by Mawi Asgedom
THE 3RD SECRET: GIVE FIRST, RECEIVE SECOND
THE 4TH SECRET: NEVER LOSE HOPE
THE 5TH SECRET: TAKE SMART RISKS
The 1 st Secret will introduce you to The Code and help you create your own Code. The other 4 Secrets will help you live your Code.
You’re probably wondering what The Code is and why it’s important. You’ll know in a few pages, but for now, I can tell you that you are The Code and The Code is you. That may sound strange, but I promise you: The Code has tremendous power. Used properly, it can change your life.
The Last Word
Over these past couple of years, I’ve read dozens of books on success. While many of those books offer useful information, most suffer from one problem: they’re so long, it’s hard to keep the lessons straight. By the time you get to page 200, you’ve forgotten what you learned on page 30. To avoid that, I’ve kept my book short and to the point.
I’ve also packed my book with captivating stories. Each one illustrates a strategy for success. I hope you’ll like the stories, but I need to warn you: The stories alone won’t make you succeed. To see why, think back to when you were a little kid. You learned how to ride a bike. Did you learn by hearing stories about biking? By watching your friends bike?
No. Watching and asking questions might have prepared you for riding a bike, but in the end, the only way you learned was by getting on the bike and finding out for yourself.
Success is the same way. I can tell you how others have succeeded or how I’ve succeeded. But in the end, I can’t make you succeed. If you want to succeed, you have to hop on the bike of success yourself, and make the wheels turn by applying the knowledge I give you.
To help you, I’ve closed each chapter with a section called “Your Turn,” where you’ll find questions that will help you unlock your potential. If you’re serious about success, get a pen and some paper, and answer every question you find in “Your Turn.”
And if you’re ready to discover The Code and The 5 Secrets, turn the page.
The desert, I remember. The shrieking hyenas, I remember.… I remember playing soccer with rocks, and a strange man telling me and my brother Tewolde that we had to go on a trip and Tewolde refusing to go. The man took out a piece of gum and Tewolde happily traded it for his homeland.…
So begins this unforgettable true story of a young boy’s remarkable journey: from civil war in east Africa to a refugee camp in Sudan, to a childhood on welfare in an affluent American suburb, and eventually to a full-tuition scholarship at Harvard University. Following his father’s advice to “treat all people — even the most unsightly beetles — as though they were angels sent from heaven,” Mawi overcomes the challenges of racial prejudice, language barriers, and financial disadvantage to build a fulfilling, successful life for himself in his new home. Of Beetles and Angels is at once a compelling survival story and an inspiring model for anyone hoping to experience the American dream.
“Wry and tender.... What says with you is the quiet, honest drama of a family’s hearttrending journey.”
—Booklist
“Powerfula and heartwarming.... Our American dream stays alive in part because people like Mawi show up who believe in it.”
—Mary Pipher, author of Reviving Ophelia and The Middle of Everywhere: The World’ Refuges Come to Our Town
Mark Brown
MAWI ASGEDOM graduated from Harvard cum laude and delivered the commencement address at his graduation in 1999. This is his first book. Mawi lives in Chicago, where he is a highly sought-after speaker for schools, community groups, and businesses.
Cover photo (top): Justin Ide
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