FranklinCovey executive Sam Bracken delivers a blueprint for transformational change in this unusual book having overcome a childhood that would have destroyed most. In deliberately stark, almost poetic fashion, the first part of this graphic mini-memoir reveals Bracken's harrowing story of growing up in a family best described as a whacked-out version of The Brady Bunch on an episode of Cops, living in rundown apartments and trailers on the fringes of Las Vegas. Mobsters and motorcycle gang members were his role models. Horrifically abused by his wannabe mobster stepfather Leroy and his sadistic older stepbrother, Bracken started drinking and doing drugs by age 9. His love of sports - track and especially football - became his salvation. His dream of being a professional football player led him to a radical decision as a 13-year-old: to quit doing drugs and drinking and find a path out of the dark life he was living. He languished in special education classes until a caring eighth grade teacher discovered he just needed glasses. When Bracken was 15, his mom, who'd often worked three jobs to support the family, suffered a mental breakdown and abandoned him to become the den mother of the notorious Hessian motorcycle gang. He kept his homelessness a secret from his high school while working to support himself, juggling football and track practices and maintaining grades that put him near the top of his graduating class.

The book's title comes from the fact that when Bracken was awarded a full-ride football scholarship to the Georgia Institute of Technology and came to Atlanta to play for Coach Bill Curry, everything he owned fit in an orange duffel bag. He came back from what doctors said were career-ending injuries to re-earn a starting position as part of the Georgia Tech football team with one of the best records in the school s history. Now a successful executive and family man, Bracken triumphed over the odds and offers a powerful message of hope, love, forgiveness and gratitude in his inspirational self-help book. The second half of the book offers his transformational 7 Rules for the Road: Desire, Awareness, Meaning, Choice, Love, Change and Gratitude. Professional photographer Kevin Garrett contributed more than 50 images to the book, which comes with a free bonus DVD including an audio book, original soundtrack, book trailer and 7 inspirational videos of Sam discussing his life. The Pulpwood Queens, the largest book club in the world with 3,000+ members, named My Orange Duffel Bag its November 2010 Book Selection. A portion of book sales go to benefit the Orange Duffel Bag Foundation, co-founded by the authors and dedicated to providing life skills education and community connections for youth living in foster care, aging out of foster care, and for homeless youth.