As we get ready to take off for the Thanksgiving break here in the U.S., I thought I’d leave you with a recommendation for some good holiday reading.

Earlier this fall, Bernard Harris – the first African-American to walk in space – published his autobiography, Dream Walker: A Journey of Achievement and Inspiration. For anyone concerned about the future of American innovation and competitiveness, one only has to take a look at Harris’ life to be inspired by what can be achieved with hard work, determination and guidance.

Harris rose from humble beginnings in Texas to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut – which he did as part of a mission on the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1995. He’s also an accomplished physician and entrepreneur, and I’m proud to say he’s a partner in ExxonMobil’s work to help encourage students to pursue careers in math and science.

With The Harris Foundation, we created the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camps, which have enabled thousands of middle-school students to spend two weeks on a college campus learning more and gaining insights into the possibilities of math and science.  We also sponsor The Dream Tour, a speaking circuit that has enabled Harris to inspire thousands more American youth across the country.

As our chairman Rex Tillerson wrote in the foreword to Dream Walker, Harris “regularly reminds citizens across the nation that technological innovation is the key to opportunity, to America’s continuing competitiveness, and to meeting the world’s great challenges in the twenty-first century.”

You can learn more about Harris and how to order his book on the Dream Walker website.