Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsA New Understanding of Will - And Maybe Yourself
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2021
I am a big fan of biographical works and of both Mark Manson and Will Smith; and yet, this book leaves me feeling bittersweet. Will Smith has spent decades in our most beloved cultural works: Fresh Prince, Hitch, I Am Legend, Bad Boys, and Big Willie style to name a few. In many ways the thing we loved most about him wasn't his incredible catalog of work, but the "effortless" charisma that allowed him to take over the world. This book cuts directly against that image.
This book amounts to look behind the curtain of what made this icon who he is, warts and all. While it is incredibly insightful and well written - those of us who liked having him up on a pedestal for being superhuman will realize that he is imperfect like us all.
What you get in this book is life experiences from Will wrapped around singular ideas like "fear", "Power" and "Hope" and he uses those themes and stories to teach us lessons about life. This book left me with a new understanding of Will and myself - in my opinion, that's all a great biographical works should do.
