Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsExtremely Funny and Inspirational. Not What I Expected, but Much Better.
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2017
I expected this book to be funny, but what I didn't expect it to be was Profound. You can picture the story of how Kevin Hart grew up as ending in any number of ways, but Comedic Mega-Star wouldn't seem to be a likely outcome. With a father who was a criminal with substance abuse problems and a mother who was basically raising him on her own in a tough Philadelphia neighborhood, Kevin could have been a bitter, resentful victim of the system. Instead, he chose a classical Stoic path and realized that most things were out of his control. Having reached this conclusion, he also determined that the only aspect of his life that he could reliably control what how he chose to respond to his circumstances. He responded by finding humor in difficult experiences, and working harder than anyone else in the face of setbacks. Don't get me wrong, this book is laugh out loud funny, but what kept me reading through the night were the amazing insights and the overwhelming sense of gratitude exuded by Mr. Hart. Being the child of an alcoholic father myself, I strongly identified with his experiences and his reflections on the decision points that came up as he matured. I really enjoyed this book and I'm going to recommend it to my kids as an excellent example of how circumstances can't keep a strong person down for the count. I would give it 6 stars if I could.