"Sounding for Cool is a story about self-transformation, about growing up on one's own as a product of contemporary America, and about how to become not just a man, but a contributing adult in society. Donald Morrill presents the day-to-day lives of seven young men, (white, black, Hispanic, immigrant, poor, middle-class, thick-headed, and smart) who for various reasons have become homeless.

Placed in a Transitional Living Program (TLP) facility by the courts, these men must learn to navigate in the world of "normal" values and reasonable rules. Streetwise and callow, trained to seek shortcuts or to make excuses, they struggle with the structures and assumptions inherent in living a law-abiding, bill-paying life. While sorting out their souls, they learn how to connect with others."--BOOK JACKET.