He talks about the physical and psychological addiction, the effects of heroin, and the lengths to which he went to buy the drug. He describes his life growing up in the ghetto, noting that he first started using drugs at about 12 years of age. All the people he knew in Harlem either drank or used heavy drugs. In the beginning, drugs were a recreational activity on weekends, but the habit progressed to the point where he felt jumpy or jittery between shots. When his heroin habit got bigger than the money he received from his mother, he committed his first robbery when he was 15 years old. The first drug he ever sold was marijuana when he was about 16 years of age. He joined a gang and dropped out of high school due to his drug addiction. He continued to commit robberies and burglaries to support his habit, but tired of this and decided to sell drugs. He also provided protection to other drug dealers. He discusses his arrest and prison experiences and his participation in a drug rehabilitation program. He also describes his life as a recovering drug addict, particularly his lack of cultural identity. In May 1991, he successfully completed his first year of college with a 4.0 grade point average.