As a child, nearly everyone grows up thinking, ?Man, wouldn?t that be the life?? The fame and fortune of acting and Hollywood are the seemingly unattainable goals every young aspiring star dreams of.

Unfortunately, it is not until these children mature that they realize exactly how unglamorous such a lifestyle can be. It seems possible that no one knows this better than Tom Cruise, and the latest fodder about the actor, Andrew Morton?s ?Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography? makes this point dramatically clear, as it unfairly represents Cruise and his Scientological affiliation at every turn.

Throughout the book, Morton ? the writer behind biographies of Princess Diana, Monica Lewinsky and Posh and Becks ? reveals the darker history surrounding the family of Tom Cruise, born Tom Cruise Mapother IV. The actor?s father, Thomas Mapother III, is revealed as having been a less-than-positive role model, forcing Cruise?s mother to move her children back to Kentucky when the future superstar was only 12 years old.

But the young Cruise was no angel himself, and this becomes evident as his past is further dissected. He was, alas, nothing more than the average teenage boy making his way in the world, involving himself in sports throughout his school days and gaining a reputation not only as a lady?s man but as a tough guy. It wasn?t until an unfortunate accident during his wrestling career that he had considered acting, upon the suggestion of a friend.

It?s no wonder Cruise became so engulfed in the art of acting, as his mother, Mary Lee Mapother South, constantly enriched the boy?s life with the arts, and this mama?s boy was never without the influence of both his sister and his mother in pursuing this passion.

This upbringing was also a major influence on his seemingly easy ?in? with women of all ages. Married to his first ?wife? at the tender age of 11, Cruise was surely no stranger to the confusing and compelling mystery that is the fairer sex. This was only helped by the fact that Cruise is of Irish descent on both sides of the family, while his ancestors also reportedly took up deep roots in Kentucky. All of this is seemingly unimportant, unless one wants to know where Cruise inherited his dashingly good looks.

In writing this autobiography, Morton provides a daring look into the innermost workings of the life of one of Hollywood?s biggest stars in his newest work. But ?Tom Cruise? does leave something to be desired, as the writer places too much emphasis upon every wrongdoing by Cruise and company, including casting an overly critical light on the actor?s involvement with Scientology, his marriage to Katie Holmes and his supposed past bids to audition a girlfriend. The phrase ?Do as I say, not as I do? echoes in the hollows as this critic undeservingly faults Cruise for the most human and natural of mistakes that, rest assured, we all have committed, just not publicly. Morton tears through Cruise?s  seemingly unscathed by the hypocrisy of it all.

Ultimately, a better perspective on the issue could have moved this particular piece from the eye of ridicule to the glittering shelf of idolization, but it?s this unfortunate biased view that makes the book such a hard read.

Being under the magnifying glass from a seemingly young age until the present, it is no surprise that most of America already knows the trials and tribulations of Tom Cruise. If you truly wish to learn more about such details, I advise you to read Andrew Morton?s book, but do so with a grain of salt, remembering that this book is only one man?s opinion and not necessarily a fair representation of the actor?s life.

The book is a negative spin on a life that is as ordinary as yours and mine, but the only difference is that Cruise?s is constantly under scrutiny.

The awful truth that we all like to ignore is that if our lives would face the same sort of harsh criticism that is often cast upon Cruise, we would fail just as miserably at being the perfect human being. Sadly, ?Tom Cruise: The Unauthorized Biography? fails to realize this, and it is because of this that it gains notoriety but loses credibility in the end.

2.5 stars out of 5