“Hello, my name is Matthew, although you might know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should have been dead by now.” This is how the gripping story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry begins, as he takes us on his journey from childhood aspirations for fame to addiction and recovery, introducing us along the way to five-year-old Matthew, who traveled from Montreal to Los Angeles between his divorced parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis player in Canada; and twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who landed a starring role that everyone wanted, in the pilot of a show that everyone was talking about, which was then called “Friends” like us…

Telling an incredible story as only he could, Matthew Perry brings to light the broken family that raised him, the desire for recognition that made him famous, and the emptiness within him that he couldn't fill even when his biggest dreams came true. He also describes the peace he has found in sobriety and how he feels about the sweeping success that “Friends” has achieved everywhere, sharing stories about his co-stars and other big stars he met along the way.

Honest, self-aware, and with his unique humor, Perry vividly recounts his long battle with addiction and the causes that fueled it, despite seeming to have conquered everything. The book “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing” is introduced by Lisa Kudrow, his co-star in “Friends.” It is an unforgettable autobiography, equally personal and enlightening – but also a helping hand to anyone struggling to achieve sobriety. Bluntly honest, moving, and laugh-out-loud funny, this is the book that Perry's fans have been waiting for.