Professional Idiot Book Review: Insanely Entertaining Memoir From The Balls Of Steve-O
Reading the Professional Idiot (Book number 5) by Steve-O (Steve Glover in real life) “hurts like a motherfucker” but in the best possible sort. You do not have to be a fan of Jackass to enjoy this one. It is massive entertainment, you’d be naked and you won’t even know it. 
This book is pretty much a rock star’s memoir – fame, sex, drugs, insanity and all – minus the music. Professional Idiot chronicles the addiction that is the life of Steve-O in a brutally honest but totally charming, really hilarious way.
If you think about it, the story of Steve-O has all the makings of a cheesy and preachy conversion story: from riches to rags to riches again, suffocating in fame, turning to substance and celebrity addiction, and finally snapping out of it. But instead of being mushy, the memoir chronicled everything in a very cool, easy to read way, without implying or remotely rationalizing that what Steve-O did was acceptable. The way the controversy is handled is similar to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, only this is 100 times more entertaining, more grown up, and real.
It is amazing how the book dealt with some of the darkest things in life in a factual but funny manner. Maybe it has got to do with Steve-O being a canon ball, having a blast in the middle of all the lunacy he’s doing, but the tone of the book is always up there even when the facts of what is truly happening are hell. 
For sure there are tons out there who think Steve-O is just a “truly messed up son of a bitch, drug-addled, attention seeking whore, harboring on bat shit insane“, and they are probably right, but amidst the story you would also find the other half of Steve-O which is a determined, committed, sweet, smart, and funny guy willing to submit himself to torture just to make other people laugh. He may not have bet his strengths on the right places all the time but they are there.
Professional Idiot is also an eye opener on substance abuse – addiction is a symptom, not the cause – and those quick to judge are not even aware of that. 
There is something deeper triggering it, and in the case of Steve-O, a family life doomed at the get go. This is also a strong reminder on the importance of sound parenting, and having great friends like Johnny Knoxville and Jeff Tremaine, who loved him enough to care to throw him to the loony bin just to keep him alive.
The end part of the Professional Idiot is awesome. The epiphany is simple, very honest, totally cool, and hopeful. How can you argue with a life goal “to channel my obsessive behavior toward things that won’t hurt me or anyone else: sobriety, veganism, my dogs, my family, being of service to others, and of course, Internet porn“?
Professional Idiot is a kick ass memoir that is a trip to hell and back up. For all it is worth, Steve-O totally makes sobriety rad and with his sex appeal, very hot too.
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On the photo: My copy of the kindle version of Professional Idiot printed out given to me by My Man on my messy desk.
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February 2, 2012 at 9:06 am
who would have thought that steve-o would be a published author one day?
hehe
raft3r
January 22, 2012 at 11:00 am
i like him. he is cool.
PM
January 24, 2012 at 2:40 pm
i like your desk hehehe
dan
January 18, 2012 at 11:40 am
i try not to let a lot of light reach it for it might spontaneously combust
PM
January 18, 2012 at 6:33 pm
16 days into 2012 and you’ve already read 5 books? Way to go PM!
aylablahs
January 16, 2012 at 11:44 pm
malapit ko na matapos yung one year’s worth of books ayla
PM
January 17, 2012 at 10:34 am
same with gibo, di ko natatapos yung isang book na binabasa ko. isama ko yan sa ebook ko. hehe
ahmer
January 16, 2012 at 4:03 pm
it’s nice, go for the gold!
PM
January 16, 2012 at 8:18 pm
Wow. Wanna read this. Thanks for sharing Miss PM.
Alla Francois
January 16, 2012 at 2:35 pm
good read alla, enjoy!
PM
January 16, 2012 at 8:18 pm
Hmmm, hindi pang akin ang book na ito. more on romance naman kasi ako, haha.
Liz
January 16, 2012 at 12:46 pm
i read the notebook liz, i am guessing you have read that already. kg mentioned a nice book, i think it falls under romance too. it is like water to chocolate. i looked it up. it is intriguing.
PM
January 16, 2012 at 1:49 pm
pm, will you do me a favor? could you please infect me to have extra energy to read?
i so envy you.
docgelo
January 16, 2012 at 12:46 pm
i wish i had a bibliophile virus going on for me docgelo but really i just read because i want to and i finish books because i like them, that’s all.
PM
January 16, 2012 at 1:50 pm
ambilis bilis mo namang magbasa… five is to one book na ata ang lamang mo sa kin, hahaha.
LJ
January 16, 2012 at 5:01 am
okay lang yan, let’s just keep going
PM
January 16, 2012 at 8:47 am
wow! thanks for the information. i am now downloading the ebook.
by the way, have you read tuckermax? he is my idol (in terms of kalokohan not the alcohol part). http://www.tuckermax.com. his first book was bought here in the US kasi di pa sya kilala sa atin sa pinas dati. when the second book came out, bumili agad ako kahit na pagkamahal mahal dahil hardbound sya. there was also a movie created based on just few chapters of his first book. that’s how awesome he is.
apollo
January 15, 2012 at 11:37 pm
idk who is tuckermax but i will check him out. jackass din ang dating nya? yung kay steve-o may hardbound din yan eh, imagine
PM
January 16, 2012 at 8:47 am
are you going for one book a week? i thought you were going for one book a month? hehe!
KG
January 15, 2012 at 5:20 pm
haha i answered your question in my last book review kg
PM
January 15, 2012 at 5:55 pm
i don’t remember reading anything about that! how come? must be getting old! hehe!
ako naman just finished Like Water for Chocolate. It was a fun read. I’m on the lookout for the next book to read. times like these, i wish there were a decent library around…
KG
January 16, 2012 at 8:53 am
sa comments lang kg, diba you asked me about this last time also
that sounds like an interesting read. i will look it up and maybe get a copy. dito din walang library so i purchase the books i read. medyo magastos nga eh pero oks lang madami naman napupulot sa mga nababasa.
PM
January 16, 2012 at 11:37 am
ha ha! tumatanda na talaga!
try to read it PM. perhaps you can look for a summary or synopsis online so you can see if you think you will like it.
KG
January 18, 2012 at 6:32 am
when you mentioned it i searched for it and it looked interesting. i will get a copy soon kg and tell you how it’s like from the cat viewpoint
the teaser looked nice, but i am worried about the “magical” bits. i once read the girl who chased the moon and the magical bits were out of place.
PM
January 18, 2012 at 8:41 am
naiinggit ako sayo ang dami mong nababasa, habang ako, can’t finish one book.
i’m pathetic.
gillboard
January 15, 2012 at 2:02 pm
i’m pathetic with movies. it’s not as great as it looks anyway.
PM
January 15, 2012 at 5:55 pm