Wes Moore, a combat veteran, bestselling author, small business owner, Rhodes Scholar, and former CEO of one of the nation's largest anti-poverty organizations, has devoted his life's work to a basic principle: no matter your start in life, you deserve an equal opportunity to succeed - a job you can raise a family on, a future you can look forward to. When Wes was just three years old, his father died of a rare, but treatable virus. His father's untimely death created instability in young Wes' life, causing his mom to move the family to the Bronx, where Wes' grandparents lived. The family returned to Maryland when Wes was 14 when Wes' mom found a job in Baltimore - the first job that paid her benefits. Wes graduated with an Associate's Degree from Valley Forge Military College in 1998 and then Phi Beta Kappa from Johns Hopkins University in 2001. As a teenager, he interned for former Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke and then went on to earn a Rhodes Scholarship, which took him to Oxford University. Inspired by his mentors at military school, Wes went on to serve as a captain and paratrooper with the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne, including leading soldiers in combat in Afghanistan. He also served as a White House Fellow, advising on issues of national security and international relations. Upon returning home, Wes wrote "The Other Wes Moore," a story about the fragile nature of opportunity in America, which became a perennial New York Times bestseller. It's commonly assigned reading in Maryland schools. Wes was born in Takoma Park, Maryland, where he is now running for Governor. Visit Barnes & Noble to learn more about Wes Moore's Five Days: The Fiery Reckoning of an American City.