There is a famous American writer called Jack London. He was born on January 12, 1876 in San Francisco, California. His family was very poor, and Jack had to leave school to make money. He worked very hard in many different jobs.
Later Jack returned to school, but he didn't stay there. In 1897, he went to Alaska (阿拉斯加) to look for gold. He didn't find any gold. Instead (代替), he found ideas for his books and stories. He returned home and started to write. His writings were so successful that he became rich and famous in his twenties.
But Jack London was not a happy man. In poor health he took his own life in 1916. He was only 40 years old.