Like any great memoir, the writing of this book took extreme amounts of courage. You have to have skin like Superman to expose everything that you dealt with over the course of your life. That this author managed to rise up out of the ashes of his life and become something is tantamount to incredible. The horrific acts against him at age eight only added to the destruction of his young life that was first brought about by his mother. Unfortunately, for the author, that destruction of his self continued long after he was eight.


This book really works as a kind of self-help guide. If you are rolling through your life thinking ‘boy, I have it bad and never get any breaks’ – read this book. That this author lived that life and came out the other side with positive accomplishments means a lot. I believe reading this book will allow every person with issues to put them into proper perspective and make something of themselves.


The author truly represents himself on every page of this work. That is commendable but it does come with some consequences. I consider myself well-read but I was lost not once, but more than thirty times by the use of a word or phrase I had never heard of. It is unfortunate but that could impact the book reaching the audience size it deserves.


Powerful, insightful and inspiring. This book is a shining example of the indomitable nature of the human spirit. You can be kicked and kicked and stomped but you can still stand up in the end.


My Rating: 4.5 stars