From Booklist Researching a television project about his former friend and writer Mike Illingworth， London-based playwright and performance artist Kevin Previn returns to Glasgow， where his abusive childhood and subsequent years of decadence flood his memory. The recent death of Illingworth， a junkie and a victim of AIDS， leaves a hole in Kevin's life and prompts numerous questions about his own drug-filled， promiscuous past as well as his lost hope， love， and sense of identity. Graham deftly portrays a decaying city and culture. This is a bleak present filled with postpunk notions: cocaine and heroin addiction， welfare living， alcoholism， and general apathy. Graham's words are raw and gritty， and his observations unrelenting and brutally honest. Though this may be considered counterculture to some， The Book of Man is sadly real and deeply poignant. It is a book about strange friendship， youthful freedoms， perpetuated cycles of abuse， and the ripples of violence flowing through every level of society. Moreover， this book is about identifying our demons and accepting what role we play in their creation. Janet St. John