Ken Harrison’s new book “Victors and Victims” explores the topic of success versus failure.  “Most people think ambition is knowing what you want and getting it.  In reality, it is knowing what you can offer and giving it,” Harrison remarked.  The book is an interesting look at factors that lead to success and overall happiness.

Article and photo by Amy Shanahan

New author and Castle Pines Village (CPV) resident Ken Harrison has had exceptional and varied experiences throughout his life and career which has led him to reach several conclusions about people and their successes and failures.  Harrison’s new book “Victors and Victims” delves into the ultimate reality that the choices people make dictate the course of their lives, and that every person has the ability to be successful both personally and professionally.

Harrison served as a Los Angeles police officer in an extremely high-crime area during the era of the Crips versus Bloods gang war.  Following his experience there, he went into business, building a successful commercial real estate company, and eventually serving as the chairman of a global valuation company.  This wide range of experiences allowed Harrison to come into contact with a diverse group of people with a variety of backgrounds.  

Harrison began to notice patterns in the behaviors of those who were successful and those who were not.  “In the ghettos of Los Angeles, some people were able to rise above their conditions and become successful, while some got trapped into a mode of self-pity, crime and failure,” Harrison explained.  “Once I was running an international company, I noticed that some people were successful at whatever they tried, while others were caught in the same trap of self-pity and excuses for their failures.  Despite different education levels, ethnicity, and backgrounds, the character traits of those who rose above their circumstances to success and the flaws of those who were stuck in a cycle of failure were the same.  Success, I discovered, isn’t about intelligence, education or opportunity; it’s about ambition, character, and perseverance.”

“Victors and Victims” explores the personality traits that lead to success and focuses on the fact that people are ultimately responsible for the choices they make despite their circumstances.  Harrison feels strongly that all people have the ability to learn to make choices that lead to success in all aspects of their lives, including their careers, marriages, friendships and relationships.

Harrison lives in CPV with his wife and three children and hopes to become a full-time writer and speaker in the future.  The experience of writing “Victors and Victims” was extremely positive and the book has enjoyed early success. To learn more about the book, find it on Facebook.  “Victors and Victims” is available for purchase from Amazon.