By the time Jack was fifteen, he was addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs, was hanging out with rock stars in LA and living a life that any teenager would aspire to. And then, The Osbournes turned him into a global celebrity. But as much as Jack enjoyed his fame, underneath it all, he was still an awkward teenager, using his sense of humour as a shield. And, with fame and money came a greater access to drugs - his addictions took a firmer hold on him and his behaviour was soon out of control. In 21 Years Gone, Jack writes with brutal frankness about his descent into addiction and the low point he reached when Sharon was diagnosed with cancer. Scared that his mum might die, Jack retreated further into his alcoholic shell, hating who he was, hating what he did. Every night he would get into bed and pray for God to take his life. When Sharon realised what was happening, she told Jack he had to go to rehab - and slowly he turned his life around.Discovering a passion for extreme sports, he went from overweight and unfit to the lean young man he is today - courtesy of such adventures as running with the bulls in Pamplona, fighting a Thai martial arts expert known only as 'The Man' and scaling El Capitan, one of the world's toughest climbs. By turns funny, disarmingly honest and moving, 21 Years Gone is the amazing story of young man who has confronted his demons and defeated them.

As seen on Good Morning America A darkly humorous and inspiring first-person account of the larger-than-life exploits and ultimate redemption of an Irish gangster-turned-actor-turned-sober-storyteller—written in collaboration with the creators of Silicon Valley . Richie Stephens is an actor who often plays hardened gangsters and criminals. This is easy for him because he was a drug trafficker, kidnapper, drug addict, alcoholic, and all-around criminal himself. His life twisted and turned in harrowing self-destructive adventures that took him from his native Ireland to San Francisco, Australia, and finally, Los Angeles, coalescing into a classic tale of a man trying to run from his problems by moving to new and more exotic locations—a hard and painful realization that comes at a point in which he’s about to take his own life. The only reason there is a story to tell is because he did not. Instead, he found help, and in doing so, found himself. More than that, he found that help comes in different forms, and oftentimes it just takes the right thought to hit at the right time for it all to make sense. The Gangster’s Guide to Sobriety chronicles Richie’s descent into the abyss of crime and dependency, and how his personal understanding of freedom allowed him to become the functioning positive force he is today. Richie’s story is sprawling and epic, but the key to the book is the same key to his recovery: the 12 Steps. With his own flair and original understanding of life and the world, he followed the 12 Steps to find the clarity he needed to save his own life and evolve into a positive force for others. As Richie says, “Hopefully if people see that someone as fucked up as me could change their life, then there is hope for anyone.” The Gangster’s Guide to Sobriety is gripping in its honesty and openness. Even at its darkest moments, there is a keen understanding of the absurd nature of life as the author comes to grips with his failings and his faith, while also entering a place of self-acceptance. This is a story of redemption and the power of the human spirit, and how sometimes you have to turn to something greater than yourself.