The New York Times Book Review (NYTBR) features “Before I Became Me: The Path To My Greatness” by Samuel E. Underwood

Samuel E. Underwood’s masterpiece, “Before I Became Me: The Path To My Greatness,” was featured in the summer issue of The New York Times Book Review (NYTBR) Magazine of 2024.

Current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed in The New York Times Book Review (NYTBR), a weekly paper magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of The New York Times (an American daily newspaper with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to be a growing 6 million paid digital subscribers). It is one of the most well-known and significant book reviews in the business.

Samuel E. Underwood is a New York native born in Harlem. He celebrates more than thirty years of being substance-free. He is a certified recovery peer advocate and gives extra support to individuals recovering from addiction.

At the same time, he volunteers his time three days a week, giving out sandwiches, literature, and a kind word to people in the community. He is married to Kim Leslie-Underwood, with whom he shares two sons, Lamar, and Marquis.

He was interviewed by Benji Cole from CBS Radio in the People of Distinction program. The said program is one of the most wide-ranging radio shows in the United States. Benji Cole is a word-class interviewer, video formulator, Los Angeles actor, and filmmaker. He’s shared the acting stage with superstar Tom Hanks.

Click on this link to listen to the full interview and to get to know more about the author:

Visit Samuel E. Underwood’s website at https://samuelbooks.com/.

“Before I Became Me: The Path To My Greatness” recounts the inspiring story that presents: after the fourth puff, the author’s head would begin to spin. At that time in his life, puffing a cigar was an experience he thoroughly enjoyed. He enjoyed it so much that he tried to smoke every day. As he reflected, that was the time he started on the wrong path in life.

A year before, he started skipping school. He liked the control he had when he didn’t go to school. Looking into his life, the first time he got high, it began a downward spiral. When he skipped school after that, smoking created a path toward girls, lying, robbing, and stealing.

Then his drug use began in that order. He stayed on that path for nearly twenty-three years. Though it was exciting at times, it was also dangerous. He can remember times when he almost died. He’s so grateful to be alive with most of the senses God gave him.