Pushing Boulders: Oppressed to Inspired

by Athol Williams

PUSHING BOULDERS tells the extraordinary story of a Cape Town man born in an old police station during apartheid, who struggles to overcome immense political and social odds to become one of the first people ever to graduate with master’s degrees from five of the world’s top universities, including Harvard, MIT and Oxford At the height of his successful international business career, at the age of 40, he foregoes wealth and status, sells his Lamborghini, Rolls Royce, Jaguar and other luxury cars, to pursue his mission to use education to enable and inspire others to thrive.
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With frequent references to his diaries and letters, the book is written with frankness and candour so often absent in autobiographies. It offers readers a rare insight into the life of a uniquely talented and accomplished person, revealing his doubts and heartaches as well as the secrets to his immense ability to pick himself up and soldier on. The book reveals how his compassion for others changed his life and gave it purpose.

PUSHING BOULDERS is a story about pursuing dreams. It shows that, with self-belief and resilience, you can push aside the boulders that block your path to success. It tells a powerful and inspirational story that will leave you believing that even your most outrageous dreams are possible, and leave you energised to begin pursuing them.

278 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 13, 2016

Reviews

[Bianca van Wyk]

To be a coloured raised in South Africa and reading the adversities that Athol has faced, is truly inspiring. On my quest to find a supervisor I came across Athol on a Cape Town based university website, upon googling him I saw he wrote a few books so decided to give it a read.

I appreciate the honesty in the book, the way Athol is both a left and right thinker, doer, believer in doing good. How family is of the utmost importance and it does not matter how much you earn, family and where you come from will always matter more.

Some tearful moments for me reading the book, I had to stop reading and picked up a few months later to finish. I am really proud of the work Athol is doing and he will continue to do.

Side note: That custom built library is everything. Absolutely EVERYTHING!!!

[Philip Weyers]

The extraordinarily story of Athol Williams who fought against the awful injustices of apartheid South Africa to become the first person ever to achieve five Master's Degrees from five of the world's most illustrious places of learning. Well worth the read for a story of self belief and dogged determination.

[Oliver Mateman]

This is the first time that I’ve emailed a author to say Thank you for this. Thank you thank you thank you.