Who is Zach Samuels? Well it's the author and it's not the author. As the title suggests, Confessions of a Crack Head is an anonymous memoir. Zach Samuels is not the author's real name it is a name chosen because of ancestry. It is a pen name. The names of everyone in the book as well as the places have been changed for two reasons. Firstly, to avoid causing any further shame or embarrassment to family regarding Zach's past. Secondly, Zach belongs to a fellowship that lives by spiritual principles. One of those principles is anonymity so that means one doesn't go announcing that they are an addict and a member of that organization at the level of press radio television or film. Every other detail in the book is true.
Confessions of a Crack head is about Zach Samuels' journey from the horrors of addiction to the light of recovery. Zach tells of his pain and desperation, his overwhelming will to stop using and his inability to do so. Through it all he maintains his love and dedication for his daughter and deals with issues such as abandonement, divorce, spirituality, and never stops reaching out for help from his friends and family. The book is written anonymously to protect the friends and family of Zach Samuel from further judgement or scorn and to abide by the principle of anonymity a guiding principle in the 12 step program Zach attends.