andrearbooks's review
4.0
Soulman: The Rocky Johnson Story by Rocky Johnson was a book I went into knowing very little. I saw The Rock had written the foreword, and it wasn't until I started reading that I realized, "Oh, that would make sense because Rocky is his dad." Anyway, that's about me, not the book. This is the story of Rocky's career in professional wrestling. He started young, then worked n a variety of regional promotions through the years. Throughout, he paints a vivid picture of what the life of a wrestler was like back then, and it wasn't always easy. It was lots of grinding to get to the top, and that required a lot of travel which meant that he wasn't home a lot. He also speaks to what it was like to be one of the first black wrestlers. This impacted how he was treated, as well as how he was pushed in different promotions. Given all the bells and whistles that come with wrestling these days, I find it interesting to read about what it was like "back when," and it was especially interesting given Rocky's perspective. Throughout he paints a honest picture of his story. Sometimes that means he brings to light where he struggled, and that makes his story all the more real. I literally only read this because it was recommended to me by the publisher (thanks ECW Press), so it was a surprise to read such a well-told and interesting story about a wrestling legend. Thanks to NetGalley for the look at this recent release.
bookanonjeff's review against another edition
5.0
The Rock's Dad Tells His Story - With An Introduction From The Rock. If you're a fan of professional wrestling, you need to read this book. If you're a fan of memoirs generally, you need to read this book. If you're just a fan of good, you need to read this book. No, this book won't educate you on any particular issue of great national or international importance. But it will tell you the story of one man's journey from being the grandson of a slave to being a Champion level professional wrestler across numerous territories and even in the early era of the now WWE's rise to dominance in the industry. The men Johnson interacted with and counted as friends are almost a Who's Who of legendary professional wrestlers and body builders, and he tells the stories of most of them. And yes, he even spends one chapter directly speaking of his son and his accomplishments before, during, and after WWE. Truly a remarkable tale, and absolutely very much recommended - even if you know nothing at all of professional wrestling and only know Rocky as Dwayne's Dad.
miramichireader's review
4.0
For true wrestling fans only. Lots of fight details and info about the wrestling world pre-WWE.
jill_rey's review against another edition
2.0
I recently read Self Help: Life Lessons from the Bizarre Wrestling Career of Al Snow, which was incredibly entertaining. So, I figured I would continue the professional wrestling theme and pick up this read. I am not familiar with the stereotypical “popular” and “famous” professional wrestlers having never followed the sport myself. However, I am extremely familiar with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, son of author Rocky Johnson and arguably a huge marketing draw to get consumers to pick up this book as Dwayne pens the book’s foreword as highlighted on the book’s cover. Yet, despite this draw, this book fails to entertain.
Rocky Johnson undoubtedly had a rewarding and successful career in professional wrestling, travelling across territories and continents to bring his talent to fans everywhere. Soulman: The Rocky Johnson Story is written to collectively capture Rocky’s life, yet the timeline is jumbled and entirely confusing. Rocky’s stories relied on readers having some previous understanding of the industry and industry language and lacked the entertainment factor. For someone that spent their career in the wrestling entertainment field I was hoping Rocky would have more hilarious tales and trials from raising a kid and spending many laboring decades as a professional wrestler. In addition, given the draw to his now world-famous son, very little ink was dedicated to Dwayne and Rocky’s relationship and upbringing.
*Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Rocky Johnson undoubtedly had a rewarding and successful career in professional wrestling, travelling across territories and continents to bring his talent to fans everywhere. Soulman: The Rocky Johnson Story is written to collectively capture Rocky’s life, yet the timeline is jumbled and entirely confusing. Rocky’s stories relied on readers having some previous understanding of the industry and industry language and lacked the entertainment factor. For someone that spent their career in the wrestling entertainment field I was hoping Rocky would have more hilarious tales and trials from raising a kid and spending many laboring decades as a professional wrestler. In addition, given the draw to his now world-famous son, very little ink was dedicated to Dwayne and Rocky’s relationship and upbringing.
*Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
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