What do you think?
Rate this book
Everyone Can Be a Ninja: Find Your Inner Warrior and Achieve Your Dreams
The beloved host of the NBC hit show American Ninja Warrior and co-host of The Talk draws inspiration from both the fierce competitors on his show and his own unlikely path to success to outline the essential steps to achieving your goals and becoming a modern-day ninja.
Akbar Gbajabiamila, the host of NBC’s hit Emmy-nominated show, American Ninja Warrior , did not have an easy path to success. One of seven children by Nigerian immigrant parents, he grew up in the Crenshaw district of South Central Los Angeles during the 1980s and ’90s, a time when the neighborhood was fraught with riots and gang violence. With dreams of playing professional basketball, Gbajabiamila found success not in the sport he loved, but in football. Late in his high school career, Gbajabiamila suited up with pads for the first time and was thrown into the complex sport of football. He climbed major hurdles to play college football and then professional football. After playing in the NFL, it was only after years of hard work behind-the-scenes in radio and television that he was offered the job to be the host of American Ninja Warrior .
Through his own inspirational underdog stories and interviews with modern-day ninjas who have accomplished extraordinary things in their own lives against the odds, Akbar proves in Everyone Can Be a Ninja that it doesn’t matter if you make it through every step of the obstacle course on the first try. Ninjas keep pushing themselves until they reach their goals, and they don’t let anyone or anything stand in their way.
It is easy to see greatness in others; it’s hard to see it in ourselves. Everyone Can Be a Ninja shows you that we can fulfill our potential and achieve our dreams by finding our inner warriors.
Akbar Gbajabiamila, the host of NBC’s hit Emmy-nominated show, American Ninja Warrior , did not have an easy path to success. One of seven children by Nigerian immigrant parents, he grew up in the Crenshaw district of South Central Los Angeles during the 1980s and ’90s, a time when the neighborhood was fraught with riots and gang violence. With dreams of playing professional basketball, Gbajabiamila found success not in the sport he loved, but in football. Late in his high school career, Gbajabiamila suited up with pads for the first time and was thrown into the complex sport of football. He climbed major hurdles to play college football and then professional football. After playing in the NFL, it was only after years of hard work behind-the-scenes in radio and television that he was offered the job to be the host of American Ninja Warrior .
Through his own inspirational underdog stories and interviews with modern-day ninjas who have accomplished extraordinary things in their own lives against the odds, Akbar proves in Everyone Can Be a Ninja that it doesn’t matter if you make it through every step of the obstacle course on the first try. Ninjas keep pushing themselves until they reach their goals, and they don’t let anyone or anything stand in their way.
It is easy to see greatness in others; it’s hard to see it in ourselves. Everyone Can Be a Ninja shows you that we can fulfill our potential and achieve our dreams by finding our inner warriors.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published May 7, 2019
11 people are currently reading
103 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 25, 2019
This was a great book! Part inspirational/motivational, part autobiography, part inside info about Ninja Warriors, this book has it all. I’ve read a lot of self-help and motivational books in my day. This one stands out from the rest because Akbar doesn’t just give a bunch of great ideas you can apply to your life to better achieve your goals and dreams, he also gets very personal and detailed about the struggles he’s gone through in his own life and shows how he applied these principles to overcome these challenges and get to where he is today. We see him on TV smiling and full of confidence and think he’s just a lucky guy that maybe got to this level of success because of his NFL career and good looks. But in actuality he went through over ten years of struggle and hundreds of rejections that would have made most people give up and take a desk job. By the end of the book you can’t help but ask yourself, “Why can’t I make more money, work at my dream job, start that business I’ve been thinking about for years, or do things to help others less fortunate than me? Why do I make excuses instead of going out and making things happen?” Akbar weaves no-nonsense, practical advice into gripping, compelling, and sometimes heart-breaking stories. By the end of the book, you’ll want to start making drastic changes in your life immediately. You also get some really cool background stories about American Ninja Warrior and the people who have competed on the show.
March 19, 2019
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own. If you’re reading this book, you probably know Akbar from watching him cohost American Ninja Warrior. This is my family’s favorite show to watch together, so I was excited to read this book. It was better even than I expected. Akbar uses the lessons he’s learned in his life to show us that we too can “be a ninja,” whatever that may be for us in our individual life. This book wasn’t full of cliches, like work hard and follow your dreams. Rather, Akbar states that that isn’t enough. You need to have vision and purpose. You need to serve others and glorify God. You need to humble yourself and ask for help. He is inspirational, but also gives real tips you can start using today. I’m going to go back through and review all of the things I’ve highlighted that I know I can start putting into practice. I highly recommend this book, even if you’ve never heard of Akbar or watched American Ninja Warrior. You will be better for it!
June 24, 2019
Surprised by the 5 stars? Me too, but this book exceeded my expectations and gave me tools to help me as I’m rethinking my career (again).
I picked this up from the library because I thought it might get my 11 yr old to read non-fiction during the summer, but I wanted to pre-read in case there was swearing or topics that might make him uncomfortable. I should have never doubted Akbar Gbajabiamila. His book delivers a powerful message about the value of hard work and of finding passion in that work. If you are a fan of his from American Ninja Warrior, this book conveys the same enthusiasm, humor, and warmth that he brings to the show. Yes, there are clunky parts, but not many and they are far outweighed by the good. I think I’m going to have to buy a copy for the keeper shelf.
I picked this up from the library because I thought it might get my 11 yr old to read non-fiction during the summer, but I wanted to pre-read in case there was swearing or topics that might make him uncomfortable. I should have never doubted Akbar Gbajabiamila. His book delivers a powerful message about the value of hard work and of finding passion in that work. If you are a fan of his from American Ninja Warrior, this book conveys the same enthusiasm, humor, and warmth that he brings to the show. Yes, there are clunky parts, but not many and they are far outweighed by the good. I think I’m going to have to buy a copy for the keeper shelf.
June 14, 2019
Everyone Can Be A Ninja by Akbar Gbajabiamila, host of American Ninja Warrior, is his story about how he got to where he is today and the obstacles he had to overcome to reach his dream. This is an inspirational read that was pretty interesting. He also shared some stories of some of the Ninja Warriors as well. I liked him as a host of the Ninja Warrior shows and like him even more after reading his book! The gist of the book is that everyone has some gift from God and we need to use our gifts to help others and accomplish God's purpose for our life. (Karen's review)
July 16, 2019
Gbajabiamila comes at his encouragement from a humble place. It is refreshing in that way. It is clear that he isn’t the best but he gives everything his all. That comes through clearly and it is inspiring when you are out there giving it your all but you don’t have the benefits that others do. I’ve gained even more respect for him and will follow him on his journey.
And, it is great that he doesn’t shy away from God’s place in his life. That too is refreshing.
And, it is great that he doesn’t shy away from God’s place in his life. That too is refreshing.
October 21, 2019
This is not a book of an author doing nothing but patting himself on the back for a job well done.
It is an inspirational work where he is only a small part of the story. In it, he points out not only many other individuals he has encountered over the years who have overcome tremendous obstacles, but also takes the time to point out numerous individuals who have helped him along the way. Making it clear that you can only do so much on your own. It takes a village to raise a child.
It is an inspirational work where he is only a small part of the story. In it, he points out not only many other individuals he has encountered over the years who have overcome tremendous obstacles, but also takes the time to point out numerous individuals who have helped him along the way. Making it clear that you can only do so much on your own. It takes a village to raise a child.
January 2, 2024
Interesting story how to learn from setting goals, working hard despite setbacks; very inspiring how one man made it to the NFL despite being in his older brother's shadow, dealing with injuries and family pressures, and depression.
January 27, 2026
An inspiring read. However, the title of the book is rather deceiving. Lots about his NFL career etc. And, Very little about being a Ninja, or his work on the TV show American Ninja Warrior until the last chapter of the book.
June 11, 2019
Work hard to make things happen. This was a good book, it just wasn't what I was expecting.
Overdrive
Overdrive
July 9, 2019
If you need a little inspiration, I would recommend this quick read. It was inspiring to learn of Akbar's journey, and his advice for achieving your dreams.
December 29, 2019
Akbar shares his very personal journey and insight on how he continued to push past his self-doubt and motivate himself. Very inspiring book.
June 4, 2020
He reads the audio
November 3, 2020
Great book! Very insightful and inspiring.
January 26, 2022
Surprisingly great book. Torn between 4 and 5... i think hard work warrants 5.
What I liked-
Humble, honest, sincere, straight to the point and PREACHED hard work and genuine work ethic and Faith, without really PREACHING TOO MUCH, which is a fine line. He may push it a little too hard for some but, hey, this is his book and we chose to read it.
He stays in his lane with advice (not downplaying his genetic gifts), seems approachable and his goals for the book are not to blow your mind or create new paradigms but to share and "inspire" from his position.
Cons- Given the bar i set for it and my expectations, it honestly lived up. The family are all huge ANW fans so I wasn't out to nitpick or be critical, just see what he was about.
I could have used more - depth or explanations when he dropped some bombs like "nearly died in the hospital" or "tore my achilles and had to do ___ to get back in shape".
What I liked-
Humble, honest, sincere, straight to the point and PREACHED hard work and genuine work ethic and Faith, without really PREACHING TOO MUCH, which is a fine line. He may push it a little too hard for some but, hey, this is his book and we chose to read it.
He stays in his lane with advice (not downplaying his genetic gifts), seems approachable and his goals for the book are not to blow your mind or create new paradigms but to share and "inspire" from his position.
Cons- Given the bar i set for it and my expectations, it honestly lived up. The family are all huge ANW fans so I wasn't out to nitpick or be critical, just see what he was about.
I could have used more - depth or explanations when he dropped some bombs like "nearly died in the hospital" or "tore my achilles and had to do ___ to get back in shape".
January 23, 2019
This book was received as an ARC from Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
All of us are fans of American Ninja Warror and know the work of Akbar. I also know Akbar from when he played for the St. Louis Rams in the NFL and just by how nobody could pronounce his name, I knew he had to be different and have a story to his life. I was not disappointed when I read this book and the trials and tribulations he had to go through in order to get where he is. I could not put this book down and I absolutely love it when a biography like this is very personal and its like we were invited into his own home and having a casual conversation.
We will consider adding this book to our Biography section at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
All of us are fans of American Ninja Warror and know the work of Akbar. I also know Akbar from when he played for the St. Louis Rams in the NFL and just by how nobody could pronounce his name, I knew he had to be different and have a story to his life. I was not disappointed when I read this book and the trials and tribulations he had to go through in order to get where he is. I could not put this book down and I absolutely love it when a biography like this is very personal and its like we were invited into his own home and having a casual conversation.
We will consider adding this book to our Biography section at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews