Just a Geek

Read this book in just two days - it was that good. What I love about Wheaton's writing is his raw honesty. I'm not sure if I can bare my soul like that, but Wheaten did, and we are the better for it.

How frightening it is that a few decisions in our youth - done out of immaturity and lack of experience - could push into a course that we never expected? How many of us was in Wheaton's position? How many of us lived what he lived?

By sharing his story, Wheaton teaches us that we should never take anything for granted (family, health, career, tiny blessings), and that despite crushing defeat and reaching the lowest point in your life, you can bounce back AND discover a talent you never knew you had. For Wheaton, it was writing.

Some reviewers complain that he whines about his trials and tribulations in Hollywood too much. When it comes to reading memoirs, one of the most important approaches I take is not to judge the writer's journey. The writer's interpretation of life events could differ from yours and that's the point - we learn from different views. And even if I were to judge Wheaton's journey, I would say that he had every right to be upset about how things turned out. Acting was his life, passion and reason for being and the gatekeepers are keeping him away from it because of (what I could see from the book anyway) rather frivolous and unfair reasons. But the crucial difference with Wheaton was that instead of sitting back and wallowing in his misery, he did something about it. He started a now-wildly-popular website, honed his writing and learned from his mistakes.

I'm glad that things have improved for Wheaton since the writing of this book. He's acted on several shows since then (the crazy popular Big Bang Theory, for one), has become a cultural icon, and continue to improve in his writing.

Well, done, Mr. Wheaton!