I have been sober since April 15, 2003. This book reflects the diary that I kept in my first year of recovery. I share it with those who struggled as I did to stay sober in my first year.
I've read Jeff's book - and it was amazing. I read it in one
sitting. GET IT. Jeffrey Taylor, author and millionaire
entrepreneur, found hope and achieved financial success after a
near-death experience from alcohol abuse. He excites audiences
with stories that show anyone can recover from the devastating
effects of alcohol addiction while achieving financial security.
He faced his demons and won the battle, ultimately becoming a
huge business success story that made him a millionaire in the
process! Jeffrey shares meaningful messages to both radio and TV
audiences and is often asked back due to listener and viewer
feedback. His life experiences lend authenticity to his books,
making him a fascinating guest embraced by audiences everywhere.
Excerpt
Where do I begin? It’s hard to remember. I know I’ve blocked out a lot. My therapist tells me that I do not want to remember because it hurts too much.
I was born in 1951, and my sister was born in 1953. We grew up in a New Jersey suburb made up mostly of Jewish families. I remember Dad telling me that he changed our family name because he thought people discriminated against Jews.
In order to prove himself, Dad raised money from his Wall Street friends and built one of our town’s first temples to accommodate the Jews moving out of Newark. As they escaped “urban” flight, they would find a brand new temple and be introduced to my father. He made a lot of new friends who would eventually become his clients.
I remember having to attend Hebrew school after regular school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-6 and on Sunday mornings from 9-11. I felt isolated from the rest of the public school children and could not understand why I needed to learn Jewish history, culture, and language. The building was always cold during the winter and hot during the summer. I had to walk about ¾ of a mile to and from school. I hated myself and gorged on chocolate cookies, cakes, and pies.
I had to go to temple on the two holiest days—Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur—and had to fast for an entire day. I saw a lot of people in temple who never were there at any other time of the year. I used to call them “2-day Jews.”
When I was 9 years old, I went to a Jewish summer camp in Pennsylvania. I remember having to write to my parents and then wait anxiously for a postcard from a new and distant city. My parents went to Europe on vacation, show up on Visiting Day, and shower me with presents from all over the world.
When I was 11 years old, Dad asked me to go on a trip with him. I remember sitting with my face glued to the left window as the pilot turned on the twin propellers. We flew to Detroit to pack up Grandma’s household goods and ship them back East. I remember meeting Grandma a few times but not really getting to know her. Later that year, Grandma died. I remember Dad telling me to wear sunglasses at her funeral. He told me that “gentlemen” do not cry, especially in front of family and business people.
In order to get closer to Grandma, I started to play her piano. I remember practicing the piano during television commercials (I used to watch a lot of TV and get fat). I would then fake out my piano teacher by telling him that I had practiced for hours. I had enough talent to fake out everyone, including my parents, who were never home. And when they were home, they always yelled at each other.
I won my first piano recital with my own compositions. I beat out other students who were older than me and still remember the applause. I fantasized about being famous, bowing many times like TV performers. Yet I never smiled or looked up at anyone.
I started drinking in 1963, at the age of 12, one year before my Bar Mitzvah. I do not know why. As part of my alcoholic recovery, I have tried to remember first events that have impacted me my entire life. I am now 52 years old, and if I do not figure them out soon, I will probably die a drunk.
Professional Reviews
Review by Peter Shankman
I've read Jeff's book - and it was amazing. I read it in one
sitting. GET IT. Jeffrey Taylor, author and millionaire
entrepreneur, found hope and achieved financial success after a
near-death experience from alcohol abuse. He excites audiences
with stories that show anyone can recover from the devastating
effects of alcohol addiction while achieving financial security.
He faced his demons and won the battle, ultimately becoming a
huge business success story that made him a millionaire in the
process! Jeffrey shares meaningful messages to both radio and TV
audiences and is often asked back due to listener and viewer
feedback. His life experiences lend authenticity to his books,
making him a fascinating guest embraced by audiences everywhere.
Review by Jon Valencia
No pude parar de leer este libro tan pronto como empece. La fuerza de voluntad y la fe siempre son las mejores opciones a seguir.
Interesante y muy personal. Me gusto.
Review by Charles Ashbacher
This is not a pleasant story, although the main character manages to go from being a drunk to a sober and recovering alcoholic. Taylor was an alcoholic from the point he took his first drink when he was twelve.
Although he was successful in business as he was generally a functional alcoholic, his heavy drinking eventually led to problems and to his joining Alcoholics Anonymous.
His path to recovery was not a pleasant one, Taylor was extremely self-centered and it took a long time and many tense situations before his outlook changed enough where he was able to listen to and appreciate the stories of others. Blame is thrown at many people, although eventually Taylor manages to view the situation as it really is.
As you read the story of his recovery, it is clear that there were many points in the process where Taylor could have slipped into relapse and it is likely that it would have killed him. He is often on the edge, yet managed to stay on the right side. It is also clear that not only is every life story of an alcoholic unique, but that also applies to their recovery process. The twelve-step A-A program works, but often in unusual and convoluted ways.
These timeless quotations culled from the celebrated corpus of writings by W.E.B. Du Bois are presented with illuminating introductory essays by Aberjhani. Narration of the Audible book performed by Catherine Byers.
Note: Since my husband's cancer surgery 4/25/05, this book content has been integrated into the public speaking content for audiences interested in a sassy approach to personal and/or community awareness events. Another chapbook on intimate love poet
