Living Off the Edge

Tom Weise's daring and controversial memoir "Living Off The Edge" recounts his struggles to survive and live happily in spite of what life throws at him. More importantly, his story exemplifies the life-learning drastic changes and lessons that shape us into really living in each moment.

Weise takes you through his turbulent years growing up in Germany, through a festering estrangement from his own abusive family, and a devastating early HIV diagnosis. Unknowingly, after moving to New York City, the author discovers that his HIV status prevents him from gaining a U.S. work visa, unintentionally making him an illegal immigrant. He turns to the oldest profession in history, and in doing so becomes an influential part in transforming it.

Weise is a man torn between two worlds, living a double-life in fear that running Rentboy.com, the largest online gay escort site in the world, while fostering two AIDS orphans could jeopardize everything he established in the U.S. in hopes of settling down.

In "Living Off The Edge," he tells of the extreme difficulties of balancing his adult industry life with his determination to create a life of advocacy and activism. Not only does he fight for himself with constant immigration, health and even death threats, but he also champions for others and becomes a powerful force in NYC with his community service and charitable initiatives. Helping over 20 charities, supporting children with HIV, co-founding a gay homeless youth shelter, assisting undocumented asylum seekers in a detention center, and creating an adult industry escort support group addressing their life-support issues were just a few of his passions.

"Living Off The Edge" is an honest and daring life journey of ups and downs that gives voice to basic human rights as well as immigration, and LGBTQ rights, while reminding us that life is indeed only but a precious moment.