The Dancer in the Road (shown on the cover) is central to the theme of Tom's first book. The dancer dances in, around, and on the lies that are his life. Tom uses the fantasy-based adventures of a wise old man known only as the Earth Warrior to demonstrate why lies, selfishness, greed and other negative human traits are to be conquered, while positive traits are to be nurtured. Tom's favorite quote is from a good friend who put it best when he said, "Success is building the person you're happy to die as." In Growing Up, Tom shows us where to find the building material.