From Melon Fields to Moon Rocks: The adventurous life of biochemist and entrepreneur Charles W. Gehrke

Charles W. Gehrke was unflinching. Determined. Persistent. He grew up among the poorest of the poor, yet carried only happy memories of those early years. Out of necessity he learned the value of hard work, as he and his brother helped support their family, even as children--but he never complained and never stopped working until his final days on this earth. He learned the importance of family, also at a tender age. They looked out for each other and stayed close all their lives, and Charles's own family always came first, even as he rose to the top of his profession, recognized around the world for his pioneering scientific techniques and visionary thinking--modeling and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and shared instrumentation long before those now commonplace tenets were on the radar of most scientists. He was chosen by NASA to examine lunar samples, searching for signs of life, and in the midst of it all, launched an entrepreneurial effort resulting in a company that grew and thrived for 40 years, employing more than 300 people. Dianna Borsi O'Brien has captured the essence of this man who achieved greatness, but in the end cared just as much about the people in his life as the things he'd accomplished. His story is inspiring, engaging, entertaining--and not to be missed.

About the Author :
DIANNA BORSI O'BRIEN is a gifted story teller who started out as a reporter at a small newspaper in South Carolina in 1987, with subsequent work as a reporter at the St. Joseph News-Press and night city editor at the Messenger-Inquirer of Owensboro, Kentucky. She taught English in Busan, Korea and also spent two years as a faculty editor at the Columbia Missourian, a community newspaper affiliated with the University of Missouri. Today she's a freelance writer and an adjunct instructor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, where she received her master's degree in 1993. Dianna is thrilled that she still wakes up every morning excited about reporting, researching and writing, whether the topic is Moroccan cooking classes, package design for pet food, gas-liquid chromatography or local businesses like ABC Labs, now EAG Labs. Her next book project will look at Columbia's historic homes and how they tell the story of the city's development.

Review :
Charles W. Gehrke, better known as Dr. Gehrke in the halls of ABC Laboratories was a relentless individual, always looking for new/better ways, better science and never settling for a simple no or can't as the answer. Dianna Borsi O'Brien captures the man and his passion for science and shares Charles's story from a different perspective; the husband, father, friend and colleague and how his love of science was interwoven into his life. Dr. Charles W. Gehrke's contributions to science are still reflected almost five decades later in many of the processes and science still in use in developing better life saving drugs and safer food supplies. In this biography, his family life, work and career are all laid before us, in a work that is the accurate, concise, revealing the "chemistry" that made this man special. Anyone who thinks they know Dr. Gehrke's story should read this book to truly understand the man's contribution not only to science, but his legacy to family, the Columbia, Missouri community and beyond. -- John Bucksath, joined ABC Labs in 1989, and served as president/CEO from 2012-2015 Scientist/business entrepreneur Charles Gehrke achieved renown while based in Columbia, Missouri. Writer Dianna O'Brien used her total access to produce an excellent account of a meaningful life. -- Steve Weinberg, author of six books including two biographies Dr. Gehrke was a one of a kind who had managed to rise above his humble beginnings to international stature in his chosen field. This biography highlights Dr. Gehrke's main legacy to Columbia, Missouri, in founding a successful company, ABC Laboratories, but also reveals his ego as well as his ambition. The book delves into some of the behind the scenes maneuvers, some of which will sound familiar to anyone acquainted with the actions of innovators and entrepreneurs, especially when they are confronted with barriers to success. The author, Dianna Borsi O'Brien, does a good job of explaining the science behind this man's thinking without dwelling too much on the details and delivers a biography that shows that it often takes a strong-willed person to push through various roadblocks to achieve the desired result, which in this case is science and a company that has stood the test of time. The result is a book that shows how in many issues in his life Charles W. Gehrke either created conflict or solved problems, depending upon your point of view, bringing honor as well as notoriety to Columbia, Missouri, and the University of Missouri. -- Don Laird, president of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce 1988-2013