Ed Latimore, a professional in the self-improvement arena, found his own strategy for success, a practical, stoic approach, which he learned through his struggles, from growing up poor to dealing with alcohol problems. Childhood Latimore, 35, grew up in a housing project in Pittsburg where abject poverty and violence were the norm. When he was only 3 years old, he witnessed the murder of another kid in his neighborhood. Every day, as he grew up, he was forced to defend himself. “One of the things I don’t ever remember having was a sense of safety anywhere,” Latimore said. Latimore developed two coping mechanisms that kept him calm, strong, and away from the trouble around him. His first method was playing video games, particularly role-playing games that featured a comprehensive narrative. His favorite game was Final Fantasy. He also read voraciously, and his mother stressed to him the value of books. …