I picked up "Surviving Life as a Dumbass" hoping to be inspired by the author’s story. After all, the description of the story is that of a man who battles back from alcoholism and helps others make changes in their own lives. Instead, I read the story of a man who spent most of the book practically bragging about all he got away with in various countries while drunk. While his tone was not outwardly bragging, and he did insert the requisite "I’m sorry" factor after telling of yet another fight or yet another time he got behind the wheel of a car beyond intoxicated, this man was a career alcoholic and seems to get some sort of pleasure out of shocking people with his stories. Beyond the shock value to the reader, throughout the book he uses past experiences to threaten or intimidate people when he finds it necessary. He clearly thinks of himself as a "bad ass" rather than the "dumbass" he calls himself countless times throughout the book.
I have one issue with the title and that is while "dumbass" is not the worst word out there, many readers may have kids around and do not want this word visible on a book lying around the house. That immediately relegates this book to be hidden or worse, not even purchased for that very reason. And while on the topic of the word, be aware the author does not use it merely in the title to prove a point. Rather, he uses it over and over again within the book to describe himself. First it was a mere annoyance; soon it became so grating that I nearly put the book down after reading about yet another "dumbass" move. I think that the reader is intelligent enough to figure out this guy is a drunken idiot without him having to so clearly keep shoving that point in our faces.
In this day and age, the genre "memoir" is fluid and I admit to wondering just how much of most memoirs are true. It is even harder to believe the stories of a man who was drunk most of his life. While he did put a disclaimer in the beginning, I still felt most of this was bloated in his favor to make himself seem less of a danger to the world and more entertaining.
Mr. Webster does deserve some credit for battling the alcoholism, but I would like to point out that, like most addicts, rather than deal with the true issue, he simply traded one addiction for another. While martial arts is an admirable way to go, I do not think this man has any right trying to help others or tell them what to do with their lives when it seemed so clear to me that he still doesn’t have his own head on straight. He seems to see himself as some sort of savior to those in need, throwing around money and advice. That attitude is a huge turn off and not one that I want to tolerate.
In the end, I could not give "Surviving Life as a Dumbass" by Michael E. Webster less than four stars because it was interesting and well written. If you want a read that is simply a bunch of drunken recollections from the Navy, this is a good book for that. If you want some sort of true-life inspiration, keep looking because this is not that kind of book.
Surviving Life as a Dumbass: It Doesn’t Have To Be a Life Sentence
Michael E. Webster
iUniverse (2008)
ISBN 9780595470785
Reviewed by Danielle Feliciano for Reader Views (1/09)
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