Customer Reviews

World Wrestling Insanity: the Decline and Fall of a Family Empire

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I've read other wrestling books before but found this one stood out. The book found a way to combine humor with wrestling analysis that readers of James Guttman's work have come to apreciate. I was very happy with this book and was more than happy to reccommend it to other people.

After so many months of hype World Wrestling Insanity finally came out and I loved every minute of it. I thought that James Guttman did an excellent job of creating a book that is both fun to read and informative at the same time.

As a reader of Guttman's site since it opened, I've come to know what to expect from this book. He lets loose with his opinions and has lots to say about the McMahon family (good and bad). Even if you don't know JG, the description of the book should be enough to tell you what you need to know. With the photoshopped pics on the cover, you can tell right off the bat that you're going to get a book that doesn't take itself too seriously yet still makes a strong point.

From reading the book, many of Guttman's stories appear to be from WWE employees. You don't usually cite inside sources. James isn't a writer from another genre doing a wrestling book. He's a wrestling writer that obviously knows people in the industry. If an inside source gives an author information, the author shouldn't "cite" him I think.

This book was filled with news and humor. If you want a complete overview of WWE with sarcasm and information thrown in then this book won't disappoint.

The best part of "World Wrestling Insanity: The Decline and Fall of a Family Empire" is that it will always be there as a look at WWE's craziest and most insane time period. The author uses sarcasm and some really insightful quotes from people in the business to make his points. Years from now, I will be able to look back at this book as a snapshot of this time period in sports entertainment.

I found the best chapter to be the final one where he explains his love of the wrestling industry. I found myself nodding in agreement and even though I have gotten away from watching the WWE tv shows in the last few years this book helped me remember why I love it. And why I stopped watching it at times.

Author James Guttman speaks out to long-time fans and never-been fans all at the same time. It's what makes World Wrestling Insanity such a unique and fun read.

James Guttman uses a great sense of humor to develop major themes in the stagnation of the WWE.

He tackles the storylines that have pushed HHH to super-duper star status after he married into the McMahon family and serious topics like racisim and sexism through interviews with industry insiders like Tom Pritchard, Missy Hyatt, Terry Funk and D-Lo Brown.

The chapter on the bumbling and stumbling Diva Search was especially telling about a company that much too often demonstrates little clue on how to create unique storylines and equally proven inept in protecting new employees from abuse by "the boys in the locker room."

In a short section, Guttman questions why the wrestlers have yet to demand a union to better protect their rights as entertainers and a means to assist them upon retiring.

It is amazing that Vince McMahon has failed in every attempt to branch his product out from the core that is wrestling. His bodybuilding group folded after countless millions of dollars dumped into it began to have a bottom-line impact on the WWF and the XFL was an absolute joke. How about that slick reality show on MTV? Gone.

The McMahons take all criticism very personal, which is not unlike many entities in the sports and entertainment industries. But the McMahons have evolved the WWE into a family fun park and who cares if the public doesn't like the rides. Where else will a fan - or a wrestler - go?

At the end of the book, Guttman comes out as a person more concerned about the future of the company than those running the show.

I don't watch professional wrestling but my son does. When he got this book he said "Mom you have to read this so you can understand how crazy all this is." He said that the book would make sense of a lot of things and had a sarcastic humor that I would enjoy.

He was right. I really enjoyed this book and especially liked the writer's style. It was a fun book to read and not just a wrestling history book. It also allowed me to understand more about what my son's watching on TV. Although I'm not so sure that's a good thing - lol.

I never write reviews on the internet but I got this book last week at the mall and I couldn't putit down. I found it to be really funny, really informatve, and all around well written. I am also a big fan of Terry Funk and Elix Skipper so it was cool to hear what they had to say. Very good book. Five stars!!!

Great book. This is one of the only wrestling books I've ever read that could really reach out to a mainstream audience. I'm a diehard fan and I loved it but others who don't watch wrestling can get it too. It's different from most internet inspired wrestling titles but still has enough good writing and backstage stuff to keep the hardcore fans happy.

This book could be compared to "Deathof of WCW" and "Sex, Lies and Headlocks". It gives you insight informaston to what is going on in the WWE. You will find out what kind of guy Bob Holly really is.

James Guttman wrote a humorous overview of the state of World Wrestling Entertainment since the WWE/WCW merger five years ago. He attributes the recent decline in wrestling's popularity to the monopoly of the sport controlled by Vince McMahon. As there is little competition from other federations, McMahon is not compelled to provide shows and storylines that are interesting to fans. Rather, according to Guttman, the WWE has focused on topics that are interested to McMahon, such as the McMahon family, crude humor and a single wrestler, Triple-H. This is not a novel hypothesis, but Guttman offers his entertaining perspective.

Based on the title of the book, "The Decline and Fall of a Family Empire", I was expecting a chronological analysis of the WWE over the past decade, similar to the recent "Death of WCW" by R.D. Reynolds and Brian Alvarez. Rather, Guttman makes his case in a series of chapters explaining "what's wrong" with the current product. Perhaps, because we are still in the "decline" phase of the WWE, it is difficult to have the perspective on the WWE that Reynolds and Alvarez had for WCW.

I enjoyed the book because I can see Guttman's love of the sport of professional wrestling in his writing. Guttman is frustrated with the problems inthe industry for fans and wrestlers. He comments on the lack of opportunity for advancement for minority wrestlers that has restricted "ethnic" wrestlers (African-Americans, Pacific Islanders, Italian-Americans, for example) to dated stereotypes and the mid-card. Two chapters are devoted to labor-management issues in the WWE that have prevented the formation of a wrestler's union and instituted arbitrary rules on workers. A very funny chapter covers the ridiculous "Diva Search" and "Tough Enough" segments that used a considerable amount of television time, but did not result in the development of a single talented player for WWE. My favorite part of the book was the last two chapters where he defends his love of the sport of professional wrestling.

Overall, "The Decline and Fall of a Family Empire" is an easy read and enjoyable "rant" from an entertaining and humorous fan.

When I ordered this book I expected it to be no different than other ones that are out there. I thought it would be a look from one point of view at wrestling's top federation.

Instead the book had many different opinions from different people. Plus there was a TON of inside stuff. I especially liked the parts about behind the scenes at ECW One Night Stand 1.

The writer also added humor and insight that I have not seen before any other books about wrestling. I've suggested this book to many people already. It's a great way to understand the insanity of WWE so to speak.