There's No Traffic on the Extra Mile: Lessons on the Road from Dreams to Destiny

Minor's motivational wisdom is exactly what you'll find in most books in the genre: accept responsibility for your own choices, he advises; love yourself and “always give people more than they were expecting.” And though he does take readers “backstage” in his role as the music director of American Idol , don't expect any major revelations; the scenes he presents are largely generic, with no names named. The book does pick up some interest when Minor looks back at his career leading up to his TV job, starting with the vocal group he started growing up in Watts through gigs with Gladys Knight and other musicians. In one especially memorable passage, he recounts the resistance that other musicians and network reps offered to Whitney Houston's unorthodox arrangement of “The Star-Spangled Banner” for a Super Bowl appearance; that her performance would go on to set a new standard, he says, is evidence of the power of staying true to your own convictions. Unfortunately, there are not enough of these powerful moments to overcome the platitudes and make Minor's advice truly stand out from the pack. (Jan.)