Dave Pelzer

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Against all odds - when it comes to overcoming life-threatening situations and becoming stronger from the challenge, no one knows better than Dave Pelzer!

In 1973, Dave was identified as one of the most severely abused children in the state of California. As a child, he endured the horrors of child abuse, which included physical torture, mental cruelty, near starvation and nearly died several times by the hands of his mentally disturbed mother. At age 12, Dave was rescued and placed in foster care until he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.

Dave vowed not to become a product of his negative environment, by refusing to use his unfortunate experiences as a crutch. Just over 20 years later, with the same tenacious focus he acquired as a child, Dave retired from an illustrious career in the US Air Force, was honored in 1993 as one of the country's Ten Outstanding Young Americans, and in 1994 was the only American to honored as The Outstanding Young Persons of the World.

Dave Pelzer is one of the few authors to have 3 books simultaneously on the New York Times Best Seller list; "A Child Called "It", which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize; "The Lost Boy," and the recently published "A Man Called Dave."

Because of his past, coupled with his professional background as a former Juvenile Hall counselor and Youth Services worker, Dave is uniquely qualified to understand the challenges facing America's youth and adults who seem unfulfilled and bogged down. Often dubbed as the "Robin Williams with glasses," he has addressed hundreds of thousands of teenagers and school administrators with his quick-wit satire in story telling form that touches the heart and challenges the human spirit.