As a recovering addict myself, I read this when it first came out (pre-oprah) and I even exchanged a few brief emails with the author. It is still a good book even if he is a liar as well as an recovering addict. I think his book has helped people.
The stupid thing is that he should have just had a little blurb that names and events were changed to protect people and make the story flow better. I never took the book as 100% truth any way.
The second book, My Friend Leonard was not nearly as good.
First - good luck with your recovery. Second - it takes a while, but read the whole Smoking Gun investigation. I sent this book to my son, an addict, and now wish I hadn't. What Frey has done is inexcusable. Why can't addicts just tell the truth? I guess that is the question of the day, isn't it? (If he even is/was indeed an addict.) Just read it Rob - he didn't simply change a name or two. If the SG story is true, Frey's jail time did NOT happen. The major fight /arrest with the cops DID NOT happen.
I guess the lesson of Frey's story is that you can become filthy rich by deception. Deception of the most horrible kind - taking advantage of weak people and their burned out relatives. Shame. He is indeed a Criminal with a capital 'C'.
A_R