Typical life in "the hood" has had really devastating effects on Darrin's family and personal life. From all four of his brothers experiencing life in juvenile, jail, and prison systems, with sentences ranging from seven to forty years, to his mother dying while trying to right all her wrongs of abuse and neglect she inflicted upon him and his brothers as adolescents. Although these environments are prevalent and the results typical, Darrin was able to navigate these murky waters, never experiencing incarceration, graduating high school with honors, receiving a bachelor's degree from UT Arlington, and becoming a contributing member of society as a leading youth motivational speaker, mentor and author. He has also helped many youth and families as a Child Protective Services Investigator, and Texas Juvenile Justice Department Case Manager. In This book, teens will learn how to live in at-risk environments and become leaders while avoiding death, incarceration, and the negative distractions of life