When David Sheff discovered marijuana in his 12-year-old son’s possession, he was concerned, but not unduly alarmed. Sheff, like many others of his generation, had taken drugs in college. But the problems didn’t stop there. Through the next decade, Sheff searched frantically for his son along grimy San Francisco streets, endured sleepless nights when he feared that his beloved son was dead and enjoyed periods of hope when Nic enrolled in rehab programs – almost always followed by news of relapse.

In the grip of his addiction, Nic took money from his 8-year-old brother, forged checks, broke into houses and stole morphine and hypodermic needles from a cancer patient, the mother of a girlfriend. Friends and family became afraid of him. When he ended up in a hospital bed hooked up to life support, his father wondered whether this might be “hitting bottom,” and perhaps even reason for hope. But as soon as he could, Nic pulled out his IV and walked away.

Yet “Beautiful Boy” is also filled with loving, even joyous descriptions of Nic, a born beatnik and outsider with passionate and sophisticated tastes in film and music, and a creative imagination. A talented writer drawn to such authors as Kafka, William Burroughs and Charles Bukowski, Nic won a student writing contest in high school and had a My Turn column accepted by Newsweek.

David Sheff wrote an article about his experiences as the father of a meth addict for the New York Times Magazine, and the widespread and wholehearted response by readers prompted him to expand it into this memoir. (“Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines,” Nic Sheff’s own memoir of his troubles, recently was published as a book for young adults.) David describes his family’s ordeal with a lucidity that will undoubtedly help many addicts and their families, providing not only a wealth of factual data but also the steadying assurance that they are not alone in their grief. He eloquently describes the sense of isolation and horror that accompanied his realization of what was happening to Nic, and the help David found in support groups.

Sheff’s reportorial skills serve him well. He interviews psychologist Judith Wallerstein, whose research about the deleterious effects of divorce on children angered many feminists. He talks to scientists about the permanent physical effects of meth on the brain. He comes to believe that marijuana is indeed a gateway drug, and he discovers that there is no certain cure for addiction. This memoir shows both how seductive meth can be and what a huge problem it has become in the United States.

Although “Beautiful Boy” is filled with compelling anecdotes and important insights, the book could have used some trimming. Nic’s story eventually becomes repetitive, and some of the author’s stylistic quirks begin to seem intrusive. Sheff also quotes a few too many experts and repeats some facts a bit too often. Nonetheless, he has written an eye-opening memoir.