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Written by Laura Hamlett Monday, 08 September 2008 06:48

Everybody's got their stories, right?

If you read the New York Times, you're undoubtedly familiar with David Carr, reporter and columnist. You're also probably shocked at the recent revelation that Carr was once a grimy, grubby crack addict. But then, everybody's got their stories, right?

Carr's tale is one of sadness, horror, depravity. In the midst of his drug binge (which lasted years, mind you), he becomes a father of twin girls...and yet he continues his depraved ways, putting the lives of his children in danger on more than one occasion.

Yet this is not a mere straightforward tale of abuse and redemption; it is, rather, a reporter's tale of abuse and redemption. Carr sets out to interview anyone and everyone associated with his crack-fueled years, to get their impressions of what really happened when. It's noteworthy that he doesn't trust his own judgment, clouded as it was in a haze of pharmaceuticals. It's also a bit tedious, this reporter's instinct to get to the bottom of the story. Really, does it matter? Do the many points of view of past events play any role in Carr's story of rags to riches (so to speak)?

The book is an engaging read to be sure; everyone likes a good down-and-out story from time to time. But throughout, you get the feeling Carr is writing it more for his own benefit than for his audience's, causing the reader to turn the last page feeling a little cheated. | Laura Hamlett