Do African American urban youth really possess the desire to live a life full of achievements? The Motivated Life shares a composite picture of the social and educational journey of a few urban male students and their step-by-step challenges as they reach for success in a fast track world. Shellie Sampson Jr., Ph.D., a former headmaster in an urban school, discusses the dynamics of goal-setting concepts while relying on the recent research of scholars as well as his own research conducted at an urban school in a major city. While sharing the results of a comprehensive study that included high school counselors, administrators, and African American male students, Dr. Sampson provides strategic information that will help others move their lives to more productive levels. He extensively covers urban trends that affect the lives of African American adolescents, goal-setting methods, and ways that young adults can build a motivated life. Society is filled with those who are coping with success in their own context, yet many are suffering from a devalued life of underachievement. The Motivated Life provides the encouragement that will enable all those who struggle with success to think, search, and create a new life for themselves.