How to Get Out of Your Own Way

This debut from the multi-platinum crooner is so heartfelt and inspirational it will likely leave readers with a new dedication to following their bliss. For Gibson, growing up in the hard-scrabble Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles was like a scene out of the movie Boys in the Hood, without a "pause" button he could press to make it stop. As a child, he witnessed domestic violence at home and murder and mayhem in the streets. When his precocious singing talents sparked hope, the scrappy young man pursued music with a solitary goal in mind: "to get out of the hood. I decided that I wanted better for myself and that I didn't want to be like anybody around me." With his emphasis on self-love, as well as falling in love with one's own ideas in order to execute them, Gibson lays out his modus operandi for success, including everything from organizational strategies and to-do lists to how to give yourself a stern pep talk when you need one. While much of the author's precepts are rooted in his abiding faith, even those without a Judeo-Christian background will be inspired by his swagger. (Apr.)