Wrong Side of the Tracks

How does a kid with an indigenous Hawaiian background escape a youth fueled by drugs, alcohol, and violence to become a successful real estate entrepreneur? This question is at the heart of Wrong Side of the Tracks, a memoir by Ron McElroy about coming of age with a loving, hard-working mother's strong connections to her family's Hawaiian heritage, despite a mentally unstable father, and the dangerous daily threats of an impoverished southern California community. This classic journey of transformation will resonate for all readers who can identify with an honest and revealing memoir filled humor, action, and adventure. McElroy learns that with strong family bonds, discipline, skill and a positive, loving spirit, you can choose a different path and create a better life for yourself-no matter which side of the tracks you come from. Now he wants to give back by helping local Hawaiians find entrepreneurial success. "The town of Molokai has the fewest jobs in the state," says McElroy. "I want to help train the people there to create and build businesses that will stimulate the local economy and enrich the lives of everyone around them." About the Author Ron McElroy was born into poverty in Southern California where he survived discrimination, police violence and self-destructive peer group pressure. His mother "Tutu," is an indigenous Hawaiian who grew up on the islands and was the greatest influence in his cultural and ethnic identity. Street smart and reckless, McElroy graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Spending summers with his mother's family in Hawaii, he learned to surf and became a high-ranking amateur surfer. But Ron discovered his true calling: real estate, gradually becoming an entrepreneur with his own companies in the shared office industry plus vacation residence and rentals in Mexico and Hawaii. He has three children, sons Brett and Cameron, and daughter Lockley, and lives with his wife Elizabeth in Laguna Beach, California. For additional information visit www.WrongSideoftheTracksBook.com.