Official Review: Bex, drugs and rock 'n' roll
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Official Review: Bex, drugs and rock 'n' roll

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He begins this memoir by giving an account of his experience as a child actor who started working in the entertainment industry at the age of nine. He recounts the feelings he had when people recognized him while he was in public, and shares some of the embarrassing mishaps he experienced while acting.
The author changed gear and went on to talk about some of the uncomfortable conversations he had with his mother, his interesting pets and his practice of being a mischievous prankster. He and his brother liked to torture each other with practical jokes. I must give fair warning that some of the antics were pretty gross.
During his time in school, the author decided to do his best to defy school authorities. He employed passive aggressive tactics and was determined to be an “anti-athlete.” His accounts of being a less than stellar sports competitor were hilarious.
There was one particular situation during his athletic career that was particularly memorable. While he participated in a particular sport, he developed a common sports ailment. Mr. Matheson’s father recommended a questionable remedy. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud when I was encouraged to think about a scene from a popular movie to describe his reaction to the cure.
Around the time that Mr. Matheson decided to perform poorly in sports, he started to abuse drugs. He was frank about the factors that made him indulge in this habit. He also discussed the life changing results that happened to him after a drug and alcohol binge.
Further along in the author’s story, he talked about his college experience. He reported the scrapes and ironic situations that he and his friends went through. After his college days, he held a series of mundane jobs. I chuckled as I read about the antics he and his coworkers participated in to ward off boredom.
For me, the most interesting part of the book occurred when the author shared his experience as a missionary in an Aboriginal settlement. It was fascinating to read about the strange and ominous things that happened while he worked there.
Toward the end of the book Mr. Matheson talked about his search for spiritual fulfillment. He set out on a quest to find God. While on this journey, he attempted to reach this goal in a number of ways: he joined a cult, visited Egypt, and altered his consciousness with drugs.
Overall Bex, Drugs and Rock n Roll was very entertaining. I laughed a lot while I read this book. I only have a few minor complaints about it. Parts of the story were really vulgar. I appreciated that the author was honest about his experiences, but as he told his mother, there was “too much information”. There were also a few Australian sayings that I did not understand. I was stumped when I came upon words such as sussed, turps, rue and grog. I know I speak English, but due to cultural differences, I needed a translator.
Some of the comments in the book may offend some people. Although this is the case, I’m sure that the people who choose to read this book will learn from it. The author’s story included topics that were thought provoking and insightful. He pointed out the irony of most of the situations he had been through and his inability to escape the clutches of bad karma. His interaction with family, friend and odd characters gave him great material for this book.
This book is well written, and if there were typos, I did not notice them. I wanted to give this book a rating of 3.75 out of 4 stars because a few parts of the book made me a little bit queasy. But since I have to use round numbers, I will put the rounding skills I learned in elementary school to use, and give this book 4 out of 4 stars.
If you want a have a good laugh and you don’t have a problem with frank discussions about sex and drugs then you should definitely read Bex, Drugs and Rock n Roll.
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