
No Is a Four-Letter Word: How I Failed Spelling but Succeeded in Life by Chris Jericho
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Warning: some stories have drinking and partying, a lot of drinking and partying. You may want to talk with your young reader about it first.
Chris Jericho is not a genius. He writes plainly, with humor, sometimes through hazy, party-hardy memories. But he works hard to learn from others, keep inspiring and reinventing himself – to BRING IT he needs to FEEL IT – and share stories and motivation with readers.
It’s easy to think of a hundred reasons why something won’t work but I’d rather find the reasons to MAKE it work. If you want your dreams to come true, stop thinking of excuses and start making realities. This is the way I’ve always lived my life and that credo remains my golden rule to this day. (Jericho, 28)
Author of four books with dual careers (lead singer for his rock band Fozzy and a WWE superstar) spanning decades, Jericho is better than a genius. With a loving family, good friends, supportive and respected co-workers, global travels, and self-contentment, Chris Jericho is an unexpected teacher. He’s not just another pretty face, self-indulgent performer, or mountain of muscle.
Reading this book created a fan. I read it as research for an article (“Why I Let My Kids Watch WWE”). I was looking for something about the WWE corporate culture. Instead, short, funny stories illustrated a simple lesson in each chapter. Jericho’s success story inspires fans of all ages because he achieved his childhood dream to be both a rockstar and a WWE star.
Referring to a scene from Dawn of the Dead,
There’s a lesson there: it may not be easy, but you can always find a way to make it work. Even if we’re talking about the struggles we face every day, it’s worth it to battle through the zombies to get what you want. (Jericho, 29)