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The Pursuit of Happyness is the rags to riches story of Chris Gardner who braved homelessness, raising and caring for his son on the mean streets of San Francisco to become a mogul of Wall Street. Summary of the Book Twenty-year-old Chris Gardner arrives in San Francisco to pursue a promising career in medicine. Fresh out of the navy, he is considered a prodigy in scientific research. However, his decision to instead pursue his prospects in the competitive world of finance astounds people. He lands an entry-level position at a prestigious firm, and immediately his fortunes turn for the worse. He becomes homeless, and his wife leaves him. Alone, Chris takes on the responsibility of taking care of their only son. Standing by his resolve to never abandon his son, Chris and his son spend almost a year moving from shelter to shelter, seeking refuge in hotels when they can afford it, and even sleep in a public restroom of a subway station. His incredible determination and unyielding courage helped him realize his dream and rise up to become a powerful figure in the financial district. This is a story of one man’s resolve to break his family’s cycle of men abandoning their children and the triumph of determination in the face of crippling poverty. About Chris Gardner Christopher Gardner is an American entrepreneur, investor, stockbroker, motivational speaker, author and philanthropist. Chris famously struggled with homelessness in the early 1980s and is currently the CEO of his own stock brokerage firm, Gardner Rich & Co., based in Chicago, Illinois. In 2006, Chris Gardner’s story was adapted into a film based on this memoir, starring Will Smith and Jaden Smith.