Beautiful Boy (Tie-In): A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction

Amazon.com Review \*\*Amazon Best of the Month, February 2008\*\*: From as early as grade school, the world seemed to be on Nic Sheff's string. Bright and athletic, he excelled in any setting and appeared destined for greatness. Yet as childhood exuberance faded into teenage angst, the precocious boy found himself going down a much different path. Seduced by the illicit world of drugs and alcohol, he quickly found himself caught in the clutches of addiction. \*Beautiful Boy\* is Nic's story, but from the perspective of his father, David. Achingly honest, it chronicles the betrayal, pain, and terrifying question marks that haunt the loved ones of an addict. Many respond to addiction with a painful oath of silence, but David Sheff opens up personal wounds to reinforce that it is a disease, and must be treated as such. Most importantly, his journey provides those in similar situations with a commodity that they can never lose: hope \*--Dave Callanan\* From Publishers Weekly Expanding on his New York Times Magazine article, Sheff chronicles his son's downward spiral into addiction and the impact on him and his family. A bright, capable teenager, Nic began trying mind- and mood-altering substances when he was 17. In months, use became abuse, then abuse became addiction. By the time Sheff knew of his son's condition, Nic was strung out on meth, the highly potent stimulant. While his son struggles to get clean, his second wife and two younger children are pulled helplessly into the drama. Sheff, as the parent of an addict, cycles through denial and acceptance and resistance. The author was already a journalist of considerable standing when this painful story began to unfold, and his impulse for detail serves him personally as well as professionally: there are hard, solid facts about meth and the kinds of havoc it wreaks on individuals, families and communities both urban and rural. His journey is long and harrowing, but Sheff does not spare himself or anyone else from keen professional scrutiny any more than he was himself spared the pains—and joys—of watching a loved one struggling with addiction and recovery. Real recovery creates—and can itself be—its own reward; this is an honest, hopeful book, coming at a propitious moment in the meth epidemic. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

what Had Happened To My Beautiful Boy? To Our Family? What Did I Do Wrong? Those Are The Wrenching Questions That Haunted Every Moment Of David Sheff’s Journey Through His Son Nic’s Addiction To Drugs And Tentative Steps Toward Recovery. Before Nic Sheff Became Addicted To Crystal Meth, He Was A Charming Boy, Joyous And Funny, A Varsity Athlete And Honor Student Adored By His Two Younger Siblings. After Meth, He Was A Trembling Wraith Who Lied, Stole, And Lived On The Streets. David Sheff Traces The First Subtle Warning Signs: The Denial, The 3 A.m. Phone Calls (is It Nic? The Police? The Hospital?), The Rehabs. His Preoccupation With Nic Became An Addiction In Itself, And The Obsessive Worry And Stress Took A Tremendous Toll. But As A Journalist, He Instinctively Researched Every Avenue Of Treatment That Might Save His Son And Refused To Give Up On Nic.
beautiful Boy Is A Fiercely Candid Memoir That Brings Immediacy To The Emotional Rollercoaster Of Loving A Child Who Seems Beyond Help.

The Barnes & Noble Review

Private Faces In Public Places / Are Wiser And Nicer Than Public Faces In Private Places, W.
h. Auden Famously Noted. We Live In A Public Age, Alas, In Which Our Portal To A Fellow Creature's Suffering Is As Accessible As A Youtube Keystroke. And Yet The Exchange Between Public And Private Remains Uneasy Despite That Accessibility, As David Sheff's Book Poignantly Makes Clear.

#1 New York Times bestseller With a new afterword Now a Major Motion Picture Starring Steve Carell * Timothée Chalamet * Maura Tierney * and Amy Ryan “A brilliant, harrowing, heartbreaking, fascinating story, full of beautiful moments and hard-won wisdom. This book will save a lot of lives and heal a lot of hearts.” — Anne Lamott “‘When one of us tells the truth, he makes it easier for all of us to open our hearts to our own pain and that of others.’ That’s ultimately what Beautiful Boy is about: truth and healing.” — Mary Pipher, author of Reviving Ophelia What had happened to my beautiful boy? To our family? What did I do wrong? Those are the wrenching questions that haunted David Sheff’s journey through his son Nic’s addiction to drugs and tentative steps toward recovery. Before Nic became addicted to crystal meth, he was a charming boy, joyous and funny, a varsity athlete and honor student adored by his two younger siblings. After meth, he was a trembling wraith who lied, stole, and lived on the streets. David Sheff traces the first warning signs: the denial, the three a.m. phone calls—is it Nic? the police? the hospital? His preoccupation with Nic became an addiction in itself. But as a journalist, he instinctively researched every treatment that might save his son. And he refused to give up on Nic. “Filled with compelling anecdotes and important insights . . . An eye-opening memoir.” — Washington Post #1 New York Times bestseller With a New Afterword“A brilliant, harrowing, heartbreaking, fascinating story, full of beautiful moments and hard-won wisdom. This book will save a lot of lives and heal a lot of hearts.” — Anne LamottWhat had happened to my beautiful boy? To our family? What did I do wrong? Those are the wrenching questions that haunted David Sheff's journey through his son Nic's addiction to drugs and tentative steps toward recovery. Before Nic became addicted to crystal meth, he was a charming boy, joyous and funny, a varsity athlete and honor student adored by his two younger siblings. After meth, he was a trembling wraith who lied, stole, and lived on the streets. David Sheff traces the first warning signs: the denial, the three a.m. phone calls—is it Nic? the police? the hospital? His preoccupation with Nic became an addiction in itself. But as a journalist, he instinctively researched every treatment that might save his son. And he refused to give up on Nic. “‘When one of us tells the truth, he makes it easier for all of us to open our hearts to our own pain and that of others.'That's ultimately what Beautiful Boy is about: truth and healing.” — Mary Pipher, author of Reviving Ophelia “Filled with compelling anecdotes and important insights... An eye-opening memoir.” — Washington Post What had happened to my beautiful boy? To our family? What did I do wrong? Those are the wrenching questions that haunted every moment of David Sheff’s journey through his son Nic’s addiction to drugs and tentative steps toward recovery. Before Nic Sheff became addicted to crystal meth, he was a charming boy, joyous and funny, a varsity athlete and honor student adored by his two younger siblings. After meth, he was a trembling wraith who lied, stole, and lived on the streets. David Sheff traces the first subtle warning signs: the denial, the 3 A.M. phone calls (is it Nic? The police? The hospital?), the rehabs. His preoccupation with Nic became an addiction in itself, and the obsessive worry and stress took a tremendous toll, but as a journalist, he instinctively researched every avenue of treatment that might save his son and refused to give up on him. Beautiful Boy is a fiercely candid memoir that brings immediacy to the emotional roller coaster of loving a child who seems beyond help. What had happened to my beautiful boy' To our family' What did I do wrong' Those are the wrenching questions that haunted every moment of David Sheff's journey through his son Nic's addiction to drugs and tentative steps toward recovery. Before Nic Sheff became addicted to crystal meth, he was a charming boy, joyous and funny, a varsity athlete and honor student adored by his two younger siblings. After meth, he was a trembling wraith who lied, stole, and lived on the streets. David Sheff traces the first subtle warning signs: the denial, the 3 A.M. phone calls (is it Nic' the police' the hospital'), the rehabs. His preoccupation with Nic became an addiction in itself, and the obsessive worry and stress took a tremendous toll. But as a journalist, he instinctively researched every avenue of treatment that might save his son and refused to give up on Nic. Beautiful Boy is a fiercely candid memoir that brings immediacy to the emotional rollercoaster of loving a child who seems beyond help "What had happened to my beautiful boy? To our family? What did I do wrong? Those are the wrenching questions that haunted David Sheff's journey through his son Nic's addiction to drugs and tentative steps toward recovery. Before Nic became addicted to crystal meth, he was a charming boy, joyous and funny, a varsity athlete and honor student adored by his two younger siblings. After meth, he was a trembling wraith who lied, stole, and lived on the streets. David Sheff traces the first warning signs: the denial, the three a.m. phone calls--is it Nic? the police? the hospital? His preoccupation with Nic became an addiction in itself. But as a journalist, he instinctively researched every treatment that might save his son. And he refused to give up on Nic."--Back cover "Before Nic Sheff became addicted to crystal meth, he was a charming boy, joyous and funny, a varsity athlete and honor student adored by his two younger siblings. After meth, he was a trembling wraith who lied, stole, and lived on the streets. David Sheff traces the first warning signs: the denial, the three a.m. phone calls--is it Nic? the police? the hospital? His preoccupation with Nic became an addiction in itself, and the obsessive worry and stress took a tremendous toll. But as a journalist, he instinctively researched every avenue of treatment that might save his son and refused to give up on Nic. Beautiful boy is a fiercely candid memoir that brings immediacy to the emotional rollercoaster of loving a child who seems beyond help"--Page 4 of cover From As Early As Grade School, The World Seemed To Be On Nic Sheff's String. Bright And Athletic, He Excelled In Any Setting And Appeared Destined For Greatness. Yet As Childhood Exuberance Faded Into Teenage Angst, The Precocious Boy Found Himself Going Down A Much Different Path. Seduced By The Illicit World Of Drugs And Alcohol, He Quickly Found Himself Caught In The Clutches Of Addiction. Beautiful Boy Is Nic's Story, But From The Perspective Of His Father, David.--from Amzon.com. Stay Up Late -- His Drug Of Choice -- Whatever -- If Only -- Never Any Knowing -- Epilogue. David Sheff. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 321-324). The story of one teenager's descent into methamphetamine addiction is told from his father's point of view, describing how a varsity athlete and honor student became addicted to the dangerous drug and its impact on his family. Tying In To The Release Of The Feature Film Starring Steve Carell And Timothee Chalamet, A Timeless Tale Of Addiction, Healing, And Family, With A New Afterword By The Author.