A Friendly Life: The Autobiography of S. Prestley Blake Co-Founder of Friendly Ice Cream Corp.

S. Prestley ("Pres") Blake and his brother Curtis Blake started the Friendly Ice Cream Company in 1935, in the midst of the Great Depression. Their parents gave them their initial capital, their mother kept the books, and Pres and Curtis worked day and night in their tiny shop. This small family business kept expanding, and over time grew to a 500 plus restaurant chain. The brothers eventually sold their business to the Hershey Corporation. This autobiography of Pres Blake's life starts with this humble beginning. It shows how the brothers invoked straightforward business principles to guide their growth, and by dent of hard work and good advice from other business people, they were able to rapidly grown their restaurant chain. The book also shows Pres' adventures after retirement, including his fascination with cars, with exploring, and with giving back to people and educational institutions. But just as Pres was enjoying his retirement, he was roused to come back and save his "baby" from the management team that had bought the company from Hershey. The last third of the book is devoted to the amazing saga of Pres' fight to liberate his old company from mismanagement. Pres began the fight at age 86, and it took him seven years and tremendous legal fees to make the current ownership say "uncle." This is a fascinating portrait of a man who fought for principles. Age was not going to be a barrier to Pres Blake, who was motivated to make sure his creation continued to be managed properly.