A reflection on poverty. A single white mother with a son, under age 10, in gritty Oakland, CA. I feel like the title was similar to “How We Live Now” (yes Trollope’s title).

From what I remember, it is a male author within the last 20 years.  There are two books I remember.

First it starts out with a homeless man under a pier and an older gentlemen talks to him, and tells him to start reading biographies on famous historical people.

Second book (same author) talks about an older gentleman who always carries an old suitcase.  He helps others throughout the book.

I think the author’s name is Andy (but not sure).  He is a best selling author.  The first book is actually about himself and he goes on to be a multi-millionaire businessman.

I’m just looking for the author’s name.  I know he’s done more recent books, but I can’t remember his name.

Thanks for your help in this area.

A man finds healing for near blindness by examining gurus in India who told him to talk to his father. A man disrupted contact with his father, and later suffered from near blindness on a real physical basis. He traveled all over the world and stayed for longer in India, but 2 gurus in a line told him he just should go back and talk with his father. He found unbelievable healing that way, and talked about it on youtube or TED, and wrote a book with which he became famous. He has a website as well and holds presentations. It must have been around 5-10 years ago, I assume. I cannot find it anywhere I search. I think he suffered from a kind of retina disease and small vessels in it.