Professional Idiot: A Memoir

This book is emotionally as unsettling as some of the stunts Steve-O has done for Jackass. But it’s real, and it’s raw, and it is truly inspirational.I was part of the administration team at Ringling Brothers Clown College when Steve-O attended. I mailed him his acceptance letter. The first time I met him was at a faculty and student get together at the students’ apartments one evening before classes started. His hands were on fire…literally. He jumped down some stairs and smacked the side of the building and left smoky handprints on the wall. (The same party I saw a guy swinging objects from his penis piercing, so Steve-O was in good company.) Over the weeks we spent holed-up in an opera house, I had the joy of getting to know the students personally and have never met a more talented, loving group of people. Steve-O was wonderful with my kids who were two and one at the time. He was sweet, and genuine and he was one of my favorite students. He was crazy and wild, but it was the place for it. I thought he was funny and brilliant. I was surprised that he wasn’t given a contract with the circus, but I was surprised by a lot of the decisions Ringling made that year.I didn’t see Steve-O on drugs, or drunk, during the days, and I felt like I got to see who he really was. He wanted to make people happy, entertain them, and his exuberance for life was, no pun intended, addicting. He was a bright spot and definitely stood out.I lost my brother in 2017 from his addiction with alcohol. He was thirty-three. It’s the most horrible thing I’ve ever gone through in my life and I’m no stranger to trauma. I’ve seen firsthand how hard the struggle to get sober and stay sober can be. My family has a long history of addiction and alcohol abuse and it can be devastating. I’ve been so proud of Steve for getting clean, staying sober and working so hard to be open and honest about his experience.This book lays bare Steve’s experience. From the unbelievable things he did to get drugs, the crazier things he did while on them, and the emotional struggles he had (hidden and broadcasted), they’re all there to make you wonder how he made it out alive. I’m so glad he did.As an editor, I have to remark on the quality of Steve’s writing. The man is a storyteller. The book is written very well, the flow of consciousness and conversation is like you’re sitting down with him and talking to him. It’s extremely personal and sometimes emotional subject matter and it’s written in a way that makes you feel you were on the sidelines watching it happen. I shed more than a few tears at points and felt the passion and struggles. I don’t often read autobiographies, but this one was very interesting. I’d recommend it if you’re recovering, a family member of an addict, or just want to know Steve-O a little better.

Everything you ever wanted to know about a book

First off I have to tell my story. I was listening to a podcast on a Monday that Steve-o was on. He mentioned his book and I knew I was going to be airports for the majority of the day that Wednesday so I thought that would be a good way to pass the time. I made it through almost 250 pages and while in the American lounge in Charlotte the bartender said Steve-o was in the lounge. As I was reading the book!I quietly went over and asked if he would mind signing my copy. He was so pumped to see that I had his book. I felt bad blowing up his spot there while he was relaxing but he was so excited, that guilt went away quickly. Such a crazy cool experience. What was most remarkable was how humble and nice of a person he was during our interaction. He could have easily been annoyed with me or quietly signed my book and sent me on my way, but he insisted that we take a few pictures. Will not forget it!So for the book - I read almost the entire thing in one day. It’s funny, sad, and ultimately a wonderful story of the crazy person we know from Jackass getting his life back from addiction. I would highly recommend to anyone. Well maybe anyone over 18 and not my grandma!

this book is amazing and im barely half-way through it. i love steve-o so much, and this is exactly what i needed in life.

At first I was very skeptical about reading this book, but when it's all said and done Im so glad that I did. It shows the sad life of a very talented young man but also shows that you can overcome anything that life throws your way. Nothing comes easy and can also come with a cost, but it takes a very strong person to realize and openly admit their faults. I applaud and thank Stephen Glover for this.

This is by far the craziest memoir I've ever read. I honestly have no idea how Steve-O managed to survive all of the insanity that was his life.Steve-O is very candid in the book about his ups and downs (and there were plenty of downs), and it makes for a very interesting and entertaining read. I knew virtually nothing about his life outside of the Jackass films, so most of what he reveals was new to me. Highly recommend.

I'm not much of a "reader". I enjoy quick articles in magazines and have the kind of ADD that won't allow me to stick to a story day after day. It usually takes me a month or two to get through a novel and I quickly lose interest.This book, however, I finished in 2 days. I read it every chance I could. It was such an easy read, it was true and honest but not boasting, and Steve-O is right to the point with his stories with just the right amount of details.I learned so much about Steve-O that confirmed that this guy is a genuine good guy.Great book and I would highly recommend this to ANYONE, not just Jackass fans. Kids who have attention problems, kids with a insanely rich dad that is not around all the time, kids with an alcoholic in the family, kids who are constantly moving from place to place, people who can't seem to find others who understand them, people dealing with a dying family member, alcohol and drug addicts could all relate to this book (I could easily go on and on about who could relate to the problems Steve-O was challenged with throughout his whole life).Steve-O's book has a theme of survival in so many situations, but mainly the message that someone could get out of this is the value of perseverance. Believing in yourself when nobody else does. Never giving up on yourself even though things don't work out the first, second, or tenth time.Get this book.

This book is great. If your a steve o fan you will 100% like this book, and if you never really read, it is easy to pick up and keep going. After reading it and become obsessed all things steve o i found out that you could get a signed copy from steveo.com and its not that much more expenseive, so for true fans go there. Steve O is totally rad.

Brilliant! A brutally honest funny and sad biography which makes for good read.Full of funny and shocking stories over the years. The book does seem to pick up pace after 2009. I was surprised to not hear a mention about the death of Ryan Dunn. However in sure there has to be another book Post 2010. I bought this book to read on holiday and I could not put it down. Only took me a few days. I'm now re watching all the Steve o dvds and jackass movies. I really hope he does another book.

Makes for depressing reading most of the time imo. Enjoyed the first half the most which is about his childhood up until his TV breakthrough with jackass as its filled with more interesting stories & much less s about him being constantly strung out on drugs & booze which landed him in a lot of messed up situations where you feel both embarrassed & sorry for to some degree. Its great that he's turned his life around now.

I really enjoyed this memoir. Steve-O offers a 'no holds barred' account of his life and career, that goes beyond his TV persona as 'that crazy guy from 'Jackass'.'It's obvious from reading this memoir, that Steve-O is an intelligent, deep-thinking and sensitive individual. His account of his wild days and addiction, and how he overcame it is inspiring.I highly recommend this book to fans of 'Jackass', and with 'Jackass Forever' releasing next year (at time of writing), now is an ideal time to experience the story of one of it's greatest stars.

I'm a bit bias as I've always loved the Jackass franchise and Wildboyz is one of my favourite TV shows so I was automatically drawn to this more then Bam Margera's Serious As Dog Dirt.I was in now way disappointed. When Steve-O's not completely blootered (and sometimes when he is), he comes across is a really intelligent guy and that's been ignored due to the nature of the job. Especially now he's sober and still managing to do his tricks and be fun.This book is about Steve-O, who was and always will be himself, but also it's about Stephan Glover, someone who ended up on the wrong path but managed to leave it at the same time. He manages to be both optimistic and pessimistic, hopeful but worried.My favourite parts are when he speaks about Chris Pontius, which are always hilarious and gruesome.If you're a fan of Jackass, get it. If you're not a fan of Jackass, get it. It's an uplifting but realistic read.