Cooked in LA: I Shot for the Stars and Hit Bottom - Hardcover

Cook, Paul

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1601641931 ISBN 13: 9781601641939

Publisher: Kunati Inc., 2009

Synopsis

Paul Cook had everything going for him—he was young, good looking, had a successful career in radio, a lovely wife, and loving parents—and yet one night he found himself in a near-catatonic state caused by ingesting too much ketamine or "special K," on the floor of a St. Louis bar. This autobiography details Paul's voracious appetite for drugs and alcohol—exemplified by the search for an unobtainable buzz through morning to night binges—that lead to his near fatal descent. With an obsession for celebrity culture and seeking approval and validation, he moves to LA only to find more opportunities for abuse. Just weeks before the birth of his first child, Paul hits rock bottom, admits to his wife and parents that he is out of control, and begins to put his life back together. With wry humor and great insight, Paul Cook chronicles his plunge to the depths of addiction and his return to the Midwest city where he first found success.

About this title

About the Author

Paul Cook is a radio and television broadcaster who has twice won the award for St. Louis’s Best Music Format Personality. He appears on CBS affiliate KMOV's News 4 This Morning and hosts a drive-time radio, news, and entertainment show on CBS radio Y98fm. He works closely with the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse to raise awareness and financial support of the organization. He lives in St. Louis, Missouri.

Reviews

After a frightening brush with ketamine-induced paralysis, radio host Cook resolves to change his life and move to Los Angeles in the hope of finding success in the entertainment industry and escaping his demons. Cook quickly finds a weekend radio job at a popular Los Angeles radio station, but overall success eludes him as he flounders as a temp at FX television station, flubs an interview with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and struggles working as a production assistant for a friend. Dogged by his substance-abuse problems, Cook finds everyone from neighbors to co-workers offering him a variety of drugs. When he’s offered a job at a station in St. Louis, he decides to head back east; but his drug and alcohol use only intensifies—until his wife becomes pregnant and Cook realizes he’s going to have to make an effort to save himself if he’s going to live to see his child born. An eye-opening look into both the difficulties of starting out in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles and the psyche of a chronic drug user. --Kristine Huntley

Edition details

• Publisher: Kunati Inc.
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1601641931
• ISBN 13: 9781601641939
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 304