The beginning of the book shows a young Chris Gardner, author of the book, ready to start adulthood.   Even though he does not have a medical degree, his years in the army help him get many higher up jobs in medical research.  But when he finds out his girlfriend Jackie is pregnant, he has to look for a better paying job.  He looks and looks but he can not find a job.  Jackie leaves with his son, Christopher, until Chris can get his life together. He sees a rich stockbroker and decides that he can do that job, so he applies for an internship. Jackie willingly gives Christopher to Chris since she can not care for him herself. They are homeless for many months, but things look up when he gets a chance to take the broker test for his licence. He passes the broker test, becomes the number one salesman, and Chris and him live a happy life.

Update: I'm currently 259 pages in. This book is a very inspiring book. Chris starts out with nothing, has no idea who his father is, his mother is in jail, and he's living with his aunt and uncle. Then, his mother is out of jail and he moves in with her and his very abusive step father. He has a rough life, being verbally abused and poor, but he is very bright and has high hopes of the future. Then, he graduates high school and enlists in the Air Force. In the Air Force he is an apprentice to a senior doctor in command. His boss decides to move his practice to San Francisco and set up a research lab for Chris to help run. Chris then moves there and ends up marrying his sweetheart. Everything is going well until Chris gets a different woman pregnant. They get a divorce, and Chris moves in with his "mistress." She leaves him and he gets a job as a stock broker. He spends the next year of his life homeless, living paycheck to paycheck... Until next time.

 Chris and Shelly are no longer together. Shelly tried to file abuse reports against him and she takes their son. He is working at the firm and has been making great progressive. He lives in a small housing apartment. He and Shelly went out for coffee after the trail, she dropped all the charges against him. Later on she dropped Christopher off at his apartment. The rules are no children, so they become instantly homeless. There is an organization that the church has to help the homeless, so they stay there if they can get a room on time. If they can't get a room, they sleep at a $10 motel, the park, and on occasion they sleep at the business firm. 

This book is about a young man, Chris Gardner. He is from the slums and comes from a poor family and lives in poverty. In his childhood he is surrounded by abusive drunks. He is even raped later on in life. He moves when he is able and joins the Navy. He is married and happy with his wife, Shelly. He is working at a medical office, training others. He has recently decided he doesn't want to be a doctor.