Engaging and compelling. . . . A down-home tale of how one survives, learns and grows in a discordant world into something bigger and better. Los Angeles Times A remarkable memoir about one of America s most popular media figures. Ebony Astounding. Philadelphia Inquirer Revealing. . . . May surprise even those fans who have followed his career for years. Essence

Tavis Smiley is the host of PBS's The Tavis Smiley Show. He also appears as a regular commentator on Tom Joyner's top-rated ABC radio show. He is the author of such bestsellers as Hard Left, Doing What's Right, How to Make Black America Better, and Keeping the Faith.David Ritz has written biographies of, among others, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, and B. B. King. His latest book, Messengers: Portraits of African American Ministers, was published in 2006.