The Book of Sheen: A Memoir
4.3 | 1,784 ratings
Price: 17.71
Last update: 02-02-2026
Top reviews from the United States
- D.L. PayneWhat a journey!I don't know what I was expecting, maybe I was just curious about what Mr. Sheen had to say. But this book is so much more! He is funny, brutally honest with no "feel sorry for me" attitude or apology. He owns the decisions he made for his life, and he accepts the hurt he caused people that cared about him. This read is a journey that you get swept up in from the first chapter. You are with him during the good, the bad and the ugliest. It hurts when you know and you say in your heart, "Don't do that Charlie" and he goes and does it anyway. Halfway through, you want the pain to stop for him and yourself as you keep reading. And you start cheering for him, this guy who actually has normal problems and is deep down like everybody else, just trying to figure it out as he lives it out. I am so glad I read this book and respect him more today. This book is delightful and painful and all wrapped up in a guy named Charlie Sheen. Well done, Mr. Sheen, well done.
- N. WrightCharlie Sheen - you will know him very well once you read this book!I found Charlie's book very entertaining and often times extremely funny. He is super articulate! I do wish he had spent more time talking about Two and A Half Men; however, which I think he was stellar in. He spent a LOT of time talking about Platoon. It's clear how much he loves his parents, his siblings, and his inner circle of friends. I found this very touching. In many ways though, I felt like his memoir was very similar to Matthew Perry's and David Cassidy's. A lot of stories about sex and drugs/drinking that sadly overshadows how very talented he is. But hey - this is HIS story, and I am glad he wrote it. I highly recommend it!
- Karen L.Highly Recommend, Especially to Those with AddictionsWhen I first heard that Charlie had written his autobiography, I was so excited and couldn’t wait to read it! I love and adore the whole Sheen family. They’re all great actors and wonderful human beings. I met Mr. Sheen several times and took acting classes from his other son, Ramon.
For whatever reason, Charlie's destiny was to choose the path of the dark night of the soul via an addiction to drugs, alcohol, and sex. We never know why someone succumbs to addictions. ANY addiction is horrific and hard to overcome. The mind can be a mighty entity that can avoid and/or overcome the worst obstacles, but it can also snap in an instant.
Fame can be a wonderful thing, but it can also consume those who are vulnerable to its attraction. And when fame hits fast and furious, it can overtake the best of us with its many temptations. When a person becomes famous, all of a sudden, they become surrounded by people who become the worst enablers, offering their alluring wares of drugs, alcohol, and sex. It’s hard for even the strongest of minds to resist. Despite all this, he had many successes with movies and TV (as well as many not-so-successful).
Personally, it’s hard to imagine how it made it through the hell he went through. As the saying goes, sometimes people have to go through hell to get to heaven. He went through whatever he went through for whatever reasons. His family and friends tried to help him numerous times, but he was too consumed by the darkness to realize just how far down the rabbit hole he had gone. People won’t get help until they are ready, and Charlie was no exception.
I don’t judge Charlie at all. In my lifetime, I had an addiction to sugar/chocolate, which resulted in an eating disorder for decades, and if I struggled just to stay off sugar, I can only imagine how hard it is to overcome addictions to alcohol, drugs, and sex.
All this said, I’m so happy that Charlie has come through it all as a stronger and better person. His focus is on his family and being the father his children need. In hindsight, maybe this all happened so he could write this book and maybe help others who struggle with the horrible disease of addiction. I wish parents would have their children read his book so they can see that these vices are not worth it, especially when they become addictions.
Charlie, my heart is with you, and my hope for you is that you continue on this new path of being addiction-free, and I wish you much love and happiness. - BeckyW01Unflinching and unapologeticFull disclosure: I love celebrity memoirs in general. This was a good one. I am a late X-er/early Millennial, and the Sheen family has loomed large over my whole life. The peek behind the curtain of his upbringing was fascinating. He grew up not only with a wildly successful father and to-be successful brother, but future-successful neighbors like the Lowe family and the Penn family.
He is extremely honest about his addictions. This book is a reminder that it doesn't take trauma or an abusive childhood to become an addict. By all accounts, he had an unconventional but very loving and stable life, and he was the only one of his family who struggled with those particular demons.
I was amused by the borderline nostalgia when he talks about his hard partying days. I think this is relatable to any of us who either don't party as hard as we used to or had to stop partying all together.
And, no, he doesn't talk much about Two and a Half Men, but don't let that stop you. He was sober during the show, until he wasn't. The backstory on "tiger blood" and "winning" will make you see that drug-hazed era in a different light.
From what I can tell, Charlie is truly sober now. He is extremely lucky to be alive and living in an era when HIV is no longer a death sentence. I'm frankly wowed that he is now both sober and celibate, and I hope to hear more about his journey in the coming years. - DJ Davitoworth reading for the chapter on filming “ Platoon” alone.Started off with a bang and there was never a dull page but I wish Charlie would have written more about how he conquered his substance abuse demons and all the porn chicks living with him in the house .
- Rick SpellThe Entire Story Told UnabashedlyA controversial character, Charlie has now written his story and a great one it is. Who would have thought he could write such an honest, entertaining book. This will bring a smile to your face and you may laugh out loud. There are some outrageous stories but also a story of a solid family, Martin Sheen's family, who had a son who went off the rails. WAY OFF THE RAILS! And he acknowledges this and gives many of the great stories. Maybe not all but enough to satisfy those interested in those type stories. Any interest in Hollywood and great movies of the late 80s and the 90s or the Brat Pack? Buy this book. Interested in 2 1/2 Men, the TV show? Buy this book. A fun, great read!