At the heart of this book lie the powerful universal forces of love/loss, determination, family and the value of tapping into the power that lies within each of us. "Ready for the Next Round" chronicles the journey of a poor sharecropper's son who migrates from the Deep South with his family for a better life in the North. But assimilating into the strange Philadelphia culture comes with its own challenges. Soon he gets caught up in the struggles and complexities of this new world and finds himself in trouble - time in prison, reformatory school and ostracized from family and friends. Later, amidst the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement, Black Muslim factions, middleweight fights, mingled with bouts of alcoholism and dysfunctional relationships, the narrator ultimately triumphs. In his struggles to find himself, he uses education as his trump card to transform himself from a jitterbug a super-hip streetfied person) to a high school administrator. His story transcends race and class, His story is an American life story. Readers who enjoy reading about the ordinary man who triumphs over struggle will love "Ready for the Next Round". This book shows that one doesn't have to be a famous star in order to achieve and make valuable contributions to society. The message is clear: Young people who've missed the way can find their way back. Maurice Hamilton is a retired New York City high school administrator, Life coach, motivational speaker and author who resides in North Carolina.