22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Next best thing to talking to him!, November 12, 2000
This review is from: I'm Next: The Strange Journey of America's Most Unlikely Superhero (Hardcover)
This is a great book! I am a huge fan. However, I am also a "Pro Wrestling fan come lately". I didn't start watching until '99, well after Goldberg was established, and after the 175-0 streak. So it was awesome that I could catch up on all of the great stuff thatI missed!
This book was so compelling that I read it all the way through in less than 24 hours after it arrived! It was also so compelling that it prompted me to write my first ever Amazon.com book review! This book was obviously written in HIS own words, not some author's interpretation of his words. As I read it, I could almost hear Goldberg himself narrating it! It was a great, no BS book! Honest words from an honest guy.
Goldberg is a funny guy too, I never knew that! I can't count the number of times that the book made me actually laugh out loud! (The in-ring Ric Flair/Jackhammer quote is priceless!) The book is hugely informative, and sometimes over-informative! =) Everything you ever wanted to know, and then some!
I would almost give it 4 stars is because of the "then some" mentioned above. I really wasn't interested in reading about Great Great Grandma Wolfson from Russia etc, but hey, it's his book, I'm sure not gonna argue with him! Furthermore, if I ever meet him in person, I would never want him to know that I was the only chump at Aamzon.com who had the nerve to give Goldberg only 4 stars! Especially now that I know how driven he is too succeed in absolutely EVERYTHING that he does! I think he would take it too personally, and I just couldn't live with that kind of guilt! =) Goldberg is 5 star everything as far as I am concerned!
I do wish that there were a few more insights into the "behind the scenes" stuff, Pro Wrestling secrets like "The Iggy" signal that wrestlers give each other in the ring. I'd love to learn more about that stuff! But, nobody ever said that this was a Pro Wrestling expose' either =).
To sum it up, this book is the next best thing to actually being able to sit down with Da Man and talking for a few hours with him over a pitcher of Heineken. This book is about as close as many of us will ever get to William Scott Goldberg, the man. The goofy old pictures of little Billy alone are worth the price of the book! =) Lastly, too bad it didn't come out just a few weeks later. I'd love to hear his take on the latest Goldberg Vs. Ring post situation! I could have just written this review in 3 words - "Buy The Book"!
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Book About a Great Guy, July 23, 2001
This review is from: I'm Next: The Strange Journey of America's Most Unlikely Superhero (Hardcover)
When compared with its other wrestling brethren (auto)biographies, Bill Goldberg’s “I’m Next: The Strange Journey of America’s Most Unlikely Superhero” holds up well against it’s competition. Overall, this book was pretty good. It is great for what it is, a good look into his life (as all biographies SHOULD be) and a great look into how his wrestling character and career evolved.
Here’s what we learn about Goldberg:
1. First and foremost we learn about his football career (and perhaps manhood) ending injury.
2. How he got into the wrestling business through his association with tons of WCW wrestlers whom he worked out at the gym with including Sting, Luger, DDP and Buff Bagwell.
3. A VERY comprehensive look at how he broke into the business, including negotiating with both the WWF and WCW, his training at the WCW Power Plant and the evolution of the Goldberg character including look, fighting style, etc.
4. A comprehensive look at his ENTIRE WCW career from start to (at the time) present. It’s an honest, unbiased look at how Goldberg quickly rose through the ranks. He is very honest about his capabilities and how he has been privileged. He does not have a “big head” whatsoever.
5. A look into his family background. (with Guest Chapter Authoring’s by Goldberg’s dad and brother)
6. A look at his ENTIRE football career from high school to college to WFL (World League), brush with the Canadian CFL to the NFL.
In addition to this, you also get a great look into the MIND of Goldberg. He comes off as an intelligent and a very genuine individual who has deep beliefs and deep convictions. You’ll learn his views of how to handle business, his strong feelings for his family and friends, and his thoughts on other wrestlers and other celebrities, and his thoughts on religion (including a great view of how it is to be a ... role model), football and his deep love for his animals and his girlfriend.
Also, the book contains some GREAT anecdotes and stories from Bill’s life including his childhood, GREAT college football stories and an AWESOME SuperBowl story about him and Scott Steiner.
Here’s my rundown:
Great: The anecdotes and stories about his football career and his life in the public eye
Good: Delving deep into Goldberg’s mind. He comes across as just a GREAT guy, full of convictions and strong beliefs.
Cool: TONS of great pictures of him and his family, friends and other celebrity friends
For our wrestling fans: How he broke into the business and developed his character. It’s a great behind the scenes look.
Nice Touch: Having both his dad and brother write chapters in the book. He clearly is a strong family man.
Bad: Nothing at all
Summed up, this is just a great book to read. It may never become a “literary” classic, but it’s just a great biography about a great person and his story. Goldberg has often been harshly and sharply criticized, sometimes perhaps deservedly so. However, once you read his book he easily comes across as an honest man.
All in all, I highly recommend this to other wrestling fans. It’s a great look into the life and times of one of wrestling’s biggest contemporary stars. I also recommend this to those who want to BECOME a wrestler. It’s a good look into how one career evolved. You’ll benefit from what Bill has to say about getting into the business. Finally, I recommend this to anyone who just likes to read about other people’s lives. This is a great book to read. It’s funny and is just a great story. At about 245 pages I got through this in about 3 days, total reading time about 6 hours. This is a good book.
Recommended.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
a good but not great sports bio, December 20, 2000
This review is from: I'm Next: The Strange Journey of America's Most Unlikely Superhero (Hardcover)
Much like the recent WWF superstars' bios (Mick Foley, The Rock), the format of this book is all about eye-candy. Callouts, "chapter" headings, and the prolific use of b&w photos (with a color photo insert) all give this book a feeling similar to an illustrated graphic novel. Certainly, we can't all write literary autobiographies like Benjamin Franklin or Mark Twain! However, this book's chapters are so much shorter and choppier than the books of the two wrestlers mentioned above -- I found the staccato pacing a bit distracting. Some "chapters" were less than one page long, so it makes the reader wonder if they'd stand better when combined with other short chapters to form a more cohesive, better-flowing narrative. Still, I found valuable information about Goldberg as the man, and as the sports entertainment superstar. Kudos to him for all the charity work he does, and for the entertainment he provides the fans. A respectable effort, even if I felt it a bit stylistically wanting.
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