I wasn't surprised about any of his revelations regarding his "horrible" childhood. His "crisis" isn't unique, him over coming it isn't either. I think he needed to wait a few decades until he actually accomplished something other than escaping a life of unemployment and an alcoholic mother to write a memoir. Growing up in a dysfunctional poor family and going on to graduate from an ivy league college is something to be proud of, but it isn't inspiring, not to me anyway. His childhood was better than mine! Cry me a river. 
 I thought this book would provide some great political enlightenment, but it didn't. His culture isn't any different from any other poverty stricken area of the U.S. Maybe that was his point... Maybe the "crisis" itself has become a culture.