Will

I can't be the first one to say this, but if you're looking for a reason why at the 2022 Academy Awards Will Smith defied all sense of boundaries and norms to walk onstage and slap Chris Rock across the face, then look no further. The answers are here. But don't assume one single moment explains it. All of it explains it. All the hard work, the childhood abuse, the lucky breaks, the fear, the courage, the self-sacrifice and the self-centeredness—all of it is why he did it. It's who he is.

The flip side is that everything you DO love about Will Smith, none of that would exist without this highly flawed individual doing all the necessary groundwork in order to be rich and famous. The man is a bonified star in every sense of the word. And show more there are enough trials and tribulations throughout his life that he is certainly going to get his own biopic one day (think Elton John, Ray Charles or Elvis).

This is a great auto-biography, entertaining and thought-provoking, but holy cow Will Smith is the epitome of "never meet your heroes." show less

I find I don’t have a more favorable opinion of Will Smith than before I started this book.

I like to read smut and somehow listening to this memoir was far far more masturbatory. No one likes Will Smith as much as Will Smith and goodness did it show. 16 hours of this man and his ego stroking each other inside my AirPods.

It was an interesting read. Going in I had no real positive or negative feelings about Will Smith; I’ve watched and enjoyed his TV series and several of his movies. After reading this book I am not sure that he realizes how much sheer dumb luck has played in his life. So many others with talent and drive didn’t make it simply because they were not in the right place at the right time. The most adult thing I read in this book was a 12 year old Willow saying „poor Daddy, he has an image of a family in his head and it’s not us.“

I absolutely loved every single minute of this audiobook. I loved it so much that I order the hardcover today. There were some amazing truths about trauma healing. It was not a book about a rich and famous guy telling us all about his riches and fame. It was about a successful man pushed to perfection by his tainted self image and past hurts. He takes you through his life, the good and bad, to the point of a truer understanding of himself. It was beautiful.

4.5 stars

Growing up I was a huge fan of action star Will Smith - from The Fresh Prince to Independence Day to The Pursuit of Happyness, Will proved time and again the strength and calibre of his acting. So when I heard about his (audio)book I was intrigued.

The book is an in-depth look at the past 40 years of his life. It's honest, funny and thought-provoking. The first 3/4 of the book covers his childhood to rise to fame and is very entertaining - especially as he talks about the artistic journey behind some of his most famous films.
However, my favorite part of the book was the last quarter, when he talks about his struggles and lessons with finding happiness and purpose. I love learning about other peoples journeys and I appreciated show more his honesty and lessons.

Entertaining for all the Will Smith fans and interesting enough for those that aren't - I highly recommend! show less

Rating is for audiobook only, and I can’t imagine doing this book any other way. You must hear this in Smith’s voice or so much will be lost. I can see how hard-copy readers found him arrogant and the book ridiculous—you’ll miss the sarcasm, his laughing at himself, the music, the impressions, etc. Smith doing Schwarzenegger, Ali, and Mandela should not be missed. Highly entertaining book.

Excited to read this autobiography having fond memories watching Fresh Prince as a child. I was surprised how little I knew of his important involvement with the music industry. I enjoyed reading about his tours. Sometimes his personal descriptions made me feel as Ii was uncomfortably prying into his life, but as the book progressed, it became more philosophical, had references to literature (including a brilliant description of Joseph Campbell's Hero With a Thousand Faces book - obviously not just name dropping), and books that Will had not only read, but applied to his own life. Funny at times (his Mommom is truly inspirational in herself "CUT IT OFF!"), and heartfelt throughout, but mostly emphasises his love for his family. Will show more recommends Christopher Vogler's The Writer's Journey, and watching Dances With Wolves back to back with Avatar. show less