How do you start a solar business from nothing, and make it one of the world’s largest? Can you really see hundreds of thousands of birds in the middle of winter in Nebraska and will you freeze to death in the process? Is there any limit to how much pasta can you eat in two weeks, if you really concentrate?
In this collection of stories, written as letters to his father and then to his aunt, Bob Hemphill recounts the challenges, the missteps, and the accomplishments of the solar business he started from scratch.
How to find the panels the business needed, how to negotiate with governments about supporting subsidies, and how to find the enormous amounts of money that big solar projects require are all subjects discussed in detail,frequently in humorous detail.And then there are the visits to exotic locales, places with amazing architectural monuments, challenging and or delightful gastronomy, good weather and bad, and language not always clear or easy to understand.
There are also the occasional sightings of birds large and small, or the unsuccessful attempts to sight them. Birds have a way of cooperating when you least expect it, or hiding when they’re supposed to be easy to see. Hemphill’s style is accessible and clear, frequently self-deprecating and always informative.
You will learn a lot about wherever he finds himself and whatever he experiences. That experience will be honestly reported. This is not a “how to make a million dollars” self-important, look how smart I am kind of business book, it’s more of a “look how odd and interesting all this is” approach to the vagaries of business and life, with a humorous slant.
