Amazon.com description: Product Description: It was the Great Depression--a difficult time for most Americans and seemingly even more so for a poor Methodist preacher, his wife, and their seven children. But for Johnny it was a time of discovery and childhood adventure far removed from the woes of the world. His family had very little, so the depression meant little to them. What they lacked monetarily was surpassed by their solidarity, hard work, and creativity. In The Proving Ground: Memories of the Good Old Days, Dr. John Lawrence recounts his idyllic childhood memories of growing up in rural Alabama and Florida. These charming stories show the world from an innocent and untarnished perspective, a bygone era where children were free to roam and explore the countryside, where their imagination was the best form of entertainment, and where the great outdoors--God's entire world, as they knew it--was both a playpen and a proving ground. Journey back in time with Dr. John Lawrence, and discover countless reasons why these years are fondly remembered as 'the good old days.'