Elizabeth Van wrote about a time in Abraham Lincoln's life where had transformed himself into a reader, writer and speaker. Though Abraham had a rough childhood, he still managed to work on himself every chance he had. Abraham had eventually spoken himself into presidency. ( )

Young Abraham loved words: reading, writing, speaking. There was little time for school or for reading, but the words he read he savored and said over and over to himself and to anyone who would listen. He worked hard. He listened hard. He repeated the preacher's words to himself and he made sense of them until he could repeat them to his friends and family....or just the trees when no one else would listen. Someday they would listen. ( )