas that we had soldiers patrolling. abdullah went back home and there were these things called -- in afghanistan. they were these letters that were left on the doors of people who were working for the coalition. they would say we know you were working for the coalition and we are going to kill you and your entire family. they were left by the taliban or whatever groups go inside the area. abdullah was getting these letters all the time. everybody knew who he wasn't who he was working for. every single day he showed up for work. every single day despite knowing that risk he showed up for work.

here's a person whose father was killed by the taliban. he did it because he felt like i dream of a future in this country without the taliban. i dream of the day when they are no longer a prison force and we can live our lives with a sense of freedom. he fought and he did it because he believed in something bigger. to see the level of courage and bravery that he brought on was just remarkable to me. i deeply have a great admiration for my paratroopers who i serve with but the admiration i have for abdullah and these other people who have risked their lives everyday is tantamount to that as well. >> host: you didn't give yourself enough credit about your influence on abdullah's life because if we had interviewed abdullah i would imagine he would save as a mentor you played a role and maybe others in the unit as well. let me shift to another thing in the book that i really liked. it seemed like every individual

in the book including yourself all had a guardian angel or someone in their lives that helped steer them. not necessarily out of trouble because many had lots of trials and tribulations which you articulates so well but there was always a theme of something like like my brothers keeper which president obama is talking a lot about for all young boys and girls. we need to really as adults we need to be a guardian angel for these young boys and girls. if you think about a country that always had someone to guide them i really think it would make a difference. their statistical research that mentoring has so many positive effects on individuals. now we know by research it's true. we know it now legitimately.

you don't give yourself enough credit but my guess is abdullah would say yes wes was my rock as well. guess who really i think we explain this definition of family and that's something we all collectively have to do. families and just someone who you are born to or boerner brown or someone's dna that runs through your veins. some -- family is someone you love and respect and protect. i bring a theological perspective to it as well. if we are all god's children then by definition we are all brothers and sisters. i think we then need to treat each other that way. >> host: the world would be a better place. i think we are making progress. i just went to a mentor's conference and it was the largest attendance they have had since they started the summit. so that's very encouraging. what's encouraging is the actors

are interesting. now we have corporations involved in mentoring very structured to successful curriculum-based sometimes a value weighted in a measured way. i sat with a person that is doing amazing work and they are having a lot of fun doing it. and non-profits and philanthropic leaders government leaders. so we are getting a lot of people and organizations of all types. the faith-based community has been there for a long time. they are even stepping up their game and all of the leaders are. i think we are going in the right direction with this. i think this is something that is again service volunteerism in america. as part of our dna and this is part of how we can serve others. >> guest: and also how we think about it. part of the beauty of it is that

we think about the world that we want to live in the only way we are going to have the world we want to live in is if we can have a broader more inclusive conversation where everyone feels like there's a vested interest in their success where everybody feels like they are part of a conversation. a couple of things that are interesting about the idea of service. the best way to think about service is even if you are not going to do it to be selfless do it to be selfish because it creates a better world that you and your family will live in. i was talking to a friend of mine who is an engineer and i wanted him to speak to some kids in baltimore. i said tell us literally what you do every day because i want her kids to understand professions and that kind of thing. he was telling me i really admire the work but to be honest my service is with my daughters. he's an amazing father worked for his daughters. my point back west i completely

respect that but how are you helping your daughters when you go to school that has a 50% graduation rate? how are you helping your daughters when some point they will look for a partner to spend their life with them if you look at the young people and young men inside the area that 61% are in some form of supervision by the state if you want to help your daughters create a society that they can be safe and prosperous and happy in. if you are not going to do to be selfless duo to be selfish. harry belafonte i had a chance to an interview him on "msnbc." he was a huge lesson in my household growing up in part of it because he has an amazing talent and my grandmother was attracted to him. also he made his celebrity mean something. there are a lot of people do once they continue to rise they stay away from controversial issues because they are afraid

people won't buy my speakers or won't buy my books. harry belafonte was always always like headfirst into controversial issues of the date and things that could sacrifice his career. i asked him that question and i said why is it you get involved in issues that are other people stay away from? he said something so interesting. he said it helps me to live a more interesting life. and he said you know some people wake up in the morning and they call their accountants. i wake up in the morning and i call nelson mandela. who's like you think is more fun than? >> host: that's a good one. guess that it's likely serve both because it's the right thing to do but we serve because it makes life more interesting. >> host: is so true and we have research that links health benefits to volunteers which is

fantastic. we know that it makes you happier and if if you are an an overrated kicks in with health benefits. you live longer, you have a reduced sense of isolation. your endorphins kick in and your stress levels are reduced. it's pretty fascinating how the human body responds to volunteerism. we do have something interesting recently because you talk about being selfless, selfish or selfless. we have research that shows if you are unemployed and you volunteer during the time of unemployment and you increase likelihood of getting a job by 27%. it's phenomenal. if you live in a rural community the likelihood shoots up to 55%. so now i am talking to young and old but a lot of high school graduates, those in college who are worried about getting a job.

so consider volunteering. you are going to expand your horizons and you will gain, your network is going to be increased. you will gain soft and hard skills. i am pitching it like not only is it good for non-profits and the receiving entity service but it makes sense. we never have the researcher david but to prove it. >> guest: some of the most important professional relationships that i have made have been because of things i have done on the server side were things that -- organizations that you volunteer with or the way it helps you think differently about something. all that stuff matters. >> host: i'm going to continue to switch between characters in your book and things but i want to go back to something that i know and admire and that is hancock from denver. i did not know he was one of 10

children with three sets of twins. i don't know anybody i mean that's just wild. and to look at him today and i was just with him recently. he is very helpful and attentive and this particular issue we were working on in denver and he was working with me on the solution. he is just such a positive guy. i never would have guessed he was one of 10 and struggles growing up. his father divorced his mother. he had help from an older sibling that help to raise him along with his mother. really it's amazing that he is the mayor of a major united states city. it's really incredible. tell me about your impressions of the mayor. >> guest: you talk about someone who has had so many stacks lined up against him. one thing i loved about a story

if he had almost a singular definition of success when he was growing up. he associated everything negative about his childhood with his hometown. he thought there was almost like an inherent flaw. >> host: he was blaming the community. guess what he was blaming the community and now that he is the mayor of the city, what he did was he took his greatest hurt and his greatest pains instead of spending his time running away from them he actually turned and did a 180 and ran right into it which goes to show not only the person the strength that he has and the vision he had the only way i will conquer this is by facing it head-on. the other thing he realized is there are michael hancox coming up behind me. there are thousands growing up in my city.

who would i be to turn my back on them? who would i be to know that i could make an impact and i chose not to? my sister told me once, my and her sister was about the definition of hell and my definition of hell would be one day god showing me everything i could have done had i tried. everything i could've accomplished that i only tried. so mayor hancock basically says i know i could make a difference in the lives of these young people. he can relate. i know what your struggle is because you are me and i am you and by not taking on that responsibility and internalizing into making it personal who then would he be and how can you honestly be grateful for the opportunities you had to overcome it? so i love that story because it serves as a reminder of what we

are supposed to do with pain. the pain and disappointment oftentimes are constant companions in our lives. it's going to happen. if it hasn't happened already just wait it's coming. the question becomes what we do with it? we can throw it aside and run away from it as fast as we can or we could look at it eye to eye. >> host: it certainly showed me what he had compassion for and the issue we were dealing with. i know now and i didn't know this about him so it helped me understand him. let's talk about the expanded military family and our veterans today. at our agency we have on americorps and we embrace

social innovation funds in other ways to support veterans but we embrace supporting not only veterans active military personnel but also their families especially these children who are seeing their parents, father or mother being deployed for extended periods of time. i think there's probably a larger issue than we are acknowledging that we need to address more. one of the ways that we help us in agency there are two ways. we actually provide organizations to support military families, veterans the entire extended military service personnel wherever they are in their life in lots of ways. whether disconnecting them to services and resources helping them with housing and food security educational opportunities.

it's part of our service delivery but almost more important we are providing opportunities especially for these young veterans who are returning from iraq and afghanistan to become americorps winners to join our forces. the reason i know it's working is because i am talking to them and they are telling me that when they came back stateside it was not as easy as they thought not everybody but not as easy as they thought to jump into a sense of normalcy and right into gainful employment or an education pathway. service in particular i'm speaking about americorps they put those steps back in where we can tap their leadership and organizational skills to apply that to a service.

they could be providing service to our country. while they are trying to figure out the next step and i will take that any day. i will take a returning soldier and a day he wants to continue to get back to our country is an americorps member because we benefit from it as well. we have programs that take a step further where we have americorps members who are veterans who are serving in a program that has delivered service to veterans. so we have 26,000 americorps members who are veterans today. we have several thousand more who are serving as part of our portfolio. so it's a good part of our work and environment. you think this is a worthwhile investment partnering with a local nonprofit organization?

is this a worthwhile endeavor for us to pursue? >> guest: the corporation hats help this -- crack this larger is how do we prepare the country for the return of these 2.6 million people who are vets at iraq and afghanistan and that doesn't include wars past but also how do we prepare the fats and warriors for their return back home. one thing we have to be able to do and you said a word it was so important, normalcy. there is going to be a due normal and that's okay. things are going to feel different and are going to be different and it's not as simple as saying okay now that i'm home everything is going to be all right. oftentimes i think that's becomes one of the biggest challenges of family and community where they will look at you and it's like this i'm glad you are back home, and i'm glad that's over with.

but the experience in the sights and the sounds the urgency that we have felt over there it's not like that can be easily replicated once you come back home. there's a new normalcy we have to fall into. the other thing we have to fall into is every day while you are deployed there is that sense about it. you wake up in the morning thinking of k-1 is the mission for today how do i accomplish it in this kind of a big deal if we accomplish the mission or not and at the end of the night you think about it and you process it but you know the next morning i'm going to jump into that framework. to then go back into a job hopefully if you have a job they are coming back to but to come back to a job and a family where there is that need and often cases spouses or girlfriends having to deal with with everything while you been gone so you are trying to out what is my role now that i'm back? we have to be able to help a lot of these warriors as they are

coming back home understanding that there understanding that there will be transition and that will be fine and b we still need you and when i say the fight not necessarily the military fight but i fight for our society and see we understand and respect your skill set. oftentimes people think one of the largest misconceptions people have about bets is -- vets is we are robots. they look at the military structure. one of the things i learned about my paratroopers and soldiers is these are some of the most entrepreneurial people you will meet because the only guarantee we know is that tuesday will look nothing like monday and wednesday will look nothing like tuesday. there's a constant adaptation that has to happen physically and mentally and emotionally in the work we are doing what we are overseas. there's an extraordinary skill set that these men and women are bringing back home and we are doing a great service to our society when we can tap into it and understand how teamwork and

units do support movement. when you're giving a person a continued sense of mission that you are helping them to integrate to a society in a much smoother fashion that simply by saying i'm glad that's over with and that old marmol will somehow come back. >> host: so we are going down the right path and i'm glad we are going down this path. i feel passionate about it and i'm seeing results and hearing amazing stories that are being told. even military spouses have the same kind of connection and an impact as well because they know what it's like to live the life of a military family. they understand the trials and tribulations as well. >> guest: in some ways they have it even tougher. we have had good days and very bad days but we always had each other.

we supported each other and we were there for each other. the spouses don't so in many ways i feel through experience in some ways the families have a tougher than the soldier. the families try not to watch the news or hope the unknown doesn't show up for someone won't knock on their their door in the uniform and the uniform and they just pray for that. so it becomes difficult in that transition. >> host: you have started a new nonprofit called bridge at.edu this is an area that i really feel great about. you are focused on college freshmen who are struggling and there was a statistic that was amazing. how few of our high school graduates even well prepared for college for a lot of reasons. their personal or social development and being able to be out on their own the new freedom that you have.

it's been a few years for me but i do remember that first year and it was an exciting part of my life but it's also a time when you start making serious mistakes as well. tell me about bridget.edu. what are you doing this nonprofit? >> guest: we are so excited because i became increasingly obsessed with what was happening with students as they matriculate into higher education. we are doing a much better job in k-12. last year we were at 8% for the the -- 80% are finishing high school. the challenge we have seen is for students starting higher at the numbers remained stubbornly low. 100% of students who start college every year 34% will not make it past their freshmen past their freshman year or reenroll. so for many students that choke point is that freshman year.

if a student does well and there freshman yet they have a higher propensity for finishing on time. so we basically said let's create a social enterprise. if the choke point is that freshman year then why not wait reinvent their freshman year completely change the structure so students are getting a softer and more personalized on-ramp into higher education. what we do is we partner with institutions of higher education on the country community colleges and four-year schools and we say okay take classes with these institutions but they are only taking one or two classes at a time. we want them to focus on mastery and mastery of subject work and we want to keep them from remedial class work. part of the challenge as you indicated with remedial coursework coursework is u. of student taking remedial classes and paying the same amount but at the end of the year they have six credits or no credits because no classes they took

counted for any credits. chances are they will never finish college. and they are using financial aid for that. they're taking these classes in a structured ann taylor component but in addition we have to personalized assessments because we want to know where skill sets match interest and service opportunities. they have coaching mechanisms so we have coaches working with them to help them with the transition. we have a call curriculum learning everything from how to properly fill out the fafsa to what is proper business attire to how do you address a subordinate versus a colleague versus jboss? basic skill set for so many kids they don't have that. somehow we expect them to have that as they are matriculating to higher education. what we are hoping to do is address the completion crisis and the job placement crisis at the same time while the students

are getting academic credit. we are currently in baltimore and the success of the students we have had for students on board has been remarkable. the level of student persistence and intrigue in knowing the work they want to do. they are going to continue on with their higher education with a clear sense of direction and focus and purpose. that's exactly what we want for students as they are entering into the higher ed it quayshaun. the same type of asset we want to bring to each individual community and institution we work with. >> host: that is fantastic and i would say something we are doing that would be a good partnership for the future. we are in the middle of selecting any grant process and here's the goal. we will be announcing the winner soon. the goal is to find at least one community in america that is willing to guarantee that every high school graduate on june 1

when they graduate is going to be offered one of five opportunities. join the military a noble and great place to start your career career, to have access to college and hopefully college scholarships as well at there is a need, to get a job and have them ready -- one would in midtown to be paid with the paid apprenticeship or non-profit stipend nonprofit experience and the fifth one is to join americorps. the community is going to rally round all the high school graduates. we are going to place americorps leaders in the school carving a pathway and a plan for every high school senior and then we will have americorps working on the research side with the colleges to recruit scholarships working with the business community and ask if they can provide a job if

you can't provide a job can you provide a stipend apprenticeship at and he can't do that and you contribute to a scholarship for nonprofit? certainly we work with the military recruiters as well. so the ideas that every high school graduate will have an opportunity waiting on them in their hometown. isn't that great? we are going to have some people people, some of the students that are going to join but they are not as prepared as they need to be. their program helps them of that journey. we are not just going to say okay here is the opportunity good luck. we are going to stay with them at least one year to be their coach and their mentor to make sure they know what it's like to start a job and what's expected of you. what you need to be successful in college.

so your program they will be able to embrace these high school graduates and i think in time as we measure this we are going to see the high school graduation rate in the community raised because the ninth and tenth-graders not only to students with the parents will say wait a minute if we get you to high school graduation and you stay on this path this community is going to take care of us but you've got to get there. you have to do some things in the community will help you as well so that connection. >> guest: that sounds incredibly exciting and i love it because what is also doing is helping students understand what's available. that is part of the challenge we have. they're looking around and they don't even know what options there are. they currently have nationwide 476 kids pirg guidance counselor.

it's completely overwhelming and guidance counselors are doing lehman's work. it's a ten-minute meeting and basically they're asking what are your test scores and this is where your kids will go to college. it's not enough. we have to be able to get to know her students and help them figure out the best path and by providing these different options for them they can become a much more robust conversation. also part of the challenge the students have once they enter higher education as they are picking the wrong schools for them. so they are take away from that experience to one year they are there it is time not college material. that might not necessarily be the right take away. maybe that wasn't the right school for you. maybe they don't even have the major you are interested in but

you did not know that going into the process. we have to make sure that each and every student understands the options available and which are the best options for them. >> host: we are all trying to release tier and encourage high school graduates towards higher education. i think the timing is important. some high school seniors may be taking care of younger siblings and they may need a job for a year and take courses on the side. some might need to join the military and use their g.i. bill to complete college. i want this to be a bigger picture. i do have a school that i share with the president and other leaders making this available to our high school graduates. each situation is unique so we are trying to offer an opportunity in five different vehicles of how you get there

and what it's going to take when you get there. so stay tuned on this. this will be a lot of fun. we are going to name at least one community that's going to take this and the mayor and superintendent will be very proud to be a part to make sure we are taking care of our needs. we have a few minutes left. in your book "the work" my search for a life that matters and i love that title, you do reference her grandfather. can we close by talking about your grandfather and his influence on you and what kind of gentleman was he? >> guest: he was one of the most important people in my life life. i don't have many -- -- there at things that i regret doing but there are many things i said i would take back per se.

i wish i would have better appreciated him when i was younger. he was the first black minister in history of the dutch reformed church. the dutch reformed church was the official religion of apartheid south africa. when he became a minister it wasn't welcomed by all. to think it was this black man who was not taking over this congregation. but he was a person person who believed in this idea of legacy and he firmly believed in this idea of everyone doing their part. there was a sermon and i talk about in the book, there was a sermon that he used to give which i always loved. he talked about the relationship between joshua and moses and how neither one of them could do everything on their own but basically one's job was to plant the seed and the other was to lead people through and how in

many ways life is very much like that. none of us are asked to run the whole race ourselves. we are asked to go as long and as hard as we can and when we can go no further to reach her hand out and pass the baton to the next person who is waiting and their job is to run as long and as hard as they can until they can go no further. that is how we actually complete this race. he was a person that helped me understand our impact does not come from titles. it doesn't come from business cards. it doesn't come from whether there were airports named after us. it comes from us digging into our basic humanity and making our time here matter, making it matter so when people look back at what we did while we were here didn't matter to anyone else that you were here? did it matter to anybody else that you spent time on this

planet? if the answer is yes then you have done your part. if the answer is yes then you have done everything you have been asked to do. he was not just an extraordinary example for me but he serves as a constant reminder to me every single day of what it means to serve and what it means to love. >> host: it's just very powerful and you speak often about him in the book. i think that it's a message that we really need to tell the world that we need to grow grandfathers and grandmothers in me to start at a young age to develop that natural ability to care for others and be a leader in your own family. it's so important that we think about our influences as we come into adulthood and how we can

change our lives and he evidently had a tremendous impact on yours. wes it's been great. you are amazing. i can't wait to see the rest of the chapters of your life and i hope you'll continue to share with us in your great literacy right and my best to your wife and her two children. thanks so much. this has been the best part of my week. >> guest: thank you, you too. >> that was "after words" that was "after words" booktv's signature program in which authors of the latest nonfiction books are interviewed by journalists, public policymakers and others familiar with their material. "after words" airs every weekend on booktv at 10:00 p.m. on saturday 12 and 9:00 p.m. on sunday and 12:00 a.m. on monday. and you can also watch "after words" on line. go to booktv.org and click on on "after words" in