I consider myself a connoisseur of memoirs at this point. I feel like I've read enough of them to sort them into rough categories, and the most common category is "famous person who is famous for something unrelated to writing and doesn't know the difference between self-help book and memoir." I think a little-known fact about memoirs is that the best ones reveal human messiness without trying to instruct the readers in any particular direction - the common type I described is generally the exact opposite of that.

I have also found that, while I prefer a good memoir (as defined above) over all, I do enjoy these mediocre common memoirs. And I'm pleased to announce that Cody Rigsby has created the platonic ideal of this common type. It's got everything - self-help interludes that he can justify through his experience at Pelaton, no real expectation of fame prior to stumbling into it, a backstory could potential delve into the arena of showing human messiness, but doesn't, because Rigsby isn't a writer by trade and is unwilling to bear himself and his loved ones like that (Which, no shade, I completely understand why he does that. Just because it keeps the book from being technically The Best doesn't mean it wasn't the best choice for his life.)

Also, Rigsby's experience giving completely solicited advice made that aspect of the book 1) way more tolerable and 2) inclusive of some advice that was actually good. Don't get me wrong, some of the advice was actually terrible (the capitalism simping was very cringe and some of us are capable of fucking our friends without fucking our lives), but some of it was pretty fantastic, and Rigsby comes off as a pretty reflective and thoughtful guy, despite his boisterous and brash persona.