From Cabbage to Cauliflower offers a testament to the power and capacity of education to open the doors of opportunity and accomplishment to even the poorest and least likely of the nation's citizens. Born to a working-class Irish American family in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 1927, William G. Monahan was surrounded by love, but not expected to amount to much. But, he got lucky. He married a woman, who saw more in him than he saw in himself, and they became an extraordinary team. He took advantage of the educational opportunities offered by the G. I. Bill to attend college, and after a few years as a high school teacher and a public relations manager for the Kentucky Superintendent of Schools, he completed a doctorate at Michigan State University and became a university professor. During his career, he published books in his field and became dean of the College of Human Resources and Education at West Virginia University. From Cabbage to Cauliflower chronicles his transformation from relative poverty in western Kentucky, to become a respected academic, highlighting his remarkable and truly American climb up the social and educational ladder.
