The Other Great Depression

Rating:
Summary: Depressing Yet Hopeful; A Great Book
Review: A book that brutally describes what addiction is like, from the viewpoint of an addict, and how to overcome addiction is "The Other Great Depression". Written by comedian Richard Lewis, we learn how he has overcome three decades of alcohol and drug addiction with seven years of sobriety. His book analyzes how youthful traumas and adult insecurities lead to anxieties, depression, alcohol, and drugs. It was Richard Lewis's realization that his lifestyle was leading towards death and that he wanted to live that enabled him to win his struggle to overcome addicitons and regain his life.
Richard Lewis presents many deep personal thoughts about the pressures of youth, dating, and the entertainment worlds to present his own road to the depths of depression and alcoholism. His description of his struggle to overcome his difficulties, which came from his own realization of his need for survival along with assistance from caring friends and his sprituality, brings encouragement to people seeking to overcome their addictions.
One key point Richard Lewis makes is that addicts are screaming for help, even when they deny they need assistance. All too often, we ignore their pleas, in part because many addicts do not know how to ask for help. Addiction can be helped. It may not be easy. Ignoring the addiction is not the way to provide that help.

Rating:
Summary: Honest, Hilarious, Scary and Ultimately Spiritual
Review: As a recovering alcoholic with 5 years of sobriety under my belt, I can say that Richard Lewis shows a great deal of insight regarding the issues of addiction and recovery. It is unfortunate that one must plow thru so much dross to uncover the gems.

I think the book would have been much stronger if he had focused on his alcoholism and his success with it. I understand that there is a strong need for honesty in recovery; however, I would have preferred he address his sexual addiction and his eating disorder by simply saying that he is still struggling with them and hopes someday to write of his success with them.

Because he did not list his acknowledgements until the end, I read thru the whole book wondering if he had simply typed it up himself, run a spell-check on it, and bundled it off to the publisher with the instructions, "Don't change a comma!!" So I have to agree with an earlier reviewer who stated that the book needs a good editing. It's unfortunate that it did not get this treatment. It is a good book. With strong editing, it could have been a great book.

I do look forward to hearing of Richard's continuing success in the future.

Rating:
Summary: This should have been TWO books!
Review: As a recovering alcoholic with 5 years of sobriety under my belt, I can say that Richard Lewis shows a great deal of insight regarding the issues of addiction and recovery. It is unfortunate that one must plow thru so much dross to uncover the gems.

I think the book would have been much stronger if he had focused on his alcoholism and his success with it. I understand that there is a strong need for honesty in recovery; however, I would have preferred he address his sexual addiction and his eating disorder by simply saying that he is still struggling with them and hopes someday to write of his success with them.

Because he did not list his acknowledgements until the end, I read thru the whole book wondering if he had simply typed it up himself, run a spell-check on it, and bundled it off to the publisher with the instructions, "Don't change a comma!!" So I have to agree with an earlier reviewer who stated that the book needs a good editing. It's unfortunate that it did not get this treatment. It is a good book. With strong editing, it could have been a great book.

I do look forward to hearing of Richard's continuing success in the future.

Rating:
Summary: depressing
Review: I love Richard Lewis, but this book was actually ... depressing. I had to stop reading and just skim the rest. It was repetitious. I never really understood what pain of his childhood he was trying to escape by drinking. I think some editor should have fixed the tone to make it either funnier or more-serious-and-readable. It was too shticky to be meaningful, but too serious to be funny.

Rating:
Summary: Painful, shocking......a soul stripped bare.
Review: I would personally like to hit Mr. Lewis on the head for his three year romance with one of the greatest fantasy figures of the seventies, Baronss Nina van Pallandt. If you were a teenage or adult male at that time, you were reduced to jelly by her picture. You knew she was not for mere mortals but for billionaire mega studs in Cannes, or on the Riviera.
So who gets her? A shleppy Jewish standup comic from NY, whose father was, and this is so perfect, and so very Jewish, a caterer.
As a barmitzvah bandleader, I have spent many years fighting, working with, and plotting the forceful overthrow of many Jewish caterers. Not one of whose children ever dated anyone faintly resembling Nina van Pallandt.
Let me say this. Being a standup comedien is one of the most difficult jobs there is. Mr. Lewis succeeded admirably, and yet his personal demons, or many would say his progammed genes, and the chemical constuct of his body resulted in a breakdown fueled by drugs and alchohol. The scenario is familiar and Mr. Lewis tells it well. My vocabulary contains many of the profanities used by Mr. Lewis, but I think it was a wrong decision to use them this liberally. Mr. Lewis describes his father as the Lee J. Cobb waterfront union leader in "On the Waterfront". You know how the longshoremen speak. The only profanity in the movie was when Brando said to Karl Malden, the priest, "You go to hell". That's it. Not bad for one of the greatest movies ever made.
My life has paralleld Mr. Lewis. It's a war with no armistace, and he seems to be doing well, and I wish him well. Those who like the book may want to see "Drunks", a pretty good movie starring Mr. Lewis, and the late Howard Rollins.

Rating:
Summary: Applause for Lewis!
Review: Lewis does a great job describing the insanity of his addiction and the depths in which it can take a person. I give him a lot of credit to be as bold as he was. Lewis writes of issues, episodes, and obsessions that might be harshly criticized by anyone, but to another alcoholic/addict, these events are all too real. Lewis doesn't hold anything back -- his humor and neurotic personality give this book layers of dynamic energy. Addicted or not, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants or needs to know about the perverse, insidious nature of addiction. Lewis has the strength to discover himself, the courage to face his addiction, and the candor to give it a voice. We can all learn from this intriguing and provocative story. To Lewis I say -- keep working it baby 'cause you're worth it! One day at a time.

Rating:
Summary: Save Your Time (and money)
Review: Reading Mr. Lewis' book was like having a private and meaningful 12-step meeting with him. Yes, there was profanity, yes, there was some stuff about women that made the hairs on my neck stand up and yes, he was a sick and dysfunctional puppy, but Mr. Lewis' story echoes the stories heard in "the rooms" and his thought processes may strike a chord with others who suffer from the disease of alcoholism. Speaking from experience, the lives of suffering alcoholics are never pretty so be prepared for some embarrassing, pitiful and demoralizing scenarios. His brutal self assessment and rigorous honesty are very impressive.

In the end, Mr. Lewis' story shows that the disease of alcoholism is a terrible war fought within the confines of one's mind and spirit, persistently threatening to destroy one's physical being. His strength, on a day to day basis, to be victorious over this killer is encouraging. By staying sober, his hope to be the person he was meant be, is slowly, but triumphantly, realized in the progress he's made towards this goal. Thank you, Mr. Lewis.

Rating:
Summary: Proud to be in Recovery!
Review: Richard Lewis might have problems with women and intimacy and God knows everything under the sun but the way he writes about his newfound spirituality after becoming part of the recovery community made me feel a lot less alone. The book is really cool and a quick read and I was astounded at how well he writes only knowing him from his comedy but his brutal honesty and ultimate day-to-day battle to stay sober has certainly made my own recovery something even more to be proud of. This is quite a book for anyone with the "quiet fear" of having all sorts of addictions and should give lots of people courage to change their lives. I think I have quite a few people to send this book to anonymously. Shh! Don't tell anybody. Bravo, Mr.Lewis!