"Leal came to the U.S. penniless as a teenager, speaking almost no English; he literally slept in the boiler room of a Wisconsin cheese factory for months before he was caught. Through hard work, grit, and ingenuity Leal would go on to launch his own business. He is widely credited with introducing Mexican cheeses to the U.S. market, and grew his company to a multi-million-dollar success story. Yet, like many successful entrepreneurs, Leal's great successes were matched by personal failures: the end of a marriage; trouble with law enforcement; and the deeply felt sense that there must be something more to life than great wealth. Leal's memoir, The House that Cheese Built, is both a quintessential immigrant success story--one that beautifully illustrates the immigrant experiences: isolation, fear, and ambition for a better life and assimilation--as well as a thoughtful personal account of entrepreneurship and all its benefits and costs"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.