g it to the mountaintop is an impossible dream, here is the author's challenge: "Oh, Yeah? Watch This!" In his intriguing memoir, Lloyd Edward "Ed" Allen Jr., a retired Navy Rear Admiral, corporate vice president and executive coach, tells the story of the making of a man. After a boyhood of loss, abuse and loneliness, Allen became a Naval Flight Officer and flew in F-4s and F-14s from eight different carriers. Later he commanded an aircraft carrier and was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. Along the way, he also was on a journey of self-discovery: Who was the real Ed Allen? On one level, this book is about a man who experienced extraordinary success in three different careers. On another, it is about a boy in search of a family. From the valleys to the mountaintops, is a story of determination, overcoming, forgiveness, and closure-and a deep dive into what it means to be human.