“The Bastard of Beverly Hills” is a memoir detailing the author’s experiences and complex relationship with his childhood friend, Scotty, who died tragically in a drug den. With the author’s adoption and Scotty’s neglectful upbringing as core themes, the book explores their divergent paths as adults. This memoir is also a reflective critique on Scotty’s father, Donald Sterling, accused of emotional neglect and indifference. The author offers raw insight into the world of privilege from an adopted child’s perspective, ultimately leading him to quit smoking and value his own family.