Stuck in F*ck: The Aftermath of After-A$$ How to Unf*ck Your Parental Past, surprisingly, is a picture book. Some of the pages have no words at all because the vivid illustrations do the talking. “A picture paints a thousand words” has never been expressed more clearly than by Michael A Brown. It opens with a mother, maybe single, maybe with a “kids are women’s business” husband or partner, but boy has she had it with them! She dreams of selling them and peace only reigns when they sleep. I got all that from FOUR pictures, and I was right. Mom was abused as a child, but she still believed the charmer – desperate for love, I guess. Who is she, this traumatized child who grew into an over-trusting, resentful woman?

Who is the Mom featured in Stuck in F*ck? “She” is the frighteningly typical product of physical, emotional, or just plain careless and selfish abuse, and if she is going to survive without treating her children as she was treated and passing on the endless cycle of crippling misery, she needs to unf*ck her parental past. Michael A Brown has seen it all through serving in the military, policing, and fathering four children, and one of his specialties is anger management. If “Mom” resonates with you, stop right there. Buy a copy of Stuck in F*ck: The Aftermath of After-A$$ How to Unf*ck Your Parental Past. I promise you that it will be the best few dollars you ever spend!

What a novel and stimulating approach Michael A Brown has taken to help us get on top of whatever’s getting us down. With a title like Stuck in F*ck to immediately captivate your imagination, you can’t wait to check out what’s inside. But once inside, you’ll wonder if there’s some kind of mistake. That’s because this short self-help book presents like a beautifully illustrated children’s book. How unusual. But just as a colorful children’s book can get the point across quickly -- a picture is worth a thousand words -- so too can an adult reader get the message...and without wading through pages and pages of heavy text. Nice!

What Stuck in F*ck will help you realize as you peruse the cartoons of moms frustrated by both their children and spouses is that as much as you’d like to blame those you love for your angst and upset, the real source of your problem lies within yourself. More specifically, your issues with everyone else are rooted in your own past, your own upbringing. Those issues have landed you in that “F*ck” state of mind. I won’t tell you too much more about this brilliant little book because you, the frustrated “I’m going to tear my hair out” mom or dad, need to read this book for yourself. It’s a short book with a big impact. It’s also part of a series designed by Michael A Brown, all of which look deserving of your attention and enjoyment. I came away delighted at having experienced a unique approach to self-help. Well done, Michael A Brown.