Ralph was a self-made man who took the good examples set by his parents and grandparents, started with very little, cut his losses when necessary, endured the Great Depression without folding and turned a half section of Iowa farm land into a prosperous operation. In so doing he passed on his work ethic and sound judgement to his family and provided a good life for himself and his family.
Serving his country when asked to do so may have saved him from getting mired in the Montana homesteading disaster. But maybe his keen observation after experiencing both Montana life and Iowa life helped him make the right decision. That is for you to ponder and decide after reading the book.
This is his story.