What is wealth?

Marty Martinson, the main character in VJ Smith's The Richest Man in the World is an unlikely hero. He worked at Wal-mart in Brookings, South Dakota. He greeted customers and engaged them in conversation when they were in his check-out line. But Martinson made an impression on Smith, and he made an impression on Grand Forks Public Schools activities director Todd Olson, yesterday's reader during Literary Lunches. It is from this non-fiction book that Olson read.

Olson read an excerpt explaining how Smith and Martinson met and how Martinson's engaging personality got Smith to write a letter to the head of Wal-Mart. Instead of offering up perfunctory greetings to his customers, Martinson talked with his customers and listened to what they said. The excerpt not only showcased Smith and Martinson but also the connections Olson shared during his reading...the kind of connections skilled readers make with ease.

Olson was a basketball coach for 12 years, a math teacher for 14.