The other side of me

A BRILLIANT, HIGHLY SPIRITED MEMOIR OF SIDNEY SHELDON S EARLY LIFE THAT PROVIDES AS COMPULSIVELY READABLE AND RACY NARRATIVE AS ANY OF HIS BESTSELLING NOVELS. THE SHELDON FAMILY WERE IMMIGRANTS TO THE USA; A FAIRLY DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY, CONSTANTLY ON THE MOVE, EITHER FLEEING DEBT CRISES OR SEEKING POSSIBLE EMPLOYMENT ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. IN THE 1930 S AMERICA S ECONOMY WAS IN CRISIS, BUSINESSES WERE FOLDING EVERYWHERE AND MORE THAN THIRTEEN MILLION PEOPLE LOST THEIR JOBS. SIDNEY ATTENDED ELEVEN DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, WORKED BY NIGHT AT MANUAL AND TEMPORARY JOBS. SIDNEY HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO WRITE AND EVEN WHEN WORKING AS A BUSBOY IN A CHICAGO HOTEL MANAGED TO WRITE FOR THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER. BUT IT WAS SONG-WRITING AND RADIO THAT GAVE HIM HIS FIRST BREAK. IN NEW YORK HE WORKED AS A BARKER FOR RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL, CARRYING ON WRITING, SEEKING MUSIC PUBLISHERS AND CHOOSING WHETHER TO HAVE A HOT DOG FOR FIVE CENTS AND WALK THIRTY-FIVE BLOCKS HOME OR NOT TO EAT AND TAKE THE SUBWAY HOME. MOVING ON TO THE CALIFORNIAN DREAM, HE FOUND A BOARDING HOUSE FULL OF PEOPLE WITH DREAMS AND HAUNTED THE STUDIO GATES FOR A JOB AS A WRITER, A READER, ANYTHING. HIS SKILL AND PERSISTENCE WON AND SIDNEY SHELDON S CAREER HAD BEGUN. BUT SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, PEARL HARBOR LED TO HIS JOINING THE ARMY AIR CORPS AND LEARNING TO FLY.