Since I grew up without a father, I found mentors in books. George Washington Carver, a man dedicated to his craft and with an incredible desire to learn — presidents sought him out at Tuskegee in the 1930s. Madonna Swan, a Lakota woman who was simply inspiring; every South Dakotan should read her story. Benjamin Franklin, who worked tirelessly as a commoner, later became an inventor, a scientist, and an international diplomat — not to mention a Founding Father. And on occasion, I need to find my inner Zamperini.