McConaughey first states that this is not a memoir, but that is the best genre the book fits. A memoir, unlike an autobiography or biography, does not seek to cover an entire life and more detail, though the author does give us the basics, choosing scenes or descriptions that pretty much say it all about his parents and their parenting. That's important because it moves the story along.
Frankly, I personally find it difficult to think of people who are abusive as also loving. Does he ever say the word abusive? No. Perhaps there's an argument for people not knowing better. Or that his dad was a Texas 'Good Ol Boy' : I had hoped such characters who use violence and extreme control to teach or discipline or get even with their friends and family had been left behind in the Wild Wild West and were capable of the (admittedly slow) progress of intellect and understanding. However, who deserves their parents?
Personally I think McConaughey's family of upbringing was dysfunctional and that causes me to have anxiety: I hope he is not duplicating this in raising his own children. You see, McConaughey says that from a young age the only role he ever wanted in life was to be a father. He repeats that. Also, but, however... he tells his story without apology or over-explanation.
As for women, apparently this celebrity used his fame as an advantage and had many every which way but when he met his wife, who he calls a mermaid, it was love at first sight. He says there never was and never will be any other woman for him. (Never was? He was in his thirties when he met her. Did he not break hearts as he had many women every which way? No insight into that expressed.)
Matthew McConaughey is a highly successful actor, and it seems acting is rather natural or effortless to him, though he does explain the risk he took in staying firm: No more rom-coms.
