Written in Dave Longaberger s own words， with his folksy but wise style， this was the first book about his rise from poverty to plenty. THE LONGABERGER STORY - AND HOW WE DID IT chronicles his persuading a few ladies to make his baskets for free， because he had no money to pay them. It tells of his rise to a humble multimillionaire， while helping his associates make more money than they could have ever imagined. It describes the meticulous care with which the Longaberger Baskets are made， causing them to be sought by collectors worldwide. With vivid color and exclusive black and white photos， over 500，000 copies of this breakthrough book have been sold. With a limited number of copies still in print， like the baskets themselves， it is now a collectors item. When the remaining copies are gone， they are gone. After 13 printings， the book will not be reprinted again.