12/01/2015
Former NFL superstar linebacker and current ESPN football analyst Lewis, with coauthor journalist Paisner's assistance, brags his way through his life story in this self-serving, self-promoting memoir. Following a lengthy description of his difficult, impoverished, and fatherless childhood, Lewis moves on to covering in impressive detail his successful high school football and wrestling careers but, oddly, he has little to say about his playing days at the University of Miami and for the Baltimore Ravens, other than boasting about recovering from devastating injuries to lead his team to a Super Bowl win and refusing to play for a college coach who wanted to make Lewis, then an incoming freshman, actually earn a starting position. Without a trace of humility or gratitude, Lewis sanctimoniously sermonizes about overcoming endless obstacles, boasts about his tenacity and talent, demonizes anyone who dares to doubt or disrespect him, and glosses over his controversial and reputation-shattering murder charge following a 2000 street fight. This is clearly an attempt to inspire young readers and restore his reputation, but it fails on both counts. VERDICT Light on facts yet heavy on attitude, this insubstantial and humorless, but unintentionally comical book can only be recommended as disposable light reading for undiscerning football fans.—Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia