This book presents findings from taped interviews of successful inner-city high school students concerning what their lives were like and what accounted for their success in school. Information is also presented from two additional studies involving their parents and teachers. Chapter 1 explores what the students perceive to be the relationship between success in school and success in the future. Chapter 2 examines how students view male-female relationships. Chapter 3 discusses the students' realization that they can choose which of their peers will be their friends. Chapter 4 explores the nature of family interactions among this population in both nuclear and single-parent families. How they get along with their families is compared with similar relationships involving students with less academic success. Chapter 5 provides a picture of the lives of parents and presents findings on whether student success is based on their influence. Remaining chapters (1) discuss what seems to be the primary self for these students as opposed to their less academically successful peers, (2) examine the impact of the teacher on student success, and (3) explore the various groups students belong to and how they may be influenced by these affiliations. The appendix presents the research methodology. Contains 103 references and an index. (GLR)