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Mankind: Have a Nice Day - A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks
In Perfect Condition, the cover for the book is a tiny bit bent on some edges but rarely noticeable, the pages and everything else are in perfect condition
528 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
289 people are currently reading
4221 people want to read
About the author
Mick Foley
46 books389 followersMick Foley is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several memoirs, a WWE Hall of Famer, and the author of numerous books for children. He has appeared on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Late Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Good Morning America, Family Feud, Fox News, and has made several appearances on The Today Show. He was featured in a story on ABC’s World News Tonight for his work as an online volunteer with RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization. Foley was also recognized for his work with RAINN at the famous "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" – where he was awarded the Medal of Reasonableness from "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart. Follow him at @RealMickFoley.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 500 reviews
August 15, 2014
When I was about 11 or 12 most of the lads in my class were really big into professional wrestling. This mostly consisted of dropping piledrivers, powerbombs and inverted neckbreakers on each other. When I wasn't opening up a can of whoop-ass on my frineds I also watched the shows, read a couple of autobiographies and even learned the terminology. Example: 'The face beat the heel in order to get over'. If you don't understand that, you're a 'mark'. Sorry. (Incidentally there's a pretty big overlap between wrestling and carnie terminology). Although It's been around 5 years since I read this book or followed wrestling seriously I still remember this one as the stand-out in the genre (do the ghost-written life-stories of guys who pretend to fight in their underwear count as a literary genre?). But I digress; Foley's warm, humorous accounts of his life make this both the definitive book of it's kind and also more than 'just' a wrestling book.
Whereas other wrestling books tend to follow a predictable formula and to have a similar tone this one was unique. Unlike all of the other 'autobiographies', this one was actually written by the man himself. Wrestlers' autobiographies (even to my 12 year old sense of literary worth) often seemed like lazy, cynical attempts to make money and settle scores with people the writer had a grudge against (the entire 'genre' often reminded me of the Christmas special episode of father Ted where Ted makes a speech in which all of the people he wants to mention are grouped into the categories 'liars' and 'wankers'. A classic ep.). However in this book Foley demonstrates a genuine love of writing. While that love of writing has resulted in this book being somewhat overly drawn out (about 2 to 3 times the length of most wrestling books) it also resulted in a level of candour, intelligence and good-humour completely unmatched by any other books in the genre.
Overall this is both the definitive wrestling book and a good book read on it's own merits. While wrestling fans will likely appreciate more of the references and insights this is the only book of it's type that I would also recommend to someone who has no interest in or knowledge of pro wrestling.
Whereas other wrestling books tend to follow a predictable formula and to have a similar tone this one was unique. Unlike all of the other 'autobiographies', this one was actually written by the man himself. Wrestlers' autobiographies (even to my 12 year old sense of literary worth) often seemed like lazy, cynical attempts to make money and settle scores with people the writer had a grudge against (the entire 'genre' often reminded me of the Christmas special episode of father Ted where Ted makes a speech in which all of the people he wants to mention are grouped into the categories 'liars' and 'wankers'. A classic ep.). However in this book Foley demonstrates a genuine love of writing. While that love of writing has resulted in this book being somewhat overly drawn out (about 2 to 3 times the length of most wrestling books) it also resulted in a level of candour, intelligence and good-humour completely unmatched by any other books in the genre.
Overall this is both the definitive wrestling book and a good book read on it's own merits. While wrestling fans will likely appreciate more of the references and insights this is the only book of it's type that I would also recommend to someone who has no interest in or knowledge of pro wrestling.
June 8, 2022
This isn't a biography. This is epic, a novel concept. This is about a seemingly ordinary man and his dreams. How he let his body be crushed but not his dreams. He kept them alive as much as they kept him alive. A family man, a decent person. A happier ending, he made it, then got out on his own terms.
This isn't a biography. This is literature, as close to literature as biographies can be or can get.
Bravo.
July 18, 2010
Never been a fan of wrestling. Yes, I just started a review with a segment and not a sentence. In truth, I knew who Mick Foley was before I read this book because a friend and fellow comedian was obsessed with wrestling. He handed me this weighty tome and declared it "the best wrestling book ever".
"Wow", I thought. "That's a bit like saying Paris Hilton is the queen of the spoiled, rich whores." No offense to whores. Anyway, I got about twenty-five pages in before I understood that beneath that mask of scars and missing teeth, there lurked a budding writer in Mick Foley. He has now gone on to refine that talent (likely with the same, unwavering determination he displays in Blood And Sweatsocks - his preferred title for this book). Also, it occurred to me the many parallels between the struggling, road-wrestler and the struggling road-comic, but I'll leave that aside and stick to the germane.
An autobiography that reads like a Hollywood feel-goodery, Blood And Sweatsocks covers Mick Foley from his awkward high-school days to the pinnacle of his career as a professional wrestler. Caveat Emptor: This is not a wrestling book. It's a tale of determination, sacrifice, pain, and grit standing triumphant in he face of great adversity.
The only real problem I've ever had with the book is Foley's aw-shucks humility and demurral. He describes himself as having a thimble-full of talent. Sorry, Mick. You're talent-rich. Jackpot. The insistence that he is an everyman is very inspiring but not very true. It's reminiscent of Steve Prefontaine, who was wont to downplay his own natural talents.
Here we have a humble hero who wins largely because he is simply more clever than most and more athletic than many. Don't let the roly-poly goofball silliness fool you: Foley was a very good wrestler. What made him a "great" was his understanding of theater, story, motivation, character, and business - all of which is in display in his writing.
There. Nitpick over. Enjoy.
"Wow", I thought. "That's a bit like saying Paris Hilton is the queen of the spoiled, rich whores." No offense to whores. Anyway, I got about twenty-five pages in before I understood that beneath that mask of scars and missing teeth, there lurked a budding writer in Mick Foley. He has now gone on to refine that talent (likely with the same, unwavering determination he displays in Blood And Sweatsocks - his preferred title for this book). Also, it occurred to me the many parallels between the struggling, road-wrestler and the struggling road-comic, but I'll leave that aside and stick to the germane.
An autobiography that reads like a Hollywood feel-goodery, Blood And Sweatsocks covers Mick Foley from his awkward high-school days to the pinnacle of his career as a professional wrestler. Caveat Emptor: This is not a wrestling book. It's a tale of determination, sacrifice, pain, and grit standing triumphant in he face of great adversity.
The only real problem I've ever had with the book is Foley's aw-shucks humility and demurral. He describes himself as having a thimble-full of talent. Sorry, Mick. You're talent-rich. Jackpot. The insistence that he is an everyman is very inspiring but not very true. It's reminiscent of Steve Prefontaine, who was wont to downplay his own natural talents.
Here we have a humble hero who wins largely because he is simply more clever than most and more athletic than many. Don't let the roly-poly goofball silliness fool you: Foley was a very good wrestler. What made him a "great" was his understanding of theater, story, motivation, character, and business - all of which is in display in his writing.
There. Nitpick over. Enjoy.
December 9, 2023
It starts with how Mick lost his ear instead of writing things chronologically, which is a good thing as it’s just really hard not to get instantly hooked by that story. There are so many cool stories from all over the world and in many different organizations. He also gives some jabs to other wrestlers. Some fun and playful, others not so much.
Mick Foley is clever, funny and lived through an extreme career in pro wrestling. Entertainment guaranteed even if you’re not a wrestling fan. Though, if you’re a pro wrestling fan, this one and Chris Jericho’s first autobiography are must reads. Plain and simple.
Mick Foley is clever, funny and lived through an extreme career in pro wrestling. Entertainment guaranteed even if you’re not a wrestling fan. Though, if you’re a pro wrestling fan, this one and Chris Jericho’s first autobiography are must reads. Plain and simple.
April 16, 2012
Pro-Wrestling? PRO-WRESTLING??? But that's just FAKE!!! Only retards like pro-wrestling.
Okay. Here goes. I am a fan of pro-wrestling and this is me coming out of the pro-wrestling closet.
I wasn't a fan before I read this book though. It wasn't even on my radar as anything I would ever be remotely interested in. Not even as a youngster. Then, on a complete whim, I read this autobiography and it changed my brain. My eyes were opened to a world I had not even realised existed. And isn't that the point of reading, regardless of the subject matter?
What you have to understand is that what you see in the ring when you watch a wrestling match is exactly what the nightwatch-man saw from his lookout post on the Titanic; just the tip of the iceberg. Wrestling goes all the way down into the dark places where light does not penetrate. Wrestling is in our bones. I guarantee you that prehistoric peoples, sitting round campfires after a hard days hunting and foraging, regularly pissed themselves laughing at two mates throwing each other about just for the hell of it. We are programmed to respond to wrestling.
A big, fat, hairy, ugly guy walks up to the ring and the crowd boos because he is obviously evil. A muscular, square-jawed, handsome man wearing white enters the ring and we cheer because he is obviously the hero. It is the unwritten justice-system of the masses. If you are unattractive on the outside then the immediate concensus is that you will be ugly on the inside and vice versa. In wrestling the crowd decide everything. If you are booed you are a heel, cheered and you are a babyface.
The two men lock-up. One tries to get the better of the other. The oldest story in existence commences - the struggle between good and evil - told by two virtually naked performers without words or scenery or stand-ins or special-effects. The only storytelling instruments at their disposal are their bodies and what they can do with them and in the ring only actions count. Action is character. If the hero is honourable then the crowd will love him, unless he becomes arrogant or a bully. Then they will boo the hero and cheer the villan or the underdog. In wrestling, as in real-life there are unspoken rules; what we aspire to in our heroes and despise in our villans; the best and worst aspects of ourselves.
When done correctly wrestling can have thousands of people on the edge of their seats experiencing dire anticipation, yelling with excitement, laughing out loud, rendered speechless by an unexpected outcome or shouting in disgust at an unwanted result.
Modern wrestling is a multi-million dollar business and as well as huge success big money can bring even greater depths and darkness. Bodies are battered and broken and yet scheduled stories must continue to be told or else executives in suits worry that fans will switch off their televisions. Families are essentially abandonned as fathers go on the road for weeks on end. Alcoholism, drug-abuse, steroids, early-deaths, suicides, concussions, big-paychecks and then no paychecks, groupies, the mania of the packed stadium followed by the come-down of a cheap motel room with nothing but the chronic pain of an old injury to keep you company. And all the while there is the all-pervading knowledge that no one respects what you are doing. There is no mainstream acceptance. You are not thought of as an athlete or a talented performer, you are nothing more than a dumb wrestler - a fake. The world of Pro-wrestling is the last remnant of the travelling circus and the carnival freakshow and for better or worse there is nothing else like it left on earth.
All of it and more is to be found in this book. Mick Foley is one of the most interesting people ever to lace up a pair of spandex boots. And that is saying something in a world that attracts such extreme individuals. Also, it is nothing short of a miracle that considering the style of wrestling that he not only took part in, but essentially created - hardcore - that he has any functioning brain cells left to write with.
I seriously doubt that anyone will ever read this book based on what I have written here but believe it or not, it is a very strange tale that Mamma Foley's little boy has to tell and he does it very well. Better than you or I would after taking all those chair-shots.
PJD
Okay. Here goes. I am a fan of pro-wrestling and this is me coming out of the pro-wrestling closet.
I wasn't a fan before I read this book though. It wasn't even on my radar as anything I would ever be remotely interested in. Not even as a youngster. Then, on a complete whim, I read this autobiography and it changed my brain. My eyes were opened to a world I had not even realised existed. And isn't that the point of reading, regardless of the subject matter?
What you have to understand is that what you see in the ring when you watch a wrestling match is exactly what the nightwatch-man saw from his lookout post on the Titanic; just the tip of the iceberg. Wrestling goes all the way down into the dark places where light does not penetrate. Wrestling is in our bones. I guarantee you that prehistoric peoples, sitting round campfires after a hard days hunting and foraging, regularly pissed themselves laughing at two mates throwing each other about just for the hell of it. We are programmed to respond to wrestling.
A big, fat, hairy, ugly guy walks up to the ring and the crowd boos because he is obviously evil. A muscular, square-jawed, handsome man wearing white enters the ring and we cheer because he is obviously the hero. It is the unwritten justice-system of the masses. If you are unattractive on the outside then the immediate concensus is that you will be ugly on the inside and vice versa. In wrestling the crowd decide everything. If you are booed you are a heel, cheered and you are a babyface.
The two men lock-up. One tries to get the better of the other. The oldest story in existence commences - the struggle between good and evil - told by two virtually naked performers without words or scenery or stand-ins or special-effects. The only storytelling instruments at their disposal are their bodies and what they can do with them and in the ring only actions count. Action is character. If the hero is honourable then the crowd will love him, unless he becomes arrogant or a bully. Then they will boo the hero and cheer the villan or the underdog. In wrestling, as in real-life there are unspoken rules; what we aspire to in our heroes and despise in our villans; the best and worst aspects of ourselves.
When done correctly wrestling can have thousands of people on the edge of their seats experiencing dire anticipation, yelling with excitement, laughing out loud, rendered speechless by an unexpected outcome or shouting in disgust at an unwanted result.
Modern wrestling is a multi-million dollar business and as well as huge success big money can bring even greater depths and darkness. Bodies are battered and broken and yet scheduled stories must continue to be told or else executives in suits worry that fans will switch off their televisions. Families are essentially abandonned as fathers go on the road for weeks on end. Alcoholism, drug-abuse, steroids, early-deaths, suicides, concussions, big-paychecks and then no paychecks, groupies, the mania of the packed stadium followed by the come-down of a cheap motel room with nothing but the chronic pain of an old injury to keep you company. And all the while there is the all-pervading knowledge that no one respects what you are doing. There is no mainstream acceptance. You are not thought of as an athlete or a talented performer, you are nothing more than a dumb wrestler - a fake. The world of Pro-wrestling is the last remnant of the travelling circus and the carnival freakshow and for better or worse there is nothing else like it left on earth.
All of it and more is to be found in this book. Mick Foley is one of the most interesting people ever to lace up a pair of spandex boots. And that is saying something in a world that attracts such extreme individuals. Also, it is nothing short of a miracle that considering the style of wrestling that he not only took part in, but essentially created - hardcore - that he has any functioning brain cells left to write with.
I seriously doubt that anyone will ever read this book based on what I have written here but believe it or not, it is a very strange tale that Mamma Foley's little boy has to tell and he does it very well. Better than you or I would after taking all those chair-shots.
PJD
March 13, 2017
Let's get this out of the way 1st-- I LOVE WWE + wrasslin'. From the age of 6, when I watched my 1st WWE match featuring 'Macho Man' Randy Savage, I was (and still am) hooked. Hell, I just spent hundreds of dollars this Nov, 2016, to attend Survivor Series in Toronto. I even had to FLY there, yet it was still the closest PPV to come to Canada in years, so I HAD to be there. So, this is to let you know that I would be inclined to like this book regardless of how 'good' it actually is....BUT, as a reader, teacher, and a person with a BA in English, I can ALSO attest to the fact that this book is GOOD. Mick Foley is a smart, witty, funny person and this comes through in his writing. This book unlocked a special skill - writing - as he has written several books since this one. If you are at all interested in wrestling, life on the road, following your dreams, performing for crowds, and just plain insanity, this book will reveal all of that for you. An incredible read by a great wrestler AND a great writer.
June 17, 2008
In case my friends are wondering why I read this one, there are two reasons:
1. I'm doing research for something I'm writing
2. I used to really love wrestling, at least until I started college.
Anyway, I suspect I would have devoured this book if I'd read it at the height of my wrestling obsession. As it is, I got through it pretty quickly, but that's because I was able to skim through a lot of the endless repetition.
It's kind of interesting, but spends way too much time on blow-by-blow accounts of the matches, rather than discussing the human elements of his story. Plus, as he notes in his foreword, he handwrote 796 pages in 7 weeks, and it's obvious that they rushed it. With a good editor, this could have been a really good 300 page autobiography, instead of a repetitive 500 page, typo-ridden (inexcusable!) ramble.
And now I just realized that my longest review on goodreads is about a WWF autobiography.
1. I'm doing research for something I'm writing
2. I used to really love wrestling, at least until I started college.
Anyway, I suspect I would have devoured this book if I'd read it at the height of my wrestling obsession. As it is, I got through it pretty quickly, but that's because I was able to skim through a lot of the endless repetition.
It's kind of interesting, but spends way too much time on blow-by-blow accounts of the matches, rather than discussing the human elements of his story. Plus, as he notes in his foreword, he handwrote 796 pages in 7 weeks, and it's obvious that they rushed it. With a good editor, this could have been a really good 300 page autobiography, instead of a repetitive 500 page, typo-ridden (inexcusable!) ramble.
And now I just realized that my longest review on goodreads is about a WWF autobiography.
July 6, 2010
"I can't believe I lost my fucking ear; bang bang!" This should be a mandatory purchase for every serious wrestling fan.
April 11, 2015
Mick Foley is one of the best ring performers in the past thirty years. I say that because I've been watching wrestling for the past thirty years (admittedly, starting at the ripe old age of four). As Cactus Jack, Mankind, and Dude Love, he created three of the most memorable wrestling personas I can think of.
When Mick first debuted in 1991 on World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Cactus Jack, I was legitimately terrified of the man. His matches were full of brutality, acrobatics unexpected of a man his size, and enough overacting you believed the man had a screw loose. The actual Mick Foley is pretty much the opposite of eccentric characters. He's a dorky quirky guy who has a near-endless amount of funny stories to share about his fellow wrestlers. Have a Nice Day is the first of three autobiographies he's written and the largest at about seven hundred and fifty pages. It chronicles Mick's life from his Bloomington, Indiana childhood to his first retirement in 2000.
Due to the fact said retirement didn't "stick" and he was wrestling with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as late as 2014, this autobiography is by no means complete but that doesn't mean it's not entertaining as hell. It is a crime Have a Nice Day isn't available in Kindle format and I encourage my readers go to Amazon.com and say they want to see it released as such. The heart of the book is Mick's easy-going narrative, which is seemingly one amusing anecdote after another. The book opens up with a horrific story about how Mick lost his ear in a match with fellow wrestler Big Van Vader, only to make the story darkly hilarious as he ended up having to explain to a German nurse how he got injured doing a "fake sport."
The book is littered with stories both funny as well as moving as we watch Mick Foley move from obscurity to becoming the sort of man who might win the World Championship Belt. Wrestling is scripted but it is a massive competition both behind the scenes and on the mat to distinguish yourself enough to win a push to the spotlight. Listening to the stories Mick has to share about both the WCW, ECW, and WWE's backstage politics will give you a new respect for anyone who manages to make it big. Wrestlers have to work their asses off in order to make any money in the business and frequently injure themselves in order to do the sort of crowd-pleasing moves necessary to make themselves famous.
There's moments of tenderness, too, like Mick Foley's tribute to Owen Hart and talk about his relationship with Brian Pillman (both men dying tragically at a very young age). We also get a moving account of his romance as well as sustained relationship with Colette Foley, a woman who is, in Mick's own words, far too good for him. Mick isn't a professional writer but this doesn't hurt him in the slightest as it goes well with his informal conversational tone. At the end of the book, I feel like I'd come to know the oddball professional wrestler and would likely have called him friend if we'd ever shared a workspace.
One of my favorite stories from the volume was Mick sharing how he first got inspired to enter professional wrestling by watching "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka climb to the top of a steel cage and jump down onto his opponent. It's a story with a funny twist at the end because he'd snuck away from college to go see the match against his parent's wishes, only for them to see him sitting in the third row on television (due to his very recognizable trademark flannel shirts). Another tale which I loved was Mick trying to deal with Vince McMahon's good-natured attempts to help his career by giving him truly horrendous gimmicks like "Mason the Mutilator" amongst other dumb stage names.
The book also contrasted and compared the benefits of wrestling in the WWE, the WCW, Japan, ECW, and the independent circuit. Mick Foley has worked in all four promotions and gone back to them after serving in others so we get his initial perspective as well as some after the fact. Mick talks about the fans of each promotion too and what they reacted to. I especially loved how he decided his "gimmick" for the ECW would be to be a guy who loved the WCW and hated hardcore wrestling. That's adorable. Less adorable being the description of how many injuries Mick Foley has sustained in pursuit of his craft.
Through Mick Foley, I got to know such individuals as Terry Funk, Diamond Dallas Page, Steve Austin, and Vince McMahon. We also get Mick Foley's opinion on some famous moments of wrestling history such as the folding of WCW and the infamous Montreal Screwjob. The truly impressive thing about this book is that I think non-wrestling fans would enjoy this book almost as much as wrestling ones.
And that's amazing.
10/10
When Mick first debuted in 1991 on World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Cactus Jack, I was legitimately terrified of the man. His matches were full of brutality, acrobatics unexpected of a man his size, and enough overacting you believed the man had a screw loose. The actual Mick Foley is pretty much the opposite of eccentric characters. He's a dorky quirky guy who has a near-endless amount of funny stories to share about his fellow wrestlers. Have a Nice Day is the first of three autobiographies he's written and the largest at about seven hundred and fifty pages. It chronicles Mick's life from his Bloomington, Indiana childhood to his first retirement in 2000.
Due to the fact said retirement didn't "stick" and he was wrestling with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as late as 2014, this autobiography is by no means complete but that doesn't mean it's not entertaining as hell. It is a crime Have a Nice Day isn't available in Kindle format and I encourage my readers go to Amazon.com and say they want to see it released as such. The heart of the book is Mick's easy-going narrative, which is seemingly one amusing anecdote after another. The book opens up with a horrific story about how Mick lost his ear in a match with fellow wrestler Big Van Vader, only to make the story darkly hilarious as he ended up having to explain to a German nurse how he got injured doing a "fake sport."
The book is littered with stories both funny as well as moving as we watch Mick Foley move from obscurity to becoming the sort of man who might win the World Championship Belt. Wrestling is scripted but it is a massive competition both behind the scenes and on the mat to distinguish yourself enough to win a push to the spotlight. Listening to the stories Mick has to share about both the WCW, ECW, and WWE's backstage politics will give you a new respect for anyone who manages to make it big. Wrestlers have to work their asses off in order to make any money in the business and frequently injure themselves in order to do the sort of crowd-pleasing moves necessary to make themselves famous.
There's moments of tenderness, too, like Mick Foley's tribute to Owen Hart and talk about his relationship with Brian Pillman (both men dying tragically at a very young age). We also get a moving account of his romance as well as sustained relationship with Colette Foley, a woman who is, in Mick's own words, far too good for him. Mick isn't a professional writer but this doesn't hurt him in the slightest as it goes well with his informal conversational tone. At the end of the book, I feel like I'd come to know the oddball professional wrestler and would likely have called him friend if we'd ever shared a workspace.
One of my favorite stories from the volume was Mick sharing how he first got inspired to enter professional wrestling by watching "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka climb to the top of a steel cage and jump down onto his opponent. It's a story with a funny twist at the end because he'd snuck away from college to go see the match against his parent's wishes, only for them to see him sitting in the third row on television (due to his very recognizable trademark flannel shirts). Another tale which I loved was Mick trying to deal with Vince McMahon's good-natured attempts to help his career by giving him truly horrendous gimmicks like "Mason the Mutilator" amongst other dumb stage names.
The book also contrasted and compared the benefits of wrestling in the WWE, the WCW, Japan, ECW, and the independent circuit. Mick Foley has worked in all four promotions and gone back to them after serving in others so we get his initial perspective as well as some after the fact. Mick talks about the fans of each promotion too and what they reacted to. I especially loved how he decided his "gimmick" for the ECW would be to be a guy who loved the WCW and hated hardcore wrestling. That's adorable. Less adorable being the description of how many injuries Mick Foley has sustained in pursuit of his craft.
Through Mick Foley, I got to know such individuals as Terry Funk, Diamond Dallas Page, Steve Austin, and Vince McMahon. We also get Mick Foley's opinion on some famous moments of wrestling history such as the folding of WCW and the infamous Montreal Screwjob. The truly impressive thing about this book is that I think non-wrestling fans would enjoy this book almost as much as wrestling ones.
And that's amazing.
10/10
December 11, 2023
Mick Foley's autobiography is like the holy bible for Pro Wrestling. Not only is it a very personal account of one man's journey to becoming a wrestling legend, but it also serves as a history book for capturing the times and events of the 80's-90's wrestling scene, and the birth of the Attitude Era of Professional Wrestling. Mick Foley manages to do this by not only sharing his story, but also including stories of several other wrestling legends and behind the scenes personalities that you would normally not hear from, and makes you feel like you are truly on this ride with him.
I think one thing that makes this book so damn good, and could even extend past just Wrestling Fan's appreciation of it, is that Foley's story of following his dream, and all of his hardships and broken hearts and dreams, is that it is a very personal and relatable story. We all have had that childhood dream, we have all been through hardships in trying to chase said dream, and we've all experienced hardships at our careers, whether that was feeling underappreciated, misjudged, or not seen in the right light. Even if you're not a wrestling fan or a fan of Foley (or have any knowledge of him), this book captures the worker's dream. And particularly, the dream of the everyman and everywoman.
Foley is also just a great storyteller. This is definitely a guy who's been through this business and has worked his way from the bottom to the top. So he has both the airs of that old wise man, but also is very down to earth when it comes to telling his stories. And the best ones in this book aren't even about him retelling certain wrestling events or matches (Though the insights and ideas that inspired them are entertaining), its more of the behind the scenes stories of being on the road and rooms he's shared with others, that are really the meat of this book. Genuinely some of the funniest, and most down to earth stories I've ever read. Mick Foley absolutely has a gift with humor and storytelling. I think still to this day, his DDP story has to be my favorite. But his many Al Snow jabs were also classics.
Overall, just a great read, written incredibly well, and full of humor, insight, and relatable situations and aspirations. Foley is definitely a master storyteller.
I think one thing that makes this book so damn good, and could even extend past just Wrestling Fan's appreciation of it, is that Foley's story of following his dream, and all of his hardships and broken hearts and dreams, is that it is a very personal and relatable story. We all have had that childhood dream, we have all been through hardships in trying to chase said dream, and we've all experienced hardships at our careers, whether that was feeling underappreciated, misjudged, or not seen in the right light. Even if you're not a wrestling fan or a fan of Foley (or have any knowledge of him), this book captures the worker's dream. And particularly, the dream of the everyman and everywoman.
Foley is also just a great storyteller. This is definitely a guy who's been through this business and has worked his way from the bottom to the top. So he has both the airs of that old wise man, but also is very down to earth when it comes to telling his stories. And the best ones in this book aren't even about him retelling certain wrestling events or matches (Though the insights and ideas that inspired them are entertaining), its more of the behind the scenes stories of being on the road and rooms he's shared with others, that are really the meat of this book. Genuinely some of the funniest, and most down to earth stories I've ever read. Mick Foley absolutely has a gift with humor and storytelling. I think still to this day, his DDP story has to be my favorite. But his many Al Snow jabs were also classics.
Overall, just a great read, written incredibly well, and full of humor, insight, and relatable situations and aspirations. Foley is definitely a master storyteller.
December 1, 2024
It's not a normal read for me, but it's very fascinating. I have always loved wrestling, and Mick Foley is one of my favorites. I hope to read more of the books he has written.
Some of the stories that he shared i had already heard in watching documentaries or interviews, but it was neat to see how he told it in his own voice.
I am so glad I own a copy as the images included really added to the stories.
Some of the stories that he shared i had already heard in watching documentaries or interviews, but it was neat to see how he told it in his own voice.
I am so glad I own a copy as the images included really added to the stories.
July 23, 2023
3.5.
A little rambly, with pacing that goes all over the place, but Mick Foley has a great sense of humor and humility about himself. Plus, it was fun to read about his grievances with WCW and his general opinions on what makes a good match. A fun, breezy read.
A little rambly, with pacing that goes all over the place, but Mick Foley has a great sense of humor and humility about himself. Plus, it was fun to read about his grievances with WCW and his general opinions on what makes a good match. A fun, breezy read.
April 4, 2024
I'll admit I hadn't even heard of Mick Foley before picking this up; something about the insane cover and the way it stood out on the Little Free Library shelf got my attention, and once I did a little preliminary research on the man behind it I had to read his book. Foley, if you don't know, is known for having three distinct personae in the ring, with distinct styles, signature moves, and most importantly, personalities; he's also famously willing to risk his health to entertain his fans.
As someone with an extremely casual interest in wrestling, admittedly a lot went over my head, and I had to do mountains of research (watching matches and reading about other wrestlers about whom some familiarity is expected) to get the most out of this. The first half of the book, at least to a casual like me, is more engaging; it follows an awkward but passionate youngster as he falls in love with a controversial form of entertainment and proceeds to work his ass off in hopes of Making It. I particularly liked the chapters where a young Foley (then "Cactus Jack") goes abroad to wrestle out of a sort of desperation; the most interesting of these is his adventure in Burkina Faso (who expects to read about Thomas Sankara when he picks up a sports memoir?). There's a lot of juicy tidbits about what it takes to get ahead as an entertainer- Foley pulls no punches in describing the characters he meets along the way, diagnosing who will Make It and who won't, and why. He can be very harsh in these indictments, but is equally effusive with his praise of those he respects, e.g. one Terry Funk, who continued to put his life on the line for the crowds into his fifties.
Foley is quite transparent about the hybrid athleticism-entertainment nature of pro wrestling, candidly explaining that yes most matches are at least partially fixed, and there's usually some level of pre-planning between the wrestlers, but by no means is it all facade- these people are in fact getting hurt, sometimes quite badly, for the sake of a good show, and a competitor who can endure a beating (like Mick) is worth a hell of a lot more than one who only dishes it out (which seems obvious when you think about it- these people have to work together, and who will want to return for another match against someone who's going to cause more pain than he needs to?). This hybrid nature makes the sport, to me, a whole lot more exciting than the more "serious" and popular team sports; it's a world where personality counts for a lot, and novelty is the name of the game. In Foley's day especially it was something of a Wild West, with vague enough rules that all manner of hijinks were on the table- the involvement of wrestlers not billed for the event, the movement of the match out of the ring and into the changing rooms (or parking lot, or nearby riverbank, the world's your oyster), conflict with the referees, unplanned interference from the fans, whatever foreign objects you like, etc. It's also a small enough world that he got to know all the big names of the day, from The Rock to Steve Austin, and the masculine mutual respect between these people (not exclusively men- he shows clear admiration, bordering on fear, of the lady wrestler Chyna and her physical might) is a large part of what makes the story endearing, even if only those who have gone into the ring and done it can truly understand.
I'm glad I read this, as a massive departure from my usual reading material, but it drags on much too long. Athletes aren't known for their literary prowess, but Foley comes off as an intelligent man, and there are some surprisingly effective jokes (including "brick jokes", given the book's heft). I'm very happy to have read it for the loving spotlight in shines on a controversial and largely self-contained world, but I don't feel the need to read another sports memoir for quite some time. If this review makes you interested in Mick Foley but not enough to read his big book, I highly recommend you watch the legendary Hell in a Cell match against the Undertaker, as well as the gritty and Pynchonian pandemonium of the ECW chair-throwing incident (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxldO...).
A side note: he also voices "The Boulder" in Avatar: The Last Airbender, in case that sways you into Mr. Foley's corner.
Have a nice day!
As someone with an extremely casual interest in wrestling, admittedly a lot went over my head, and I had to do mountains of research (watching matches and reading about other wrestlers about whom some familiarity is expected) to get the most out of this. The first half of the book, at least to a casual like me, is more engaging; it follows an awkward but passionate youngster as he falls in love with a controversial form of entertainment and proceeds to work his ass off in hopes of Making It. I particularly liked the chapters where a young Foley (then "Cactus Jack") goes abroad to wrestle out of a sort of desperation; the most interesting of these is his adventure in Burkina Faso (who expects to read about Thomas Sankara when he picks up a sports memoir?). There's a lot of juicy tidbits about what it takes to get ahead as an entertainer- Foley pulls no punches in describing the characters he meets along the way, diagnosing who will Make It and who won't, and why. He can be very harsh in these indictments, but is equally effusive with his praise of those he respects, e.g. one Terry Funk, who continued to put his life on the line for the crowds into his fifties.
Foley is quite transparent about the hybrid athleticism-entertainment nature of pro wrestling, candidly explaining that yes most matches are at least partially fixed, and there's usually some level of pre-planning between the wrestlers, but by no means is it all facade- these people are in fact getting hurt, sometimes quite badly, for the sake of a good show, and a competitor who can endure a beating (like Mick) is worth a hell of a lot more than one who only dishes it out (which seems obvious when you think about it- these people have to work together, and who will want to return for another match against someone who's going to cause more pain than he needs to?). This hybrid nature makes the sport, to me, a whole lot more exciting than the more "serious" and popular team sports; it's a world where personality counts for a lot, and novelty is the name of the game. In Foley's day especially it was something of a Wild West, with vague enough rules that all manner of hijinks were on the table- the involvement of wrestlers not billed for the event, the movement of the match out of the ring and into the changing rooms (or parking lot, or nearby riverbank, the world's your oyster), conflict with the referees, unplanned interference from the fans, whatever foreign objects you like, etc. It's also a small enough world that he got to know all the big names of the day, from The Rock to Steve Austin, and the masculine mutual respect between these people (not exclusively men- he shows clear admiration, bordering on fear, of the lady wrestler Chyna and her physical might) is a large part of what makes the story endearing, even if only those who have gone into the ring and done it can truly understand.
I'm glad I read this, as a massive departure from my usual reading material, but it drags on much too long. Athletes aren't known for their literary prowess, but Foley comes off as an intelligent man, and there are some surprisingly effective jokes (including "brick jokes", given the book's heft). I'm very happy to have read it for the loving spotlight in shines on a controversial and largely self-contained world, but I don't feel the need to read another sports memoir for quite some time. If this review makes you interested in Mick Foley but not enough to read his big book, I highly recommend you watch the legendary Hell in a Cell match against the Undertaker, as well as the gritty and Pynchonian pandemonium of the ECW chair-throwing incident (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxldO...).
A side note: he also voices "The Boulder" in Avatar: The Last Airbender, in case that sways you into Mr. Foley's corner.
Have a nice day!
September 28, 2010
Mick Foley’s Have a Nice Day! A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks may have spurned an unfortunate number of wrestler-penned autobiographies (that I will never read), but it’s a good and amusing enough read that I understand why the trend (and Foley’s writing career—more books that I will never read) got rolling.
Mick Foley is that crazy wrestler. Not the one who puts up his hands to logically shield his head for a bump. Not the one who takes what could be a dangerous fall onto what ends up being a ridiculously obvious pile of fluff. Mick Foley was the guy who didn’t realize that being handcuffed and getting repeatedly brained by chair shots in front of your wife and kids would freak them out. (Wrassin’ didn’t seem all that fake to them.) Mick Foley was the guy who got thrown off the top of a 16-foot steel cage, straight through a table, only to climb right back on top to be thrown through the middle of it again, busting his tooth out through his nose. This wasn’t some backyard YouTube stunt either; this was at Wrestlemania (the biggest wrestling pay-per-view of the year—back when World Wrestling Entertainment was still the WWF and didn’t care about how clean their image was).
Seeing as how this mullet-wearing wrestler hobbles around these days, it would be fair to assume that he probably couldn’t write a good book, but Have a Nice Day! is an oddly endearing read. Though it focuses on Foley's struggles to pursue his dream, the classic tug of underdog overcoming the odds (and the sweetness of being a kid pursuing your dreams), the book obviously has its fair share of violence. In fact, I can still remember the opening scene more than a decade later: Foley has only used the f-word a few key times in his life. One of those times was when he got his head stuck between the ropes, and, when his opponent, a monstrous behemoth of a man, pulled him loose, two-thirds of his ear went sailing in to the crowd. F-word indeed.
Have a Nice Day! also manages to be poignant in covering the death of one of Foley’s wrestler friends. (Unfortunately, in an industry that loses far too many workers far too early, a fat slab of volumes could be written on the matter.) Additionally, though the book covers some behind the scenes dynamics—notably his mutual dislike for that whoo-bag Ric Flair—it doesn’t seem to be written for the hardcore wrestling crowd (who inevitably buy all these wrestler books and push them to the top of the New York Times bestseller list). The writing is nothing special, but a ghostwriter probably would’ve killed the honesty and the passion of the story, emphasizing all the wrong areas, so even if I think far too much slop has snuck in the door behind it, Have a Nice Day! is still a solid autobiographical read. Three stars.
Mick Foley is that crazy wrestler. Not the one who puts up his hands to logically shield his head for a bump. Not the one who takes what could be a dangerous fall onto what ends up being a ridiculously obvious pile of fluff. Mick Foley was the guy who didn’t realize that being handcuffed and getting repeatedly brained by chair shots in front of your wife and kids would freak them out. (Wrassin’ didn’t seem all that fake to them.) Mick Foley was the guy who got thrown off the top of a 16-foot steel cage, straight through a table, only to climb right back on top to be thrown through the middle of it again, busting his tooth out through his nose. This wasn’t some backyard YouTube stunt either; this was at Wrestlemania (the biggest wrestling pay-per-view of the year—back when World Wrestling Entertainment was still the WWF and didn’t care about how clean their image was).
Seeing as how this mullet-wearing wrestler hobbles around these days, it would be fair to assume that he probably couldn’t write a good book, but Have a Nice Day! is an oddly endearing read. Though it focuses on Foley's struggles to pursue his dream, the classic tug of underdog overcoming the odds (and the sweetness of being a kid pursuing your dreams), the book obviously has its fair share of violence. In fact, I can still remember the opening scene more than a decade later: Foley has only used the f-word a few key times in his life. One of those times was when he got his head stuck between the ropes, and, when his opponent, a monstrous behemoth of a man, pulled him loose, two-thirds of his ear went sailing in to the crowd. F-word indeed.
Have a Nice Day! also manages to be poignant in covering the death of one of Foley’s wrestler friends. (Unfortunately, in an industry that loses far too many workers far too early, a fat slab of volumes could be written on the matter.) Additionally, though the book covers some behind the scenes dynamics—notably his mutual dislike for that whoo-bag Ric Flair—it doesn’t seem to be written for the hardcore wrestling crowd (who inevitably buy all these wrestler books and push them to the top of the New York Times bestseller list). The writing is nothing special, but a ghostwriter probably would’ve killed the honesty and the passion of the story, emphasizing all the wrong areas, so even if I think far too much slop has snuck in the door behind it, Have a Nice Day! is still a solid autobiographical read. Three stars.
July 8, 2020
Mick Foley is one of those wrestlers that I enjoyed watching, but wouldn’t describe as a favourite. The book was cheap so I thought I’d give it a shot.
It’s a massive book, and I’m only about a third of the way through, but I wanted to write this while I remember.
The writing style is easy to read and as a result you sort of just go with the flow and find yourself reading way more than you maybe planned. There’s a certain humour to the writing that makes you happy the book is so thick.
When reading autobiographies, I tend to get most interested when I’m reading about a time frame I knew about - eg I watched Mankind in the WWF (as it was at the time), so I expected not to find his earlier work as interesting. I was wrong. His easy, seemingly honest writing got me hooked from the start and I find myself genuinely interested about his experiences before he got into WWE.
While I can’t recall exact examples (I’m not finding them, the book is massive) I do remember at least a couple parts where I thought he was being petty or he just didn’t come across as very likeable in that instance. That is, however the honesty I mentioned. He tells you everything from his point of view, and wether you think he was right or wrong is up to you to decide.
This book is written well, has some interesting stories and reads almost like someone is talking to you, rather than you reading it, it has that kind of easy flow and pull you in and keep you style.
This book has elevated Foley to one of my favourite wrestlers, so if you were already a fan you will definitely love this book!
It’s a massive book, and I’m only about a third of the way through, but I wanted to write this while I remember.
The writing style is easy to read and as a result you sort of just go with the flow and find yourself reading way more than you maybe planned. There’s a certain humour to the writing that makes you happy the book is so thick.
When reading autobiographies, I tend to get most interested when I’m reading about a time frame I knew about - eg I watched Mankind in the WWF (as it was at the time), so I expected not to find his earlier work as interesting. I was wrong. His easy, seemingly honest writing got me hooked from the start and I find myself genuinely interested about his experiences before he got into WWE.
While I can’t recall exact examples (I’m not finding them, the book is massive) I do remember at least a couple parts where I thought he was being petty or he just didn’t come across as very likeable in that instance. That is, however the honesty I mentioned. He tells you everything from his point of view, and wether you think he was right or wrong is up to you to decide.
This book is written well, has some interesting stories and reads almost like someone is talking to you, rather than you reading it, it has that kind of easy flow and pull you in and keep you style.
This book has elevated Foley to one of my favourite wrestlers, so if you were already a fan you will definitely love this book!
July 25, 2013
So, I'm not really a fan of wrestling, in that I don't quite get into the watching of it -- but the meta is fascinating, and listening to wrestling fans talk about wrestling is a blast. Which makes this book a fun read.
What makes it really hard to put down is that Foley is just a really goddamn fun narrator. He's got a voice. When something exciting happened, or when he was low, it's clear in the telling. He sounds like a dude telling you a story in the corner booth at a bar. (Including the parts when you zone out a little.)
All that is to say that I probably didn't get the same excitement from the wrestling stories that wrestling fans did; I just felt like he sounded like a cool dude.
I admire that he didn't sanitize the story for the sake of looking good, at least as far as I understand it. He's upfront about his feelings about other people, his mistakes, and disagreements. And he occasionally used language or make comments that even made me a bit uncomfortable, but that doesn't detract from his likability.
It's a fun human narrative with all sorts of heart and shit.
What makes it really hard to put down is that Foley is just a really goddamn fun narrator. He's got a voice. When something exciting happened, or when he was low, it's clear in the telling. He sounds like a dude telling you a story in the corner booth at a bar. (Including the parts when you zone out a little.)
All that is to say that I probably didn't get the same excitement from the wrestling stories that wrestling fans did; I just felt like he sounded like a cool dude.
I admire that he didn't sanitize the story for the sake of looking good, at least as far as I understand it. He's upfront about his feelings about other people, his mistakes, and disagreements. And he occasionally used language or make comments that even made me a bit uncomfortable, but that doesn't detract from his likability.
It's a fun human narrative with all sorts of heart and shit.
January 23, 2021
In two months it'll have been two decades since I read this, and I remember only a little bit about it. However, I remember that I liked it, and that should be good enough to justify the four stars I give it... although I've been mistaken with that before. Also, I must confess that I was a WWF fan back when I read this. Yes, back then it was WWF. This was before the wretched, loathsome, detestable World Wildlife Fund (or World Wide Fund for Nature [or World Wide Fuckheads]) sued them for sole use of the acronym. Yeah, I know they do noble work, or something, but I'm petty and don't care. Besides, they're rather Machiavellian in their tactics, and here's an article about how terrible they can be. Don't hurt the animals, but kill all the civilians you want, and we'll cover it up like Nixon with Watergate. It might be fake news for all I know (though I don't believe that), but I don't give a fuck, they can... Actually, I'll let D'Generation X take it from here.
"SUCK IT!"
Thanks. Anyway, I was a wrestling fan when I read this, I say, and I'm sure that affected how much I enjoyed the book. Mankind was my favorite wrestler with The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin close behind him. Plus Mick Foley (Mankind's real name) wrote it himself without a ghostwriter, and that's impressive. I later learned that a lot of wrestlers are actually quite intelligent, and nothing like the doofusy jerks they sometimes portray. I used to work with someone who worked for the WWF and knew all of them in the late 90's and early 00's, and she gave me the skinny on some of my faves. I also had the chance to meet Mick Foley a few years later at another job where he happened to be one of our donors.
(June, 2009... Wow, was that really over 10 years ago? Dag.)
He was the nicest guy, quite articulate, consented to shoot the shit with me for a few minutes, and everything; nothing like you'd expect from a professional wrestler. I mean, if you make your living kicking ass, how nice can you be? But those are just characters they portray, and like other actors, they're often completely different in real life.
Mankind put so much into his performances that he often set the bar for stunts in a wrestling match. In fact, he set it so high that they had to scale it back some after he left. The 1998 Hell in a Cell match match was so insane that it was impossible to top, and it remains the most legendary match in WWF/WWE history. After that, he began to tone it down just a little bit (the alternative would have to lead to paralysis or death), but he still continued to give it his all until he retired.
Here's what Foley's dedication to his craft had cost him up to late 1999: 2/3 of his right ear ripped off, eight concussions, nose broken twice, a broken jaw, dislocated left shoulder, fractured left shoulder, broken left thumb, five broken ribs, a bruised kidney, broken left toe, over 325 stitches (54 of them for one injury in his left arm), torn meniscus, torn abdominal, broken right wrist, bone chips in his right elbow, two herniated discs, second degree burns on his right arm and shoulder, separated right shoulder, broken cheekbone, and four front teeth knocked out (one lodged in his nostril in the aforementioned Hell in a Cell match). And that's not counting the thousands of cuts and punctures he got from barbed wire, thumbtacks, and the like. More injuries came after this, but I don't feel like looking them up, and I'm sure they're listed in one of his follow-up books.
A lot of people say wrestling is fake, but I feel like this is inaccurate and does the profession a disservice. I suppose it depends on how you define fake. Saying it is "staged" is closer to the mark. The results are predetermined, a few moves are mapped out, and mostly they take their cues from the referee who is calling out what they're supposed to do next, which is kind of funny when you think about it. (Something I learned from this book, I think.) "Fake" makes it sound like there's no effort or cost involved. The list of injuries above shows there's certainly a cost, and as for effort, I'd like to see you perform any of the stunts these nutters do. One's body has to be in peak physical condition to even try some of those maneuvers, let alone pull them off. Using the aforementioned Hell in a Cell match as a case in point, Mankind lost the feeling in some of his fingers for two weeks just from climbing up to the top of the cage. That was at the very beginning of the match, and it just went downhill from there in terms of the physical toll. But the entertainment value? That's unmatched by anything else I've ever seen in wrestling, not that I've watched much of it since 2001 or thereabouts. It seems to have declined since then. I still check it out once a year or so, and either it's just not the same, or I've moved on.
Here are a couple of things I remember from the book. Wrestlers don't make anywhere near as much money as you'd think they do, even the superstars. (That might be different now.) He or one of the other people he was riding with to a match held in a fart for hours because there was a woman in the car which proves that wrestlers can be gentlemen too. People were always calling him by the wrong name, even his wife when she first met him. He's a really decent human being. (Anybody can make that claim, but he didn't. It just kind of shows in his writing.) He rarely cusses, or at least almost never drops the F bomb, but he opens the book with that bit of profanity. (And really, what else can you say when your ear is ripped off?) I think that happened in Japan or Germany or some other enemy state where the ring ropes are made of steel instead of... whatever they're made of here. Japs weren't as excitable as Americans during a match, and tended to watch quietly, saying something like "OOGAH!" when a particularly good move was done, but they were a much better and more appreciative audience than Americans... And that's all I got. And since these memories are 20 years in the rear view mirror, I wonder if any of them are true.
I read this while I was on spring break in Florida in 2000. I didn't do the college spring break; I was visiting my uncle with my father. Back then my uncle drove the same lime green VW bug that Mandy Moore drives in her "Candy" video. I don't care for the song all that much (in fact it annoyed the hell out of me on MTV when it came out), but I remember I thought the skateboarder with the blue shirt was really cute. What does this have to do with the book? Nothing at all, but this is my canvas, and I'll paint what I want, thank you very much.
Recommended for wrestling fans only. As much as I enjoyed it, I really can't think of anyone else who would like it because I think there's a lot of blow-by-blow commentary for several matches. The other stuff would interest other people, but you have to deal with the match stuff along the way.
"SUCK IT!"
Thanks. Anyway, I was a wrestling fan when I read this, I say, and I'm sure that affected how much I enjoyed the book. Mankind was my favorite wrestler with The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin close behind him. Plus Mick Foley (Mankind's real name) wrote it himself without a ghostwriter, and that's impressive. I later learned that a lot of wrestlers are actually quite intelligent, and nothing like the doofusy jerks they sometimes portray. I used to work with someone who worked for the WWF and knew all of them in the late 90's and early 00's, and she gave me the skinny on some of my faves. I also had the chance to meet Mick Foley a few years later at another job where he happened to be one of our donors.
(June, 2009... Wow, was that really over 10 years ago? Dag.)
He was the nicest guy, quite articulate, consented to shoot the shit with me for a few minutes, and everything; nothing like you'd expect from a professional wrestler. I mean, if you make your living kicking ass, how nice can you be? But those are just characters they portray, and like other actors, they're often completely different in real life.
Mankind put so much into his performances that he often set the bar for stunts in a wrestling match. In fact, he set it so high that they had to scale it back some after he left. The 1998 Hell in a Cell match match was so insane that it was impossible to top, and it remains the most legendary match in WWF/WWE history. After that, he began to tone it down just a little bit (the alternative would have to lead to paralysis or death), but he still continued to give it his all until he retired.
Here's what Foley's dedication to his craft had cost him up to late 1999: 2/3 of his right ear ripped off, eight concussions, nose broken twice, a broken jaw, dislocated left shoulder, fractured left shoulder, broken left thumb, five broken ribs, a bruised kidney, broken left toe, over 325 stitches (54 of them for one injury in his left arm), torn meniscus, torn abdominal, broken right wrist, bone chips in his right elbow, two herniated discs, second degree burns on his right arm and shoulder, separated right shoulder, broken cheekbone, and four front teeth knocked out (one lodged in his nostril in the aforementioned Hell in a Cell match). And that's not counting the thousands of cuts and punctures he got from barbed wire, thumbtacks, and the like. More injuries came after this, but I don't feel like looking them up, and I'm sure they're listed in one of his follow-up books.
A lot of people say wrestling is fake, but I feel like this is inaccurate and does the profession a disservice. I suppose it depends on how you define fake. Saying it is "staged" is closer to the mark. The results are predetermined, a few moves are mapped out, and mostly they take their cues from the referee who is calling out what they're supposed to do next, which is kind of funny when you think about it. (Something I learned from this book, I think.) "Fake" makes it sound like there's no effort or cost involved. The list of injuries above shows there's certainly a cost, and as for effort, I'd like to see you perform any of the stunts these nutters do. One's body has to be in peak physical condition to even try some of those maneuvers, let alone pull them off. Using the aforementioned Hell in a Cell match as a case in point, Mankind lost the feeling in some of his fingers for two weeks just from climbing up to the top of the cage. That was at the very beginning of the match, and it just went downhill from there in terms of the physical toll. But the entertainment value? That's unmatched by anything else I've ever seen in wrestling, not that I've watched much of it since 2001 or thereabouts. It seems to have declined since then. I still check it out once a year or so, and either it's just not the same, or I've moved on.
Here are a couple of things I remember from the book. Wrestlers don't make anywhere near as much money as you'd think they do, even the superstars. (That might be different now.) He or one of the other people he was riding with to a match held in a fart for hours because there was a woman in the car which proves that wrestlers can be gentlemen too. People were always calling him by the wrong name, even his wife when she first met him. He's a really decent human being. (Anybody can make that claim, but he didn't. It just kind of shows in his writing.) He rarely cusses, or at least almost never drops the F bomb, but he opens the book with that bit of profanity. (And really, what else can you say when your ear is ripped off?) I think that happened in Japan or Germany or some other enemy state where the ring ropes are made of steel instead of... whatever they're made of here. Japs weren't as excitable as Americans during a match, and tended to watch quietly, saying something like "OOGAH!" when a particularly good move was done, but they were a much better and more appreciative audience than Americans... And that's all I got. And since these memories are 20 years in the rear view mirror, I wonder if any of them are true.
I read this while I was on spring break in Florida in 2000. I didn't do the college spring break; I was visiting my uncle with my father. Back then my uncle drove the same lime green VW bug that Mandy Moore drives in her "Candy" video. I don't care for the song all that much (in fact it annoyed the hell out of me on MTV when it came out), but I remember I thought the skateboarder with the blue shirt was really cute. What does this have to do with the book? Nothing at all, but this is my canvas, and I'll paint what I want, thank you very much.
Recommended for wrestling fans only. As much as I enjoyed it, I really can't think of anyone else who would like it because I think there's a lot of blow-by-blow commentary for several matches. The other stuff would interest other people, but you have to deal with the match stuff along the way.
February 27, 2024
Its not without a bit of sadness that I completed this book. Around the summer or 2022 I stumbled upon the first episode of Mick Foley's podcast in my youtube recommened and I decided to give it a listen (a podcast and a repetitive video game is great zone out material). I ended up listening to Mick's stories and becoming a huge fan from there on out. I remembered Mick from my childhood days as a wrestling fan, mostly through the video games as his character days were a bit before my time. Even then I remembered being drawn to the three characters (Mankind, Dude Love & Cactus Jack) who simultaneously looked like the same guy but had completely different vibes. Mankind was the one I remember especially being fascinated with due to his weird name, creepy mask and hauntingly quiet entrance music. Now ~15 years~ later I dove down the Foley rabbit hole (get your mind out of the gutter) and became a huge fan of the podcast. At the beginning of this year I decided to pick up Foley's well regarded first book as the podcast was sadly coming to a close. As it covers the bulk of Foley's career the book acts as a nice capstone for the podcast. I'd say that Foley has told maybe 40% of these stories on the podcasts or at least touched upon them but the book stands on its own and warranted the read. Its a bit rambley (like this review) and probably could be trimmed down a little bit (also like this review), but for what its worth its exactly what I wanted. Stories about and from the perspective of a man I have a lot of admiration and respect for within a business that has meant a lot to me at various points in my life.
April 6, 2017
Congratulations, you found it! Here is the book that started it all. Written in 1999, the "Hardcore Legend" Mick Foley holds nothing back in this ground-breaking tale, one suitably based on its title's namesake of "blood and sweatsocks." "Have a Nice Day" means to the world of professional wrestling what the equally controversial though eye-opening autobiography "Ball Four" meant to the culture and aura of baseball in the 1970s. Both works shattered the notion that each sport was not nearly as glamorous as the public had viewed and idolized it for generations. Furthermore, following this biography's unprecedented success on the New York Times bestseller list, WWE (and others associated with wrestling) launched a massive campaign throughout the 2000s where the top wrestlers were tasked with creating their own autobiographies in order to duplicate Foley's financial gains, which were achieved simply through putting written words on paper. Even two decades later, this book (just like "Ball Four") remains a MUST-READ, both for its insight into the incredible world of sport entertainment, and the simple fact that millions of people from across the world have been fans of Foley over the past 30 years, which makes this one of their best chances in getting to know the man behind his wrestling persona (errr, all three characters, in fact.) Oh, and Mick Foley hasn't run into a case of writer's block, judging by the fact that he now has 4 bestselling autobiographies and several more literary works published since 1999. Take your pick! Though start with this iconic masterpiece!!!
May 27, 2019
Before I read the first of Mick Miley's series of autobiographies, I skipped to the second book 'Foley is Good: And the Real World is Faker than Wrestling' which instantly became one of my all-time favourites. Although I can say with some guilt that I prefer its sequel, 'Have a Nice Day' still stands as a magnificent original.
Showcasing Foley's life and career from his home video days as Dude Love to his classic matches in WWF, the author throws in his brutal honesty, witty humour and relatable struggles into the mix as he presents to us a land filled with not-so-generous WCW bosses, harsh ECW fanbases, explosive (literally) Japanese death matches, and creative fireworks in his turn towards becoming a staple in the legendary Attitude Era. Foley describes the wrestling world and its characters with humble and honest detail as to show it as a business and its wrestlers as human beings, and his description of brutal matches leave you with goosebumps.
Although different from its sequel that focuses on the politics and controversies of WWF at its time, this brilliant autobiography shows us the story of a man who stands no chance of being a top star putting his body on the line to have that one chance to prove everyone wrong. In every word, we see that Foley is a wrestling legend, a fantastic writer and one hell of a person!
Showcasing Foley's life and career from his home video days as Dude Love to his classic matches in WWF, the author throws in his brutal honesty, witty humour and relatable struggles into the mix as he presents to us a land filled with not-so-generous WCW bosses, harsh ECW fanbases, explosive (literally) Japanese death matches, and creative fireworks in his turn towards becoming a staple in the legendary Attitude Era. Foley describes the wrestling world and its characters with humble and honest detail as to show it as a business and its wrestlers as human beings, and his description of brutal matches leave you with goosebumps.
Although different from its sequel that focuses on the politics and controversies of WWF at its time, this brilliant autobiography shows us the story of a man who stands no chance of being a top star putting his body on the line to have that one chance to prove everyone wrong. In every word, we see that Foley is a wrestling legend, a fantastic writer and one hell of a person!
August 10, 2021
Holy shit, I did it. I finished the book. Don't get me wrong - I liked it. But I would have liked it more if it were half as long. But also, it didn't put me off enough to stay away from Foley is Good.
Side note: I don't have nostalgia for Foley because I wasn't watching wrestling when he was on. I was going through my own attitude era and my teen self was too cool for wrestling. Everything I've seen and liked of Foley was years old by the time I got to it and that makes me a little sad. But I think I would have liked this more if I had been a fan in real time.
Side note: I don't have nostalgia for Foley because I wasn't watching wrestling when he was on. I was going through my own attitude era and my teen self was too cool for wrestling. Everything I've seen and liked of Foley was years old by the time I got to it and that makes me a little sad. But I think I would have liked this more if I had been a fan in real time.
October 10, 2021
This is definitely one of my favorite books this year!
Oh my God this is good sh*t! 😂🤣
The story and life of Mick Foley is nothing short of amazing, fun, entertaining and awesome.
I would recommend it to anybody regardless if you are a wrestling fan or not ✌🏻🖤🌟 this is an incredible story and an amazing time.
Oh my God this is good sh*t! 😂🤣
The story and life of Mick Foley is nothing short of amazing, fun, entertaining and awesome.
I would recommend it to anybody regardless if you are a wrestling fan or not ✌🏻🖤🌟 this is an incredible story and an amazing time.
March 29, 2024
Mick Foley has to be one of the nicest and most humble wrestlers out there. I loved reading his story and he’s clearly a talented writer. I only gave the book 3 stars because I felt like he spent too much time on Bischoff, who he doesn’t even like, and I don’t have it in me to give 5 stars to any book that references Vince McMahon as a genius or really anything positive about him.
April 25, 2023
A very interesting look at the behind the curtain life of professional wrestling. I wish I’d read this when I was a kid in 1999 because a lot of the humor seems written for teens in 1999 and has not aged well.
May 25, 2020
I'm not a big Mick Foley fan - which is why I wanted to read his story. I listened to it - in his own voice and all. It was alright. Nothing special. Glad I got to know him.
September 11, 2021
This book brought back so many memories!
March 11, 2024
This was the 1st wrestling biography I read. It was funny and heartfelt. This book reminded me of events and things that I saw during my childhood.
March 22, 2020
Book was extremely well written. Would have been four stars, but I'm not a huge fan of Mick Foley, the man or the wrestler.
June 20, 2023
Absolutely brilliant. Some really great stories in here that make me appreciate Mick and what he has done for wrestling fans that much more. Highly recommend
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