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Post by Big Bri on Jul 10, 2007 18:47:47 GMT -5
I recently read the autobigraphies of Dusty Rhodes & "Dr. Death" Steve Williams and wasn't too impressed with either.
The Rhodes book consists of him saying "I'm not an egomaniac" over and over again while all he really accomplishes is proving that he IS an egomaniac. Plus, he uses the f-word a bit too freely. I cuss like a sailor, but even I thought it was a bit too much. There isn't too much about the Horsemen feud either. There were a few funny parts, but in all, a big letdown.
I was really looking forward to the Dr. Death book, but all he does is toot his own horn over and over again, much like Rhodes. There's even about 5-6 pages where he (and a few others, including Jim Ross) make excuse after excuse as to why Bart Gunn kicked his a$$ in the Brawl-For-All (hey, you got knocked the f out, GET OVER IT ALREADY!). What's even more pathetic is all the typos in the book (seriously, it looks like the editor might have been intoxicated).
However, the part where he discusses his throat cancer is VERY interesting. No matter how bad the book was I respect the crap out of this guy for what he had to endure. But, the bad outweighs the good on this one.
Save your money on these two.
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Post by Shon Maxx on Jul 11, 2007 2:21:28 GMT -5
Thanks, Bri,
I almost picked up Dusty's book last week, but I ended up grabbing the Heel one instead, thinking I'd get Dusty's next time. Maybe I'll grab Rulon Gardner's instead.
Take care,
Jay
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Post by Trent Lawless on Jul 11, 2007 6:20:53 GMT -5
Honestly, I didn't like the Rock's book very much. Chyna's kinda sucked, too.
Bobby the Brain's was fun, though.
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Post by offspring515 on Jul 11, 2007 10:59:14 GMT -5
Rock's book was the worst. Half the chapters are written "In character" so you'd have a normal chapter, and then a chapter full of "jabroni" and "turn it sideways, shine it up nice..." it was a jarring difference, and it really, really ruined what could have been an interesting read. Hulk Hogan's book is fun, and funny, but filled with lies. I'm sure ALL wrestling books are filled with lies, but Hogan's are glaring. He makes himself out to be the best ever, and he is justified in that, but it comes off as a bit much. In The Pit With Piper was a decent read, but a letdown because it was very brief. Roddy didn't cover anything in his WCW run, which would have been good reading. He was also very much in love with himself, as every story started with "I went to Oregon where they were drawing 20 fans on a good night, and within a week they were selling out the 6,000 seat auditorium..." I also have the original Wrestlecrap book, and I found it very boring. It was kind of shallow, without much depth. Which I guess should have been expected. During college I had a sports writing class and we had contests betting on the outcomes of big games. Our professor would give whoever was closest a gift...it was all stuff he'd gotten as freebies working for the news paper. Mostly books and t shirts and the like. Anyhow I won once, and he had a wrestling book which I picked (which got me razzed by him for the next two years of college  ). It was called "Monsters of the Mat" and it was horrible. It was produced around 2000 and covered wrestling like it was real. It was terribly written too. Just a horrible book. I threw it away after reading it, and I never throw books away. |
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Post by mft on Jul 11, 2007 11:42:52 GMT -5
Anyhow I won once, and he had a wrestling book which I picked (which got me razzed by him for the next two years of college ). It was called "Monsters of the Mat" and it was horrible. It was produced around 2000 and covered wrestling like it was real. It was terribly written too. Just a horrible book. I threw it away after reading it, and I never throw books away. Was that the one that Lou Albano was part of? |
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Post by offspring515 on Jul 11, 2007 13:27:05 GMT -5
If I remember correctly the author was Robert Picarello (sp). He had written some other books and was, I think, a wrestling photographer. Lots of the pictures in the book were credited to him. I think the Lou Albano one was "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pro Wrestling" which I've heard is very poorly done.
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Post by Big Bri on Jul 11, 2007 17:36:18 GMT -5
Bobby the Brain's was fun, though. Agreed. Didn't he do a second one? Hulk Hogan's book is fun, and funny, but filled with lies. I'm sure ALL wrestling books are filled with lies, but Hogan's are glaring. In The Pit With Piper was a decent read, but a letdown because it was very brief. He was also very much in love with himself, as every story started with "I went to Oregon where they were drawing 20 fans on a good night, and within a week they were selling out the 6,000 seat auditorium..." Amen. |
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Post by Werner Mueck on Jul 11, 2007 20:21:07 GMT -5
Complete Idiot's Guide is horrible. It's full of innacuracies and typos. I enjoyed reading it the same way I enjoy watching a bad movie.
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Post by bambaamm on Jul 11, 2007 21:38:31 GMT -5
I really liked both of Mick Foley's books. But I didn't like Hogans or the Rock's very much. I wanted to get Greg Gagne's book but I haven't found it yet. But the biggest turd of them all, that I read was Missy Hyatts book.
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Post by offspring515 on Jul 11, 2007 21:49:34 GMT -5
BTW I've heard mixed reviews on Foley's last autobiography...but the main points seemed to boil down to "good, but not as good as his previous two".
Does anyone who has read it have a bit more of an in depth look?
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Post by Shon Maxx on Jul 12, 2007 7:26:05 GMT -5
Foley's third book wasn't bad. It just chonicled the events leading up to Foley/Edge vs. Dreamer/Funk. It sounds like the WWE is becoming WCW in the way they screw up storylines. It wasn't as good as the other 2 though.
Take care,
Jay
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Post by offspring515 on Jul 12, 2007 9:04:27 GMT -5
I'd say WWE is far, far, far from WCW. FAR.
I like Mick Foley, but before reading any of his books you have to accept the fact that he is his own biggest fan.
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Post by mikefortune on Jul 13, 2007 10:44:57 GMT -5
I have read more than a few book from wrestlers and you have to look at them from this angle every wrestler will be the toughest/greatest wrestler to ever be in the sport. Lou Thez in his book said only Ed Lewis could hace taken him down, and he could walk over anybody in the ring. Same goes for Bill Watts and Dynamite Kid. The thing with Dynamite Kid I know some of the old timers from the WWF and they would confrim or tell their side of the story. Missy Hyatt's book is a fluff book, I read it in 1 night and come on she doesn't pull punches. She talks about giving a hummer to Tommy Rich by page 16. Piper's book was like him being in a bar with his buddies telling stories. For me the best read out of all the books I have read is Kurt Angles book, over half the book is him and his olympic and amature backgrounds and he is even self depreciating in it. And he tells how the Taker chokes him into unconciousness in 5 seconds. I would like to see a book by say Iron Mike Sharpe a mid carder who has seen it all but never had it all.
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Post by the_faction on Jul 13, 2007 18:06:42 GMT -5
DDP's books is a huge let down. DDP is a tremendous promoter and half the book is him talking about promoting clubs and the night life before he even mentions one word about wrestling.
Mick's 1st book is, to me, the archetype of a great wrestling book. Very well crafted and interesting to read. Piper's and Flair's books are a very close 2nd. Though Dynamite's book really caught me off guard at how candid he is. So much so that it's refreshing. He obviously knows he doesn't have to play it safe as he's not going to be a performer ever again whereas every other wrestler knows they can't snub everyone as they need to work again.
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Post by Big Bri on Jul 15, 2007 15:27:50 GMT -5
every other wrestler knows they can't snub everyone as they need to work again. Exactly. |
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Post by Avarice on Jul 17, 2007 10:14:40 GMT -5
Found Fabulous Moolah's book for like 75 cents in a discount bin and got it. Of course a lot of the stuff she tells about is way too old for me, and I'm 30. She was married to Hank Jr. and about 10 other guys..she talks about her "damn midget" Katie and Mae like they're some lesbian ring or something as they live with her. It's not a good read at all, I only got it for the price.
I picked up Jessie Ventura's once, and never finished it. It was pretty bland to start. He hardly was talking about wrestling, almost like he never acknowledges that he was there. Mainly politics and other crap...it's very poor, like I said, that I couldn't even finish it. I enjoyed Foley's first one, I've read it 4 times. I really liked the stories he had to tell. Read Harley Race's book, and it was very good, but I felt was too short. Nice to see him tell that if you were to win the NWA title, you had to put down something like 100K deposit!!!! "Here, just keep the deposit and give it back to me after my 7th reign!" Flair's book was a good read as well.
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Post by Big Bri on Jul 17, 2007 20:12:07 GMT -5
Found Fabulous Moolah's book for like 75 cents in a discount bin and got it. Of course a lot of the stuff she tells about is way too old for me, and I'm 30. She was married to Hank Jr. and about 10 other guys..she talks about her "damn midget" Katie and Mae like they're some lesbian ring or something as they live with her. It's not a good read at all, I only got it for the price. You're right. This sucked. I picked up Jessie Ventura's once, and never finished it. It was pretty bland to start. He hardly was talking about wrestling, almost like he never acknowledges that he was there. Mainly politics and other crap...it's very poor, like I said, that I couldn't even finish it. I thought Jesse's was pretty good, but, like Piper and Hogan, a lot of horn-tooting going on in this one. I enjoyed Foley's first one, I've read it 4 times. I really liked the stories he had to tell. Foley's first book was awesome, but the success of it went to his head. Read Harley Race's book, and it was very good, but I felt was too short. Nice to see him tell that if you were to win the NWA title, you had to put down something like 100K deposit!!!! "Here, just keep the deposit and give it back to me after my 7th reign!" I still have to pick this one up. I've heard nothing but positive reviews about it so I'm really looking forward to it. Flair's book was a good read as well. This was pretty good but negatively outweighed by the Vince/HHH/HBK lovefest that underlies all of the good stories. |
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Post by hofclemens on Aug 5, 2007 21:46:04 GMT -5
Was let down by Dusty's too.. put himself over too much which I guess shouldn't surprise anyone. I would concur on the earlier opinon that the 1st Wrestlecrap book was kind of boring.
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Post by hofclemens on Aug 6, 2007 19:39:06 GMT -5
started tonite reading the Missing Link book. will post a mini review when I am done here. didnt see much of the Link in his prime but got it pretty cheap
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). It was called "Monsters of the Mat" and it was horrible. It was produced around 2000 and covered wrestling like it was real. It was terribly written too. Just a horrible book. I threw it away after reading it, and I never throw books away.
