I receive a lot of books from colleagues and friends. This one I took my time reading and finished it in a night. Excellently written, painfully honest, and even earnest in the telling of how childhood abuse turns highly sensitive children towards drugs and alcohol. Johnnie is candid about his past and the need to take his history and use it to help others struggling with addiction. One of the rare books that I didn’t want to put down until the last page was read.

Dragons to Butterflies is a heartfelt, true story about a man’s very difficult journey through life. If you believe you have had challenges in life and wonder if you can ever overcome, you must read this book. Johnnie’s life story brought tears to my eyes, made me angry at life’s injustices and yet somehow made me laugh. You’ll will walk away knowing that you are not alone in your challenges and that there are absolutely answers. His lifelong passion to give-in and give-up somehow translated into his beautiful strength to persevere. His life story delivers a vision of hope and belief that there is a way, to those that for good reason, simply cannot currently see or believe.