brandonsears

"Does the world really need a 4th biography? Well Jon, when I saw the sales, the answer was no".

Words spoken by Mick Foley - wrestler, bestselling author, philanthropist - on a recent appearance for Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show". My initial thought was, "Awww, poor Micky" - However, what do you expect from a guy who has now written 4 books about his life? Most people post this information online, daily, for free! Welcome to the world of social networking and blogging, Mr. Foley. That being said, don't take anything away from this man - he's a fantastic writer.

Within the pages of Foley's first post-WWE-association book, he goes into detail about what made him leave the safety of Vince McMahon's pro wrestling monopoly and try his hand working for the "competition" (and I use that word lightly as they're not really all that much of a threat as they are a decent alternative). The main premise, or reason, for the book is a glimpse inside the life of Foley leading up to what he considers one of the biggest matches of his career, a steel cage match against fellow legend, Sting. However, I felt this was more or less the weakest part of the book. The stronger material lies outside the TNA material.

Foley spends a lot of time talking about his relentless charity work, which is inspiring to say the least. He has a great chapter on how today's generation of performers are far better off than those of the old days, however, he urges them to save money and plan for retirement. The wrestling business can be your best friend when you're on top but a cruel and heartless ex-lover when you've fallen from grace. Regardless of your spot on the roster, EVERYONE is just one wrong move away from a career ending injury. He touches on rampant drug use that leads to many early deaths. In fact, the sheer number of deaths for those under 50 within the last 20 years nearly reaches 70 on Foley's list. It's such a shame.

Foley strikes you as just an all around great person. He's easily one of the most likeable people I've ever read about (this includes other material written by others) and comes across as just a fantastic family man and massive dork. This book really saved my overall opinion of the man due to the bad taste left in my mouth after finishing his previous book, [b:Hardcore Diaries|173646|The Hardcore Diaries|Mick Foley|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1172417518s/173646.jpg|167726]. Foley came across as a little arrogant in that outing, maybe it just came across that way only to me as it's a complete 180 this time around.

Cross posted on Every Read Thing