Most Houstonians know Gerald Hines as the visionary head of his real estate investment and development company, simply called Hines.

But they may not know of the 91-year-old developer's humble beginnings. He's the son of a Gary, Ind., steelworker, and as a young man he arrived in Houston in 1948 with empty pockets but a strong work ethic. He took a job at an air-conditioning company.

It didn't take long for the Purdue University-educated engineer to start making deals that would help transform Houston's cityscape. He drew major architects, such as Phillip Johnson and I.M. Pei, to design iconic buildings and grew his company to have a worldwide presence.

Mark Seal's new biography of Hines is hefty, both in pages (464) and in scope, capturing the life of a man who always paid attention to details, never forgot the workers on the front lines and wouldn't let any obstacle - such as dyslexia and angina - get in his way. Even now, Hines makes bold business decisions and goes big on recreation, too, with extreme skiing, roller skating and rock climbing.

Here's an excerpt from the book that captures Hines' drive:

Gerald Hines' spirit of bold vision and adventure radiates throughout his company, infusing his employees with their founder's passions: for exercise, adventure, and the great outdoors as evidenced by the annual Hines extreme ski trip for a select group of the firm's daredevils; for transforming the built environment; and for the art of the deal. "His unbridled enthusiasm energizes everyone around him and provides a sense of purpose for the team," says Mark Cover, a senior managing director at the Hines firm. Hines knows that if you can push your limits in the great outdoors, that spirit will transfer to the office, which is, of course, his favorite and most famous arena of accomplishment. Today, at ninety-one, he stands at the top of the international real estate investment and development world. But he remains the eternal engineer, forever fascinated by the inner workings of buildings, whose basements and ducts he climbed through when he first arrived in Houston in his 9-to-5 job for a heating and air conditioning company, and through which he continues to enthusiastically climb. "No one ever loved mechanical systems more than Gerry Hines," says Cover, recalling a recent trip to Phoenix, during which Hines climbed through a building's infrastructure to discuss the merits of its mechanical systems, inspiring and demonstrating his ever-ardent support of his worldwide team. "Gerry stopped by the office and shook hands with every employee and allowed time for individuals' photographs, which was a big deal for our employees," says Palmer Letzerich, senior managing director of Hines activities across Mexico, echoing the experiences and sentiments of many other far-flung Hines managers and executives. Hines' site visits to properties in development around the world, while bafflingly frequent, instilled in employees an appreciation for the urgency and excitement of their work. "Mr. Hines arrived on a Tuesday, in the early morning, and we picked him up at the airport," notes Paul Gomopoulos, managing director of a brand-new Hines office in Athens. "After a long, cross-Atlantic flight, we offered for Mr. Hines to go first to his hotel to rest. He said, 'No. I feel great. Let's go see some real estate!' " The economy in Greece was tanking at the time of the visit, but Hines saw yet another opportunity. "Gerald Hines has the unique ability to be both conservative and daring at the same time," says Gomopoulos. "And he has passed this on through the culture of his firm. We take big, bold bets, but we carry them out in an intelligent and disciplined way." A recent visit found Hines in New York at 7 Bryant Park, the Pei Cobb Freed-designed, Hines-developed landmark - and the first midtown Manhattan office building to begin construction after the great recession of 2008. At the time of Hines' visit, the building was nearing completion. He rode the construction hoist with his team - up as far as the hoist would go, which was 50 feet from the top of the building, a precarious 450 feet above the ground. The summit was accessible only by a hanging scaffold, no more than a spindly ladder hanging high in the air. "You can't keep me from the top!" Hines exclaimed, charging up the scaffold as the younger members of his team paused to take in the view.

More Information "Raising the bar: The life and work of Gerald D. Hines" By Mark Seal (Fenwick Publishing; $35; 464 pp.)