The Best Little Boy in the World Grows Up

by Andrew Tobias

Book Overview

Twenty-five years ago, the bestselling financial writer Andrew Tobias wrote a classic coming-of-age memoir called The Best Little Boy in the World.??He had to write it under a pseudonym, John Reid,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345423798
• ISBN13: 9780345423795
• Release Date: December 1999
• Publisher: Ballantine Group
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Funny, touching and thought-provoking

I found "The Best Little Boy in the World Grows Up" well-written, insightful and inspiring. I am a straight female and don't usually read a lot of material about gay men, nor do I read a lot of biographies (boring). So why did I read this in the first place? Actually, because I liked "The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need" so much. The investment guide was invaluable to me when I inherited some money and had no clue what to do next. That book transformed me rather rapidly from someone who felt like she needed help but was not even sure where to turn, to feeling that I could handle things just fine on my own, and it's working out very well for me. In addition to being useful, I found that book so well-written and just plain entertaining that I have re-read it several times and started looking for other things he had written. I tried "My Vast Fortune" but it didn't grab me for some reason, and I liked "The Best Little Boy in the World" better. But I felt this follow-up book about his adult life is extraordinary. I have known quite a few gay folks in my life, but I have to admit this book still made me more aware of their issues than I had been. I'm not very political, and if the book were preachy, I would have tossed it. But Tobias makes his points with deft humor and a variety of fascinating anecdotes. It is quite entertaining as well as emotionally gripping. I highly recommend it.

What's with all the cynicism here?

I've just read this wonderful book and cannot understand how some of the other reviewers here can call Mr. Tobias self-absorbed. I saw him as merely human and in fact found that he was often self-deprecating--and also it is a book about HIM, so what did the other readers here expect him to write about, his mother? Make no mistake, Andrew Tobias is not a saint, and neither is any of us. His writing reflects his very human experience. Name dropping? Please. Did some of the other reviewers here expect Andrew Tobias to indulge in navel gazing or something? In any case, I found his experiences to be inspiring. His descriptions of how significant others in his life managed later on in life was to me a great way to vicariously learn some of the lessons of life. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. I have in fact read this book before I read TBLBITW because I felt that it would be more relevant to present times.

Better Than The Original!

Having just finished this delightful book, I decided to post a review. As I read over the comments about this book, I was taken aback by the harshness and negativity of so many of the reviews and the intensely personal nature of the comments, many of which appear to spring from jealousy of Tobias' financial success, and have nothing to do with the intrinsic merits of his book. They constitute what I would call an ad hominem attack on its author. The man's work is fair game, but please refrain from attacking him personally.As a reader who found "The Best Little Boy in the World" to be a seminal (no pun intended!) work in his own coming out process, I was quite looking forward to the sequel. I wanted to find out how The Best Little Boy had fared during the twenty-five years since the book was first published. Also, since learning a few years ago that "John Reid" was a nom de plume for Andrew Tobias, whose financial books I had enjoyed, I wanted to see how he had integrated his two personas. And I must say, he has done so quite nicely!This book is a wonderful read. Andrew Tobias has written an entertaining narrative that is well worth anyone's time. I read the book in one weekend, and found myself breaking out in laughter time and time again - his anecdotes resonate with me.In fact, I enjoyed this book so much that I went out and bought "My Vast Fortune", Tobias' account of his various business ventures and misadventures, and found it delightful and informative as well. It includes the author's tragicomic accounts of locking horns with Ralph Nader over no-fault auto insurance and launching an anti-smoking campaign in Russia. (I'll write a review of that book next!)Personally, far from begrudging his success, I wish Andrew Tobias the best in all his endeavors. He's a gay man who's making a positive contribution to American society, in a way that reflects well on all of us. I am very proud of the role he is playing as Treasurer of the Democratic National Committee. I only wish I had some money to contribute!

Would Have Liked To See TBLBITW Mature Instead of Grow Up

Like millions of other gay males, I read Tobias' first memoir, TBLBITW, 20 years ago during a personal crisis in my life (coming to terms with my sexuality). It was a watershed moment in my life, and the book helped me to deal with my feelings towards my sexuality. I discovered his second memoir (TBLBITW Grows Up) recently during another personal crisis (midlife crisis). Like the first book, I couldn't put the thing down, and in fact read the entire book in the bookstore one afternoon! Tobias' style is very captivating and easy to read. The down-to-earth persona so evident in his first book seemed to be missing in the second. While I sometimes felt as if the author was "name-dropping" as I read this book, it made me laugh and cry as I related to the content of the book. While the second book did not help me deal with my current personal crisis, as the first one did, it never the less was enjoyable to read. Footnote-When I saw in this book that the author had an email adress, I sent a congratulatory note to him, indicating that I enjoyed the second book, and explained that the first one had a profound impact on my life. He replied back something along the lines of "how nice...I was just made Treasurer of the Democratic National Committee, please send your donation to...." That's why I think that TBLBITW may have grown-up, but he hasn't matured. I'd still recommend the book. Especially to gay males still struggling with their identity at midlife

An amazing and important must read.

Honest, funny, wise, and profound. As I read this book, I felt so relaxed and at ease as if Andrew Tobias had written the words just for me. Being gay in America is no easy task, and Tobias shares his experiences with a candor and wit that helps lighten the sometimes heavy load. The pages are filled with an incredibly brave honesty that sends the message that Tobias is happy and comfortable with who he is. Amidst the rambling and the name-dropping there is a clarity that the author conveys: that there is laughter and lessons in hindsight, that being gay can be a blessing, and that much of the hard work for gay acceptance in this country has already been done. And for that I am grateful and hopeful.