Sobriety Book, Cooked In LA By Paul Cook…A Book Review

Cooked in LA is a seriously entertaining biography told with lots of humor and honest self evaluation. Author Paul Cook takes you on his captivating journey as a DJ from Minnesota to the star studded land of LA all the while wrestling with his growing struggle with alcoholism and drug addiction.   

Paul Cook comes across as a down to earth guy with a good attitude, although he mingled with the rich and famous he has kept his true self. His style of writing is smart, real, funny and witty but his story of addiction is gravely serious. 

When I read this book, I was continually reminded of how crazy addiction is. Many of the somewhat funny along with the more serious incidents that Paul Cook depicts prove this point. 

The use of alcohol is prevalent throughout Paul Cook’s story, as is the array of drugs, magic mushrooms, ecstasy, prescription drugs and cocaine. The many scenarios range from office cubicle dramas to conversations with famous folk in nightclubs.

 Although this is Paul Cook’s biography, he did not journey alone. His long term girlfriend Jenny is mentioned frequently throughout. Although there is a happy ending for this couple, in the earlier days they partied and used alcohol and drugs together frequently. It was fun in the beginning but as time progressed so did the difficulties. I found this aspect particularly interesting because this is such a common phenomenon that is not always addressed and can cause intense pressure in relationships.

 Throughout the book, Paul Cook does a good job of describing the typical feelings that are common to addicts, he talks freely about the emptiness, self loathing and being uncomfortable in ones own skin that addiction leads to. He talks knowingly of the daily drag of trying to function whilst in such an awful state of need and how nights can start off with that feel good vibe but in his own words “eventually the eternal night ends, which for some is when the sun comes up, and for others it’s when Monday arrives. That’s when the outlook changes dramatically. It’s a lower-than-low reality”

 Ultimately, this is the story of a young man who had ambitions and a dream. How addiction crept up on him quickly in his life. How he struggled to get through each day and how he fought his own demons while becoming a success.

 If you want to get the inside scoop on radio stations, being a DJ in LA, and addiction from the beginning to the end then you will enjoy this journey that has a few good laughs and is easy to empathize with.

 I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was heartfelt, meaningful and inspiring. I also had a teary moment.

 Also, not to take away from the seriousness of this book but it is not hard to stay interested when a story is mainly set in LA with sprinkles of celebrity sightings and tales of what goes on in that crazy town.

I could see this story on the big screen, it should be a movie. I am also particularly interested in the sequel….what happens next for Paul Cook? I would love to know!

Tags: Cooked in LA by Paul Cook, Sobriety Book

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 15th, 2009 at 9:57 pm and is filed under Get Sober. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.