Why We Suck by Denis Leary, who feels more qualified than Dr. Phil due to the honorary PhD given to him, is full of anger, hate, and advice for America. Leary leaves no stone unturned in his diatribe on what's wrong with America. No topic is too taboo as he attacks celebrities, politicians, jet-pack moms and the media with equal vigor.
He is equally disdainful of parents who let their children become stars, citing Jodie Foster and Ron Howard as the only ones to survive to a relatively normal adulthood with some sort of career intact. He blames doctors and parents for over medicating and over diagnosing rather than disciplining. He talks about his own childhood in a large Irish Catholic family, and how a determination to never hear "no" led to many accomplishments, including being a published poet, successful writer and actor.
His love of his family and wife, after so many years of marriage, ups and downs, and three marriage counselors is clear as he writes. He attributes his well behaved, well rounded children to the wonderful mothering by his wife Ann. He's still goofy in love with his wife, explaining why a born and bred city boy spends his days on the horse farm his wife loves mucking stables and learning to ride, two things he'd never thought about for himself.
Part memoir, part rant, at times funny and poignant, at no times white washed, Leary lets you know how he really feels about stereotypes, Anna-Nicole Smith, the Pope and pedophilia. As a reader, you won't agree with everything he says, won't like most of what he says, but somewhere between the anger, the bald truth, and a strangely out of character worshipping of Oprah, everyone can find something they agree with and appreciate the honesty he's willing to display.
No comments:
Post a Comment