Customer Reviews

Foley is Good: And the Real World is Faker Than Wrestling

5 star:		(94)
4 star:		(39)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Mick Foley has done it again. Not only did he keep all the things I liked about "Have a Nice Day!" -- especially the lovely flow of his jokes -- but he has produced with "Foley is Good" a better-structured piece that also showcases his interest in things other than wrestling. (But don't worry, there's plenty of wrestling stuff for the fans.)

It's a great book to read aloud because of Mick's timing. You'll laugh through most it, guaranteed. Mick has a brand-new whipping boy -- Test. But don't worry, poor Al Snow gets his share of ribbing, including a photo of him in drag! The Mean Street Posse are once again the mid-card whipees.

Be prepared to get out your Kleenex, because you'll surely cry through the chapter on Owen Hart and another friend of Mick's who died of cancer, Brian Hildebrand. He was a referee that never worked for the WWF, but who was beloved by many.

Mick really shows just how intelligent he is at the end of the book. Within those chapters are his own study of sex and violence in wrestling, then his discussion on the similarities between the McCarthyism era and the PTC's tactics. He conducted interviews with a researcher, probably watched over 30 hours of video tape, attempted to contact the PTC itelf, and ended up with a very convincing argument that wrestling is no worse than soap operas, "Cheers" and Monday Night football.

The recently born Mick Foley Jr. (Mickey) also makes an appearance, and if you're a fan of the rest of the Foley family, the ultra-cute Dewey and Noelle and of course the "hot" Colette are right in there.

Mick also provides several top ten lists, including his favorite theme parks, rides and of course, wrestling matches. I won't say which one is his favorite, but if you are any kind of a Foley fan you know it's *not* the Hell in the Cell from '98 with the Undertaker.

In short...just read it! You'll never regret picking it up. Now all we have to do is convince Mick to start writing history books. He would be brilliant at it, and seems to have the interest.

"Foley is Good," the follow up to Mick Foley's best-selling "Have a Nice Day" is just as equally entertaining and worthwhile to read as the first book. If you've read the first book you no doubt thought Mick said everything he could, right? You could not be anymore wrong however.

"Foley is Good," is a brilliant piece of work that contains several elements. First and foremost, you'll get to meet "Mick Foley Superdad" and "Mick Foley the Man." He spends a great amount of time talking about his family and his love of amusement parks with GREAT stories and even several of "Mick's Top Ten" lists. It's just a great story about a man, his family and his joys in life. You'll get to see a great side of Mick's personality.

Also, you'll get to see "Mick Foley the Sports-Entertainer." The book continues to chronicle the ending part of his wrestling career picking up directly where "Have a Nice Day" finished. It's a nice review of the 1999-2000 season of WWF wrestling with nice insight into the matches and feuds including how they were booked, etc. Great read for WWF/wrestling fans. Once again, the book also gave some great anecdotes of "the boys" (the other wrestlers) which was just a blast to read.

However, for myself personally, the real gem in this book is seeing "Mick Foley the Intellectual." Mick spends a very significant portion (I'd say a good 40%) of the book addressing controversial issues in the wrestling world: backyard wrestling, violence on television, the parent's responsibility in proper parenting when it comes to filtering and being involved in children's viewing habits, drug use in the wrestling industry, the Owen Hart tragedy, the mainstream media's unfair portrayal of wrestling, The PTC. Mick gives his thoughts on these issues in a BRILLIANT display of sound reasoning, logical arguments and plain old common sense. His take on these issues is a must-read for anyone. Mick goes so far to spend the last 100 pages of the book or so defending the WWF from the critical Indiana University content analysis study of WWF programming over the course of year and from the controversial allegations of the PTC. His 100 page rebuttal to this was just brilliant.

Overall, the book was a pleasure to read. Mick's writing style is very easy, almost like talking to a friend. I read the book in two days on a weekend (all night Saturday, all day Sunday). It still contained the same great humor (sometimes cheesy and a bit sophomoric, which is GREAT to me), great wrestling stories, and also a great story about a family man. Mick's love for his family shines through this book like a sun in Spring. The most interesting part for me though was his take on the issues. This is what really separates this from the first book that makes it a "must-read." Overall, it's a great look at the world through the eyes of a very interesting man. A worthwhile read for anyone.

At the end of this 400+ page journey you'll tend to agree with Mick on two of the underlying themes that Mick weaves throughout the book.

1. The Real World IS Faker Than Wrestling

2. Foley IS Good.

Highest Recommendation Possible

ps: Btw, in case if some readers of the first book were wondering, yes, the Al Snow jokes (along with the Mean Street Posse and Test) are in here too :)

Even Triple H would say that this book can "hang with the Game." Mick Foley has done it once again, with his third successful book.

In "Foley Is Good, And the Real World Is Faker Than Wrestling," Mick Foley picks up right where he left off in his "towering best seller," "Have a Nice Day." In this book, he does talk about his life personally, but it is in no way an autobiography. It picks up where the other book ended, as Foley has just become the World Wrestling Federation Champion. Here, he chronicles some of his more important matches, as well as summarizes the last few years of his phenominal active wrestling career.

Foley also has a good time merely describing things that either bothers or amuses him, but he does so in such a straightforward, candid way, you can't help but enjoy the book. His top-ten lists are sensational, but the section of the book that I truly enjoyed the most was the very end, where Foley fights back against the PTC and numerous "studies" done against the WWF. Not only does he pick apart the reviews and court cases against professional wrestling, but he adds in his own research, which made for really interesting reading. More importantly, he is classic Mick Foley, and he is truly at his best.

When he wants to be, he is one of the funniest men around, and he peppers his writing, especially the argumentative writing at the end of the book, with this incredible humor. His writing style is unique in that it draws the reader in, and makes you feel as if you are simply having a conversation with him. He clearly has a knack for writing, and it shows.

This book is excellent, and just as good, if not better than his first blockbuster autobiography. I enjoyed it very much, and I urge everyone to read this book.

I actually bumped into Mick at one his wrestling gigs at a house show in November 1998, he had shaven his beard and he looked at me while walking around the arena. I never spoke to him, but he saw me, and though I was a big fan and I thought he was a very smart guy, something happened that I wasn't expecting. I actually felt scared of him; he looked pretty intense, he was a big man twice my size, and he was standing about 15 feet away from me. But I was wrong about Mick, there was nothing to be afraid of. (I later saw Al Snow, and felt no fear...true story!) After reading both "Have a Nice Day" and "Foley is Good," I realized what an interesting and funny guy he is. Mick Foley isn't just good... he's a great writer. He has an honest down to Earth writing style, fascinating stories, and of course a hilarious sense of humor. I loved "Foley is Good" just as much as "Have a Nice Day," and while I know that Mick has gone on to follow his passion and write fiction, I wish he'd come back some day and write another account of what's happening in his life. This guy can make a day spent at home lounging on the couch sound interesting, he's that, well, good. A great book for wrestling & non-wrestling fans alike. C'mon Mick, write another bio!

"Foley is Good" is a hilarious book about a wrestler who has worked his way into the hearts of his fans. Mick Foley once again demonstrates himself to be an articulate, humorous, grounded, and a genuinely interesting person with interesting opinions on a wide variety of subjects. As a big wrestling fan, I enjoyed the behind the scenes look of what was going on through his mind during the last few months of his wrestling career, just as I enjoyed learning of "angles" that never actually had a chance to transpire. Best of all, I laughed out-loud during many points of the book. Even though I knew F.I.G. would be on the Best Seller list and sold at a discount within a week, I bought it for full price as soon as I saw it. I am glad I did. It was that good. For non-wrestling fans, however, I think this book would hold less value. While Foley does describe his views on other reality-based subjects, these sections are mostly enjoyable because they are juxtaposed against the backdrop of wrestling, which is removed from reality. Therefore, great book for fans. Okay book for others. As a fan - 5 stars from me.

I will admit to being a Foley fan since the very first time I actually sat and watched a wrestling show. There is something about Mick Foley that I just can not explain. When his first book, "Have A Nice Day", was published we bought it immediately and both my husband and I read it, fighting for control over it, as we both didn't want to put it down. I really enjoyed getting the inside view of wrestling and of the life of my favorite wrestler Mick. But "Foley is Good" just blew me away. These two books are the only Autobiographies I have ever finished. Foley is funny, witty, heart touching, poinent, dramatic, and thought provoking.

His books are easy to read and even a non-wrestling fan would find them enjoyable just for the humor in them. But "Foley is Good" is more then just humor. He opens himself up to us all. We see his hopes, his dreams, his heartache for Owen Hart's tragic death, his feelings for his family, and his very strong views on the PTC among others. He talks of censurship, parenting, the hardship of attempting to live ones dream. He expresses regret and remorse of actions that he has taken that have upset his family. He was allowed and willing to express his opinion of things he think was/is done wrong in WWF today. You can see the love he has for his family. How much they mean to him. You can see his sense of honor. And his intelligence.

Yes this book is funny. I rarely laugh out loud when reading, but he had me laughing hard. I also rarely cry when reading, but the chapter on Owen did me in there. Yet what sticks in my mind the most was the feeling you get for Foley's love for life. He lives it to its fullest (and in some cases hardest). We could all learn from Foley about how to love, laugh, take responsiblity as parents, and cry.

The title says it all. Foley is Good.

Mick Foley's first book, Have a Nice Day, completely took the literary world by surprise. With its humorous anecdotes, touching stories, and frank honesty about his career and the world of professional wrestling, the book quickly became the standard to which all other wrestling books are compared. Well, guess what? With this new book, Mick Foley has just raised the bar again. If the first book was the opening match, the second is the main event.

Foley's first book provided readers with background information into the career and lifestyle of a professional wrestler. Foley is Good picks up immediately from the end of the first book, describing events that have occurred up to the present day. Foley's storytelling remains superb and wrestling fans will continue to be entertained with stories about WWF stars like The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Owen Hart.

What really makes this book stand out, however, is the unique insight Mick brings about professional wrestling and its place in modern culture. He openly addresses the concerns people have brought regarding the dangers of professional wrestling. (His Ten Commandments of backyard wrestling should be a must-read for all budding professional wrestlers.) Most intriguing of all are his comments about the PTC and the WWF, which is the most well-articulated and thoroughly researched defense of professional wrestling I have ever seen. He pulls no punches and will undoubtedly be criticized for some of his comments. Yet it is this last section that gives us the most insight into the mind and heart of Mick Foley, the man.

Readers already impressed with Foley's first book, Have a Nice Day, would do well to get their hands on this new book as soon as possible. Highest recommendation

This is an excellent book that should not be skipped over. His frequent Al Snow, Mean Street Posse, and Test jokes made me laugh so hard I cried. The book seems intimidating at first glance with over 500 pages, but you will fly through this book and want more. Overall this book is very addictive one that I had trouble putting down. The jokes are funny and the book is entertaining. This book deserves every bit of a five star rating.

I finished Foley's first book, "Have a Nice Day" in record time. In fact, I remember the night I bought it, I stayed awake until 3:00am, having read the entire book from cover to cover. As a life-long wrestling fan, I am amazed at Mick Foley's ability to remember (in great detail) the moments in his life that are now forever etched in the pages of a literary masterpiece. "Foley is Good"...if possible...is twice as good as Mick's first #1 New York Times Bestseller.

As I write this, I'm only on page 366. That won't deter my five star rating. The rest of this book could [stink] and I wouldn't be disappointed. I have laughed hard enough to almost suck a candy cane up my nose, and cried through pages 166-176, which honor the life and legacy of Owen Hart. I have relived an entire WWF Pay-Per-View from September 1996, and a match between Foley and Shawn Michaels that almost tore the roof from Philadelphia's First Union Center. (Mick remembers this contest as the Greatest Match of his career, and from the nosebleed section of the arena, I wholeheartedly agreed. It was my first time attending a PPV, and certainly a night I will never forget)

It is also clear in this book that Foley is a phenomenal human being...a man who loves life and loved his career...but prides himself on being a loving husband and father.

His total honesty is admirable, and it is with this approach that Mick tackles controversial topics like drug use in pro wrestling. The sincerity with which Foley writes is evident in a book that you'll have a hard time putting down.

The critics once said that a wrestler couldn't be a writer...and that once he became a writer, he wouldn't sell his books. Mick Foley made the impossible possible...AGAIN.

If you are a wrestling fan, and if you read and enjoyed Mick Foley's first book, "Have A Nice Day", chances are you will enjoy this book as well. If anything, "Foley is Good" seems like a supplement to the first book, updating readers on the two years or so worth of events that have occurred since the first book was published.

Personally, I found that I enjoyed the first book a little more, if only because that book covered a much larger timeframe and therefore is a more expansive story, while the second book covers such a brief timeframe in comparison that the story doesn't seem as complete. However, you will find the same humor and backstage insight that made the first book so entertaining, as well as Foley's interesting and well thought out opinions on various subjects facing the wrestling business today. Some of the chapters where Foley defends the WWF against its many critics are stronger than others - Foley's section on drugs in wrestling is rather shallow and his piece defending Vince McMahon comes off too much like it was written by the WWF PR department. However, Foley's obviously well-researched and powerful attack against both the Parents Television Council and the controversial Indiana University study of the effects of wrestling on children were fascinating. The tactics used by the PTC are downright scary, and reading about Foley's attempts to contact the PTC directly to debate them was both hilarious and frightening (let's just say the PTC representative Foley talks to is no less than completely gutless). Equally funny was his recollection of the conversation he had with the professor in charge of the Indiana University study, and finding out exactly how liberal the professor was in defining offensive behavior (a female wrestler touching a male wrestlers arm was considered a "sexual act").

To be honest, I've never bought the whole "you'll love this book even if you aren't a wrestling fan" comments that some readers have made about Foley's books. This isn't a knock on Foley at all, I just simply can't see how a several hundred-page book focusing primarily on the wrestling business is going to hold the attention of someone who isn't a fan. If you are a fan, though, I can guarantee that this book will A) make you laugh B) provide interesting backstage stories and insights about events in and around the World Wrestling Federation post-1998 and C) open your eyes to the often less than ethical tactics of both the media and extremist organizations.