Frey relates his stay in a drug/alcohol rehabilitation center with flashbacks of his past to fill in the gaps. The listener follows Frey as he goes through the hoops trying to salvage his life.

The regimen for recovering from addiction is well documented, but the fact that, at best, only seventeen percent are able to stay sober after leaving the clinic is discouraging.

Some of the scenes will disturb and some will restore the listener's faith in goodness of mankind. The scene where Frey goes through dental surgery without any drugs is so graphic that, quite frankly, I skipped ahead after half the procedures were finished.

The most satisfying and yet most heart-wrenching scenes revolve around James and his parents as they try to come to terms with the situation. These scenes illustrate graphically the hold that drugs can have on the human body.

The staff, all of whom are recovering addicts, and the other inmates are all troubled souls but the listener sees the human side of each.

What happens to Frey between his release from the clinic to the present is another story. But since this is a memoir and he has been sober for nine years, we know he made it. Thank God.

If you aren't repulsed by the constant use of the "f" word and can be sympathetic with these people, this would be a place to start listening to some of your reading material.

Wyman's reading is superb.