Review of "I Didn't Believe It Either" by Todd Kinney

Score: 94/100 (9.4 out of 10)

In the memoir I Didn’t Believe It Either, author Todd Kinney recounts his profound personal journey from a life defined by excessive drinking to one of purposeful sobriety. He explores how a cycle of binge drinking and subsequent shame strained his marriage and his role as a father, ultimately leading to a series of "sabbaticals" and a final decision to quit.

Through honest reflections, Kinney describes the anxiety of social pressure and the difficult process of unlearning the belief that alcohol is necessary for fun or connection. He highlights the emotional rewards of being fully present, noting that sobriety transformed his relationships with his four children and improved his mental clarity. The text serves as both a personal testimony and an encouragement for others, particularly men, to prioritize integrity and health over societal drinking norms. By sharing his vulnerability, Kinney illustrates how life’s most meaningful moments are better experienced without the fog of intoxication.

This is truly a heart wrenching memoir to read.

The concept/topic itself is gripping. We all know people who've struggled with addiction and/or alcoholism, so it's near and dear to the hearts of many readers.

To top it off, Todd just has a really gripping, personable writing style that reminded us a lot of Donald Hardison's (are recent Author of the Year) or George Beasley (another OCA champion). You can tell that Todd is sharing his heart: the deepest, darkest, most depressing things. This serves both cathartic and cautionary purpose. Furthermore, you can really tell that Todd is getting a lot off of his chest and shoulders. This is an issue that has clearly weighed on him and came close to crushing him. However, like all inspirational stories, there is an upside: Kinney is a survivor. He's an example that you can overcome your addictions and live a full and happy life in spite of them.

You really get the full range of emotions and experiences: frustration, anxiety, loneliness, isolation, anger, but also hope, relief, gratitude, joy, nostalgia, and those small, hard-won moments of peace. It is like an emotional roller coaster, and you feel every high and low right along with him.

Here are some of our favorite passages:

“Early sobriety can be lonely as hell. At times, it felt like I was the only person on earth who didn’t drink or was trying to give up drinking… I felt like I was on an island.”

“Even when moderating was successful, it was So. Much. Work. There’s a reason for the saying, ‘If you want to find out if you have a drinking problem, try moderating.’”

“Experiencing those two moments sober was the beginning of me realizing that the moments that happen in sobriety you know, life can be profoundly more meaningful than what happens when I drink… The sober versions of those two events were life in living color… The drinking version of those moments is just observing. It’s not feeling, it’s not being, it’s not living.”

“How do I choose drinking over a night of snuggling with my daughter? How do I choose drinking over being fully immersed in her joy during bowling and arcade games? Those moments are what life is all about.”

Kinney's experiences and emotions are both unique and familiar.
We feel like we've read about this dozens of times before in books like Dying for a Drink by Amelia Baker and Reality Check by Mike Sorrentino.

You can definitely find yourself in Todd's shoes as he wrestles through this.

Check it out on Amazon!