Fire in the Hole!: The Untold Story of My Traumatic Life and Explosive Success

Born in the tough town of East Baltimore to parents who were inveterate gamblers, billionaire philanthropist Bob Parson's early years were marked by hardship and financial struggle. While he vowed his own children would never lack for anything, never did he imagine the wealth he would ultimately amass as the founder of Parsons Technologies, GoDaddy, PXG Golf, and ultimately YAM Worldwide.

In his literary debut, Fire in the Hole!, this extraordinary entrepreneur recounts the exploits of his youth, his hellish days at the mercy of Catholic school nuns, his harrowing tour of duty in Vietnam as a US Marine, his pioneering contributions to the software and internet industries, and his latest ventures in power sports, golf, real estate, and marketing.

Along the way, we witness his remarkable resilience as he copes with his mother's mental illness and his father's struggles, battles PTSD resulting from both his childhood and war traumas, and mounts a quest to find new and effective treatments for himself and others who suffer from this affliction. He strongly supports veterans organizations, and believing in the concept of paying it forward, has awarded grants to more than ninety-six charities and organizations worldwide through the Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation.

Perhaps the only thing that has come easy to Parsons is his gift for storytelling. His reflections are at turns heartbreaking, heartwarming, humorous, and inspiring. If ever there were a story about a self-made man whose wealth can be measured as much by the contents of his heart as by the contents of his bank account, this is it.