“Me: Diary of an American Hero” tells the story of Scott, a once-humble encyclopedia salesman who is promoted to a new job investigating employee theft. However, he loses his moral compass practically overnight, and is soon terminated for cause (employee theft). Scott then finds himself incarcerated in the same makeshift chicken-wire cell where he's interrogated so many of his co-workers. Following this, he embarks on a journey to the “Other America”:"A smorgasbord of liquor stores, check-cashing joints, bail bondsmen, run-down roadside motels, used Hyundai dealerships, broken-down black and white TVs, and the filthy mattresses where fleeting relationships are consummated.”He tries to get help from rich family members. But it's always the same old story: A pat on the back and a copy of Rick Pitino's “Success is a Choice: Ten Steps to Overachieving in Business and Life.”Scott's journey into the Other America inspires him to political action, and he soon joins the All-Natural Party in their mission to ban tanning beds, nuclear weapons, fake compliments, and high-fructose corn syrup. The All-Natural Party also favors something called 'all-natural birth control' - a technique that has already failed six billion times. “Me” also contains practical advice and words of wisdom. Did you know, for example, that most stuff doesn't have to be cleaned - it can just be wiped down with a sponge? Or that being thorough and conscientious is a waste of time? But “Me: Diary of an American Hero” is a story of lessons learned. In the end, Scott learns that (spoiler alert) success is the true test of character. Once you finally hit it big, your real friends will come out of the woodwork. NOTE: Scott's memoirs are not “real” in the sense that they actually happened. He claims to have no knowledge of the “Other America” except that he once read a New York Times article about it. In fact, Scott admits that he didn't do any of the things in his autobiography - especially the stuff he's embarrassed about.
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