A Million Little Pieces Should be Ripped into a Million Little Pieces

Good Morning Bloggers!

Before I get into my main topic, I'd like to say that I finally found a decent morning show. This morning I steered clear of Good Morning America, and tried a new one: Today. Although it still wasn't chalked full of political news (thank goodness, as too much of that crap sends my brain into overload), it did encompass a sufficient amount of it before launching into lighter headlines. There were two that interested me more than the others. The first was a short segment discussing the possibility that dogs may some day be used in detecting cancer in humans by smelling their breath. They even had some truly compelling research to support this notion. In almost 90% of test studies, dogs had REALLY been able to smell several breath samples (don't ask me how they got it into those containers)and detect which one belonged to that of the cancer patient. WOW!! I will be interested in seeing this research progress.

"A Million Little Pieces" (of Crap)
Now--for the second topic that interested me and proof of my BIG mistake! I fell for it, just as millions of other people around the world. I fell into the "Oprah Trap"! Oh-I am so embarrassed to admit it. Just how I feel about Oprah and her show (my opinions between the those two entities lie on opposite ends of the spectrums, a topic to be discussed at a later date) I will refrain from at this point, at least directly. However, as an avid reader, I was recently attracted to a book that she'd spend considerable time promoting. She even went as far as to spend a large part of another show interviewing her "entire staff" about how great this book was. Long story short: they were all riveted, moved to tears at times, an so intensely committed to reading this book that they did not put it down from the time they read the first page until they had read the last word. What book lover couldn't be intrigued, right? I mean, hey, Oprah herself said she'd stayed up ALL night reading this inspiring book.

Well, the first time I called BAM, a day or two after A Million Little Pieces and its author were the premiere feature (as it had been talked about several days ahead of time), not surprisingly, they were sold out. A week or two later they were completely re-stocked and I spent ten hard earned dollars on that book. I jumped into the book right away, hardly able to get home before I wanted to get right into this book. Let's just say that I won't bore you with the horrible details of this crappy book. I don't think it even had a SINGLE quotation mark around any of the dialogue, making it difficult to know when someone was speaking and who that was. However, I could excuse this foe pa, had it not been for the fact that I hated the main character--he was an ass who took ungrateful advantage of all that was freely offered or given to him. Because I'd seen him on Oprah, I could put a face to the author who was spilling out his memoir right before my eyes, and I guess that made it a little more personal to me. I won't say that there weren't some interesting parts to this book, but I also won't pretend that I didn't skim through some of the paragraphs and paragraphs of seemingly self-gloating details about how he overcame this pain (caused indirectly by his own addictions to drug and alcohol). Apparently Oprah ate up this great perseverance when all the odds were against him, but I found him to arrogant, pompous, and as a person perceiving himself above the help offered to him.
He painted a picture of himself as a person who didn't need a twelve step program or the help of any person affiliated with the top clinic HIS PARENTS paid to send him to. He only needed his own will and some twisted alliances with other loyal degenerates (patients of the clinic) to pull him through. Oh, what a hero he is! This jackass has the gall to act as if the Center itself, nor his parents, family (and by the way--his family is normal, providing every opportunity for him, yet not creating the over privileged environment that often lead children wayward) or "outside" friends, who supported him regardless of all the nasty, horrible things he'd done to them in the past---had nothing to do with his recuperation.
The whole time I was reading this book, I was frustrated with this character, and if there was ever a book that I would have quit reading, it would have been this one--but I can read about anything. However, Oprah suggested that if addiction has ever affected you or anyone you know (and who doesn't know someone), READ THIS BOOK! Well--shame on her. All this book does is support the resistance to twelve step programs that are so successful with most people that really do overcome addiction, AND perhaps most offensive, the ideas of the agnostic. Neither of these ideas are ones that I want instilled in my loved one that may be suffering from an addiction (even if he did do it this way--most would fail). The author of this book constantly cursed a God that he refuses to believe to exists (which in itself is ironic)---and even goes so far to write words before God's name, that I couldn't bring myself to quote either in print or vocally.
This book isn't worth the paper it's printed on and I shouldn't be wasting my time writing about it, but if only one person doesn't read this blasphemous book because of this review--then my job here is done. And further more, it is a shame that Oprah is using her power of popularity to promote such a poor (to put it kindly) piece of literature.
I know many of you, in this blog, may not be novel readers or Oprah watchers--so in this respect--you are the lucky ones, but if you know someone contemplating reading this book because of its sudden fame, let them read this so that they may be persuaded to reconsider. It's to late for me, I have already been trapped, but it may not be too late for your loved ones (okay, that's a little melodramatic).
And if it is the power of such a riveting autobiography that compels them, well as was reported on the Today show and CNN on Larry King, apparently there is a great controversy surrounding the authenticity of the book in the first place. Apparently the author "took liberties" in the details of this book--perhaps dealing with the extremity of his addition and the crimes for which he'd been charged. Therefore, since the book itself is crappy, and the authenticity of this man's experiences can't be trusted--why read it. Don't be trapped by Oprah or the controversial media coverage this book is getting! Don't support the ideas this book represents.
I hope all has a great day!
Ladybird