In his memoir, Luis Rodriguéz walks us through his life from childhood through young adulthood. The harsh realities around him shape his world view:

"By the time I turned 18 years old, 25 of my friends had been killed by rival gangs, police, drugs, car crashes and suicides." (pg. 4).

Rodríguez sees himself as "lucky" because he was able to escape death, prison, or a crime driven existence. He, unlike many of his peers, was able to get out-to escape.

Young men, especially young men of color, in improvised neighbors are often lured into gang life. For some, partaking in gang activities is not an option-often times they are forced to and failing to do so could result in a beating or death. There are few alternatives or positive outlets for them and consequently gangs gain the upper hand.

According to Rodríguez, who is ultimately to blame for his involvement in gangs and who/what does he credit for "saving" him from gangs? Why are gangs so appealing to some?