How to Get Out of Your Own Way

April 18, 2011
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.

March 15, 2011

Hollywood star surmounts a rocky childhood to redirect his own fate.

Gibson was raised in South Central Los Angeles by an alcoholic mother and a line of her abusive boyfriends, but he learned early on that if he was going to amount to anything, he needed to be proactive. So he hustled; he begged for money; he looted during the Rodney King riots. As a teenager, his high-school music teacher drove him to a shot-in-the-dark audition that landed Gibson a spot in a 1995 Coca-Cola commercial. Fast forward 15 years, and now the actor, songwriter and Grammy Award–winning singer challenges readers to get off their "pity potty" and rise above their surroundings, too. Using a mix of self evaluation, deep faith in God, focus and determination, Gibson sets forth the path he believes saved his career and his life. While he credits many factors and individuals (including Will Smith) with his transformation, the author was obviously born with wisdom many others aren't fortunate enough to possess—the knowledge to recognize that he could and wanted to be more, and the inner strength to make it happen. Gibson also offers more than 50 pages of relationship advice (including sex, parenting and infidelity), which he claims may set female readers' teeth on edge—a likely outcome.

Part memoir, part life manual, an uplifting and inspirational guide to regaining control of your life.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

April 1, 2011
Gibson grew up in the Watts community of Los Angeles, an early witness to drug violence, crime, and gangbanging. He always knew he would have to be particularly focused to get out. He won a local talent contest at 14 and went on to star in a Coca-Cola commercial by age 16. He traces his path to a career as a singer, songwriter, and actor as he was developing a community of supportive friends and fans informally known as the Love Circle, who leave each other voice messages of encouragement and faith, and which inspired Gibson to expand the circle of support and offer advice to the general public on how to overcome obstacles and persist in achieving life goals. The book is organized in a series of questions, such as How Much Do You Love Yourself?, What Is Your Purpose?, and Are You Ready for the Next Level? Gibson draws on cautionary tales of misspent youth and hard lessons learned to advise readers to focus on self-improvement and develop a circle of supportive friends.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)