Starbucks Selects “Beautiful Boy”

This article originally appeared at news.starbucks.com

Starbucks Entertainment announced today the next title in its book program: David Sheff’s “Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey through His Son’s Addiction” to be published by Houghton Mifflin – a compelling true story examining addiction, trust, and renewal told by the parent of a meth addicted teenager. Continuing its commitment to connect customers with great books, Starbucks will begin offering “Beautiful Boy” on February 26, 2008 at more than 6,500 Starbucks Company-operated locations across the U.S.

“We seek titles that will inspire conversation both in our stores and with our customers,” says Ken Lombard, president Starbucks Entertainment. “David’s story embraces a depth of emotion, support and human resilience that brings readers face-to-face with an epidemic that is sweeping the nation. We are excited to have the opportunity to present this genuine, personal memoir to our customers.”

“Beautiful Boy” takes readers through the gripping journey of addiction from a fresh perspective ? that of a concerned parent. Sheff’s pragmatic storytelling winds through his own stages of denial, to the self-realized acceptance of helplessness and the struggle to protect his family, to renewed hope and recovery. “Beautiful Boy” is the fourth book by Sheff, a brilliant writer best known for works that have appeared in various newspapers and magazines including the New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, and Fortune, among others.

“Often we learn about the effects of substance abuse on the user, but we rarely hear the story from the perspective of loved ones ? the friends and family members who often feel powerless,” shares Sheff. “I am gratified that in addition to carrying ‘Beautiful Boy‘ in its stores, Starbucks support will encourage much needed discussion about drug abuse and addiction.”

Along with appearances at traditional booksellers, Sheff will participate in a Starbucks book tour, making stops at 10 Starbucks stores across the U.S. beginning February 26. At each location, Sheff will share thoughts on the experiences he and his family endured throughout the addiction and the resulting rehabilitation.

“We’re so pleased that Starbucks decision to feature ‘Beautiful Boy‘ will bring so many readers to this very special book,” said Janet Silver, Vice President and Publisher of Houghton Mifflin.

Selected as #1 Non-Fiction 2008 by Entertainment Weekly

This article was originally published at entertainmentweekly.com

Entertainment Weekly ranked Beautiful Boy as the #1 Non-Fiction Book for 2008.

#1 BEAUTIFUL BOY, David Sheff

When Sheff’s oldest child, Nic, became addicted to crystal meth, the once imaginative kid turned into a twitchy, larcenous tweaker who stole from his kid brother’s piggy bank and lied to everyone, especially his dad. Sheff’s is the story of a child’s addiction, but it is also a statement about parental love and its limitations.

Beautiful Boy #1 New York Times Best Seller List

Beautiful Boy reached #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List in April and May 2008.

In addition, Entertainment Weekly named it the #1 Best Nonfiction Book of 2008 and it won the Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers Award for nonfiction in 2008. Amazon.com selected it as one of the “Best Books of 2008” and Starbucks picked it as one of the few books it would sell in its coffee shops.

Paramount Pictures Buys Screen Rights to Beautiful Boy and Tweak

This article originally appeared at prnewswire.com

Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment Will Produce

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., April 30 — Paramount Pictures announced today that it has purchased the screen rights to the current New York Times non-fiction bestsellers Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff and Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff, for development and feature film production by Plan B.

The critically lauded Beautiful Boy, published by Houghton Mifflin Co., chronicles the teenage Nic Sheff’s descent into methamphetamine abuse from the point of view of his father, journalist David Sheff, as he struggles to help his son overcome addiction. In Tweak, Nic Sheff himself details a harrowing summer during which he lapsed back into drugs and how he eventually recovered. Beautiful Boy and Tweak immediately became non-fiction bestsellers. Beautiful Boyis currently #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. The books were hailed for the unique approach of a father and son tackling the same experience from two different perspectives, and they are recognized as definitive books about a problem that is epidemic in American society.

Beautiful Boy is being sold in Starbucks stores around the country as part of the Starbucks Select book series. The film will be produced in association with Starbucks.

Plan B Entertainment is actor/producer Brad Pitt’s production company, which has an overall deal with Paramount and has previously produced such films as the Oscar(R)-winning “The Departed,” “Troy,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “A Mighty Heart” and “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.” Among Plan B’s upcoming projects for Paramount are “Eat, Pray, Love” based on the bestselling novel with Julia Roberts to star and Ryan Murphy to direct; the action film “The Killer” and the fantasy horror film “Black Hole,” both of which will be directed by David Fincher; the horror/thriller “World War Z”; and the adventure film “Lost City of Z.”

David and Nic Sheff featured on The Oprah Show

Addiction is a painful secret many families are too ashamed to discuss. In 2005, one father came forward in a very public way to share what it was like to love a child whose drug and alcohol abuse threatened to tear their family apart.

Award-winning journalist David Sheff wrote about his struggle to help his son Nic overcome a crystal meth addiction in The New York Times Magazine. After the article was published, David says he realized he was not alone. His story generated an overwhelming response from other parents of addicts.

“When this hit our family, we were like so many families in this country,” David says. “I was not naive about drugs. I used drugs when I was a kid. … But I still thought, like most of us, ‘This could never happen to our family.’ When it did, we were so blindsided. We were so devastated that I realized that this is something we have to talk about.”

David delves deeper into Nic’s drug abuse and its impact on their family in his book Beautiful Boy. “I realized the power of telling a story like this because it opens the door to other people,” he says. “It gives people permission [to discuss it].”

Using journals he kept throughout his life, Nic has also written a version of the story. In his memoir Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines, he recounts his experiences as a teenage drug addict to the best of his recollection.

View the full story and additional resources at oprah.com.