WWE: Stone Cold Steve Austin [Hardcover]

Steve Williams takes the reader on the journey of his life, through his days playing high school football in Texas, through college and into his first days as a professional wrestler. Steve tells the reader, in general terms, what he was thinking and feeling and why he made the decisions he did in his life. We follow Steve through the indy wrestling feds, through WCW, ECW and finally the WWF. What is valuable and interesting in this book, other than the easy tone the book takes, is that we get Steve's side of the story in why/how he left WCW, and the story of why he walked out of the WWF following Wrestlemania 18. We also get his side of the story and his thoughts about having his neck broken in a match against Owen Hart.

Every wrestling biography inevitably gets compared to Mick Foley's book, and in comparison, this one does not have the level of detail that Foley provided. It is a typical WWE autobiography in that there are short, fast moving chapters that give us a sense of who Steve Williams is a person, but not quite giving us the full details (without the glitz) that you might find elsewhere. Nonetheless, I did get the feeling that Steve was being honest in the details that he provided, and that this is the way that he sees things about his life and career. This may not be the best wrestling book out on the market, but it's a pretty good one and entertaining.

THE BOOK

Like any autobiography, the book discusses Austin's childhood growing up in Texas where he discusses growing up with his brothers. He talks about his family, his love of sports (football, baseball, weight training, tennis) and just growing up in general including his first relationship with his first wife.

From there he talks about how he got started in professional wrestling after dropping out of college after his college football career ended. He discusses the genesis of his wrestling career in Chris Adam's wrestling school and with the Von Erich's World Class Championship Wrestling in Texas. From there he chronologically follows his career with the Jarrett's USWA, Ted Turner's WCW, Paul Heyman's ECW and finally his getting into Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation. He shares lots of stories about the promoters and wrestlers he met and learned from along the way and highlights some of his more prominent career highlights.

Overall, if you're a wrestling fan you'll love reading Austin's overall thoughts on the wrestling business as he gives you his honest opinion on it. The vast majority of the book is basically Austin's experience in the business, his opinion on what the business is, how it should be run, etc. He talks candidly about his feelings on what is wrong with the business and how it should get back to its "roots" like when he started in it. He talks candidly about his relationship with Vince McMahon as well as goes behind the scenes with how his biggest feuds in the business were put together or got floundered. We also get some of the dirty details behind his frustrating career in WCW as he saw it.

Overall, it's a real fascinating read to see the wrestling business from the eyes of the man who literally changed it.

In addition to the wrestling business he also "opens the door" a little to his private life where he candidly owns up to a lot of the mistakes he's made as a husband (three wives and counting) and he also takes a look back at some of the problems wrestlers have with their drug addictions, talking in depth over the sadness he felt when he friend and former tag partner Brian Pillman passed away.

THE CRITIQUE

As many reviewers have attested already, the biggest drawback to the book is that it leaves you wanting more. Many of the chapters in the book are only a few pages long. Obviously there's a lot more that Austin and his co-biographers could have shared but I'm of the opinion that what was shared was adequate. The pace of the book reads very quickly and is very accessible. The book itself does not say too little (like the Rock or Chyna's autobiographies which definitely SHOULD have been heavier on content and less on fluff) but you do have the "more COULD have been said" feeling.

THE COOL THING

The book is interspersed with "inserted commentary" by Austin's mother and father as well as his good friend and confidant "J.R." Jim Ross. The commentary adds some good extra insight to some of the points and stories Austin shares. Various pictures and documents (letters, etc.) also highlight Austin's story where appropriate. Overall, the presentation, save for a few typos, is well done.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Overall, while the book was a little sparse in parts, readers should be happy with Steve Austin's "The Stone Cold Truth." For wrestling fans you'll benefit from the insight into the wrestling business from its pre-eminent star. For casual readers you'll love the story of how a "good old country boy" from Edna, Texas came out of nowhere and succeeded against the odds. "And That's The Bottom Line, 'Cause Stone Cold Said So!!!"

Total Pages: 312
Total Read Time: 6 hours

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