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Will
Will Smith, Mark Manson
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Artemy
1,041 reviews · 949 followers
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ReadOctober 8, 2021
I have been working on a translation of this book for the past two months, so I really don't feel like I can give it a fair rating one way or another. I will say it's an impressively written and constructed memoir, even if you're not too interested in Will Smith as a person. He covers topics like the early years of hip-hop, DJ-ing and MC-ing, music production, TV, Hollywood movies and the inner workings thereof — Will Smith had his hand in all of those and his perspective on most things is unique and often quite fascinating. He also delves deep into psychology and psyche, philosophy, his childhood and upbringing in West Philadelphia, and his relationships with parents, family and friends, including many other famous ones. Will Smith fans should definitely check it out, but even if you aren't one of them, the man lived a fascinating life and he tells his story well. Plus, if you're at all interested in any of the topics I mentioned, you'll find heaps of cool insider information here. I enjoyed working on this book very much, and can't wait to see it out in print soon!
book-books memoirs
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Olive Fellows (abookolive)
531 reviews · 4,294 followers
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November 14, 2021
Click here to hear my thoughts on this book over on my Booktube channel, abookolive.
Will is the memoir/autobiography (or something in between) of actor, musician, and all-around global superstar Will Smith. It’s highly focused on the lessons he learned from all the periods of his life he discusses, zooming in on particular times in his life and leaning away from certain touchy subjects (like scientology and his separation). The book is full of Smith’s effervescence and co-writer Mark Manson (author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life) helped to make this a fun, rewarding read. It’s the perfect book for Will Smith fans (like myself), especially leading into New Year’s Resolution season!
memoir pop-culture
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Booked and Busy
40 reviews · 431 followers
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May 14, 2022
This was honestly life changing and perspective altering. This book and it’s many lessons is something I will revisit time and time again.
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Sheba Family
111 reviews · 22 followers
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November 27, 2021
Wow I’m really not a fan. There are some fun stories in this book, and I suspect big Will Smith fans may be highly entertained by his stories…However I felt this book lacked depth and honesty. I don’t believe the author himself has done enough self reflective work. It seems he has perhaps begun some self work towards the end of this book - this actor certainly knows how to say the right things- but I felt that he has yet to apply that knowledge to examine his life. Perhaps this memoir would have been better written in 10 or 20 years from now after the self work kicked in.
I do admire his passion and hard work, but that could have and should have been summarized in 100 pages. Despite it being technically well written - thank you Mark Mason- I was truly bored at times due to lack of insight as well as an abundance of superfluous information. For example, he lists off the exact number of soundtrack or movie sales, calls himself the biggest (movie/rap) star in the world repeatedly, then claims it is not about him and he’s not flexing. Lmao. His arrogance, lack of self-awareness/self-education is a terrible combination for a memoir. He read his first book in his 20s; it is not at all surprising that The Alchemist is one of his favorite books.
The way he treats women irks me, but one may not notice the gravity unless one is good at noticing what he is NOT saying. All his love interests overlap, he always has a back up ready to go before his last relationship ends, yet claims utter devotion to most of these women. How are you so devoted yet keeping a backup? He just seems controlling while imposing a double standard. For example, he mentions going out of his way for Jada’s bday to ‘fix’ their problems, but there no real dialogue on what is actually wrong (aside from implying it’s her fault as she is not a happy person on her own). How clueless to think bday events can fix marital issues. Her reaction about his display of ego was spot on! Sometimes, his only self reflection after doing something insane (such as setting someone’s possessions on fire) is simply “I regret that, she didn’t deserve to be treated that way”. That’s it Willard?! Perhaps a little dramatic, but I regret reading this book as I will never be able to fully enjoy one of his movies or shows the same way again.
The extra star is for Mark Mason’s writing and Will’s performance as an actor.
bios-autobios-mémoires black-authors
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Laura
574 reviews · 112 followers
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November 23, 2021
This may be one of the most honest and inspiring memoirs I've ever read.
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Liong
92 reviews · 41 followers
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February 21, 2022
I am really enjoying this book very much. I learn a lot from Will.
“Stop thinking about the damn wall”
“There is no wall. There are only bricks. Your job is to lay this brick perfectly. Then the next one. Don’t be worrying about no wall. Your only concern is one brick.”
I know that every single breath I take is a gift. And it’s impossible to be unhappy when you’re grateful.
Bruce Lee said, “It is better to be warrior in a garden, then a gardener in a war.”
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.
It’s not something you get, it’s something you cultivate through giving.
This book recommends a lot of good books.
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britt_brooke
1,223 reviews · 89 followers
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December 16, 2021
I thought Will Smith was supposed to be likable? I’ve always been indifferent, liking Fresh Prince, but not many of his films. I’m just gonna say it: This is one of the worst celebrity memoirs I’ve ever read. It’s an incessant boasting of fame and riches. He uttered some iteration of his being “the biggest movie star in the world” so often, I wish I’d kept count. Humble, he is not. Very little of this felt sincere. Massively disappointing.
memoir-biography nonfiction
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Mehrsa
2,219 reviews · 3,668 followers
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April 10, 2022
I read this book before “the slap” and I have to say that it was sort of shocking to see will smith act the way he did after reading this book. He ended the saga talking about the Jada birthday bash in which she got mad at him and then his journey of self-exploration. He did ayahuasca like 16 times and it was actually quite moving to hear about his experiences with self-discovery. But I guess it’s a journey and I’d sort of like another chapter epilogue to have him talk through what happened. What the book makes clear is that WS is a man who’s lived with a lot of familial, personal, and cultural expectations. He’s achieved success based on his pure grit and will (get it?) power. His relationship with his father was abusive and though he recognizes it, it still affected his relationships. I appreciate that the book delves into all of this stuff in a pretty honest way.
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Meags
2,038 reviews · 344 followers
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December 6, 2021
5 Stars
Not to get all fangirl-y on everyone, but this was by and large the best celebrity memoir I’ve EVER had the pleasure of reading.
Honest and unwavering, Will Smith—rapper, actor, son, husband, father, global-God-damn-superstar—leaves no stone unturned in his telling of his extraordinary life’s journey.
That boisterous, larger-than-life persona the world knows and loves, is deliberately unmasked within, as Will shares stories both fortuitously joyful and ambitiously unyielding, but always brutally honest and deeply personal.
He doesn’t always paint himself in the best light, but God damn was I impressed and humbled by his raw honesty throughout.
What made this a truly unique and ground-breaking celebrity memoir experience is how Will managed to combine so many themes and tones into one smooth flowing and non-stop entertaining read. He shares ALL the anecdotes of his Hollywood and music industry fame that fans will be eager for, but he also goes deeper, recounting many profound (sometimes shocking) stories of his childhood, family life (across four generations), with tales of love and loss, and an ambitious streak that just won’t quit.
Some stories made me laugh and some made me cry, but what I loved most is how, after an experience was shared, particularly if it was an emotional or traumatic experience, Will would then go on to analyse the moment and his behaviour in said moment, turning even the worst experiences of his life into self-teachable moments. In that way, this could even be classified as a damn enjoyable personal-development book.
It became exceedingly clear early on, that this is a man who has been through a lot and has worked his ass off to grow and learn and generally BE BETTER, for his family, his fans, and especially for himself. I admire that.
And most importantly, Will spends a great deal of the book acknowledging and praising every single person in his life that has helped shape him and support him, as well as those who have challenged him and been unafraid to tell him brutal truths at times, even when he wasn’t ready to hear them (but NEEDED to hear them). No man is an island, and that couldn’t be more clear here.
I’ve been a lifetime fan of Will Smith, but I’d like to imagine that my positive bias has nothing to do with the actual quality of this memoir. Had I not been a fan before, I would be now.
Side note: Jada was right—it wasn’t funny. (Readers will understand).
*****************************************
Audio Edition:
I personally switched between bouts of reading and listening to Will’s self-narration, and I cannot stress enough how wonderful the audiobook is. It was AN EXPERIENCE. Hearing Will tell his own story can't be matched by simply reading the words yourself. And as an added temptation, the sound and music production of the audiobook was off the charts, with Will regularly rapping/singing within. 🙌🙌🙌
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Niall
87 reviews
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March 30, 2022
I wonder how many books Oprah has actually read
This tome is a prime example of celebrity brain rot. Despite being a carefully calibrated work of PR, Smith's gnawing need for approval spills forth as does his complete lack of interest in film as an artistic medium. He cites his box office numbers repetitively to the point of embarrassment. I like Smith's presence in films often but he's very rarely actually been involved in much that is substantial that isn't disposable Oscar bait, he cares much more about his brand than he does more abstract notions of cinema. The only film he spends any time discussing is Ali, one of the best decisions in the book as it is easily the high watermark of his career, he is otherwise more concerned with opening chapters with a chart of his films to hit #1 at the box office, never choosing to address the fact that stuff like MIB 2 is soulless commercial junk. He also comes off as an asshole pretty frequently and I cannot imagine attempting to tolerate him.
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Jeremy
697 reviews · 41 followers
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December 18, 2021
"Will" is intended by the author to be a memoir/self help book, but it's ACTUALLY a psychological thriller, where the charming narrator who won you over in the beginning with his goofy rapping and self-deprecating humor slowly reveals himself to be a psychopath.
You have to listen to this on audio, because Will performs his story with flair, rapping and playing the piano throughout, oozing his trademark Fresh Prince Charisma. However, without a sitcom script to recite, Smith veers into delusional tangents, self-indulgent life advice that no one could ever possibly benefit from (like: To all my young male readers-- don't force your wife to live on a giant family ranch if she says she doesn't want to live there), and a disturbing lack of empathy.
"Will" is infinitely quotable. Here are a few of my passages and lines:
"Every single harem equation in my mind kept adding up to a hellscape. If I can't figure out how to nurture and nourish one...woman, what the fuck made me think I could care for twenty-five? I don't want a harem..."
"We were teed up, and Big Willy was bringing the thunder."
"I was shaking with anticipation. I could see her, just like Sue Ellen, coming to breakfast on a stallion."
""I am a master Monopoly player. This is not a joke; I'm not saying it to be facetious; this is not hyperbole. I have studied. I have worked with professional instructors--I fully intended to play international Monopoly Tournaments. When the dice hits, I don't have to count squares; I know that States is six squares from New York--I just pick the piece up and move it."
"My vocal delivery on "Summertime" shocked the hip hop world."
"At the time, my fade was legendary. To cut my hair... was not only a challenge but a catapult to a young barber in Hollywood."
Will Smith on shooting the Fresh Prince while being ill to set an example to his wife:
"Women (or Europeans) always describe this trait negatively, but on a primal level it's hard not to respect a warrior."
-----------------------------------
Will Smith on His Fantasy Life
"For me the border between fantasy and reality has always been thin and transparent...the problem is, one man's fantasy is another man's lie."
"...as child, what the other kids didn't understand was that I didn't lie about my perceptions, my perceptions lied to me."
"Sometimes I'll tell a story, and a friend will look over at Jada and ask "Okay, so what really happened?"
"My imagination is my gift. And when it merges with my work ethic, I can make money rain from the heavens"
-----------------------------------
The Scorched Earth Tracker (I only noted 5, but I definitely forgot to write down a few):
"...But some suckaz didn't--they would try to keep going, and then two words: SCORCHED. EARTH. By my junior year, I had developed a reputation around West Philly."
"...he didn't bother nobody, but if you fucked with him...two words: SCORCHED. EARTH"
"...I was invincible. Two Words: SCORCHED. EARTH."
"Two Words: SCORCHED. EARTH. I was amazed."
"...factoring in my global promotional sledgehammer, TWO WORDS: SCORCHED. EARTH.
----------------------------------------
Somehow a five star read, and a one star read at the same time.
celebrity film memoir
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Sharon Orlopp
1 book · 206 followers
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November 21, 2022
Wow! This book and its powerful leadership and life lessons will be with me for a very long time.
Will Smith's biggest regret is not standing up for his mom when his dad punched her. He has always viewed himself as a coward.
His father taught him an incredible work ethic that helped Will outwork and outperform his peers. He initially started out as a rapper. His grandmother asked him to not use any profanity in his lyrics. He and his partner, DJ Jazzy Jeff, received the first Grammy for a rap song---Parents Just Don't Understand. They boycotted the award ceremony because the award for rap would not be televised.
Hip-hop helped him find his voice. The combination of hip-hop and humor made him untouchable. His rap name was Fresh Prince.
One of the critical moments in his life was when he told his mom that he wasn't going to college. His mother was in education and felt very strongly that education couldn't be taken away from you. His father mediated the different opinions between Will and his mom and determined that Will would take a one year gap year and then start college. During that one year, he became a hip-hop star.
Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, Will pissed away the earnings from his early hip-hop career and hadn't been paying taxes. He owed the IRS back taxes and his second album flopped. He went from hero to zero in a very short amount of time.
Through serendipity, he met Benny Medina at The Arsenio Hall Show. Benny introduced him to Quincy Jones who had Will audition for the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air during Quincy's large birthday party. Will got the part and focused on entertainment and music.
Some of the key leadership and life lessons Will shares in his memoir include:
* The rules of logic do not apply to the laws of possibility.
* Quincy Jones: Things are always impossible, right up until they're not.
* Magic requires preparation, awareness and surrender.
* Acting encompasses storytelling, performing, comedy, music, and teaching.
* If we don't adapt, we become extinct.
* Nothing lasts forever. Everything rises and falls.
* Clarity of mission is the powerful cornerstone of success.
* You are the creator of your own destiny.
* The human mind is a storytelling machine.
* We need our lives to mean something.
* Great stories illuminate the truth.
* Striving for perfection requires excellence from everyone.
Will explores that the big dreamers (entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, thought leaders, innovators) are always challenged with the pursuit of their big dreams while at the same time trying to have thriving relationships. Think about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, Nelson Mandela, Steve Jobs, JFK, etc.
Will wanted to help the people he loved build extraordinary lives, but he discovered that might not have been what they wanted. He felt rejected if others didn't subscribe to his intoxicating energy, adventure, and incredible discipline. He felt some people crumble under the pressure of possibilities. He wanted to experience everything there was to see and do.
Powerful, fast-paced memoir that I couldn't put down. Highly recommend!
five-stars memoir-autobiography-biography
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Howard
1,014 reviews · 65 followers
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April 12, 2022
5 Stars for Will (audiobook) by Will Smith and Mark Manson read by the author.
I’m a big Will Smith fan. I’ve been waiting for this book to come available from the digital library for months. Finally I get the audiobook. I’m looking forward to to listening to Will telling his own story. I have a few more books to listen to first and then Will goes off and slaps Chris Rock at the Oscars.
This audiobook helps to some degree to understand where Will’s mind was at. His accomplishments are amazing. He is a star in music, TV and movies. But it appears that there is a cost to pay for focusing on one’s career too much. I really hope he can get past this incident and he can make up with Chris Rock.
audiobooks biography non-fiction
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Ellery Adams
54 books · 3,840 followers
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December 23, 2021
One of my favorite things about Will Smith’s entertaining, honest, and moving memoir was reading about his friends. He rose to fame with a group of friends, and they’re still with him today. Will drew people into his orbit like the sun. And like a star that burns too long, there were times when he imploded. His success as an actor, musician, and writer is undeniable, but his struggles to be a good husband, father, son, and friend are what most readers will remember about this book. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version. Will had me laughing, bobbing my head to his jams, and wiping my eyes a few times too. His grandmother’s quotes alone make this a worthy read.
“Jus’ remember, Lover Boy,” she said, “be nice to everybody you pass on your way up, coz you just might have to pass them again on your way down.”
― Will Smith’s grandmother (Gigi)
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Kameel
706 reviews · 62 followers
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November 24, 2021
WOW.... Will was so open and vulnerable during this book....I was so engrossed and I didn't want to stop listening....This audiobook was definitely worth the 16 hours it took to complete. Bravo Will Bravo!!!
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Queen
235 reviews · 44 followers
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November 20, 2021
I've always liked WILL SMITH. But to now know his life from the beginning of his journey until now really opens up my soul! I LOVE HIM NOW! He was raw and uncut about his journey and experiences. I especially loved the part about his marriage when he said (paraphrasing) that your person you choose to spend life with is just as imperfect as you are. You can easily love them when they are doing right, making you smile or laugh. But the true test comes from the times that things are not going right and things are not so perfect. Can you love them then? Can you love their ugly? This book made me reflect a lot on my own life. It made me open areas that I thought I had vaulted. Time for me to get back to work! I don't want to give away too much buy if you had a parent that was hard on you, gave you a complex, made you fear them, etc. This read is for you. If you are married, this book is for you. If you have ever hit rock bottom. This book is for you.
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Juliana
701 reviews · 1 follower
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December 2, 2021
Listen, I like Will Smith. His movies are entertaining. This book was just too much. Bro needs to edit. 400+ pages or 16+ hours of the audiobook (which I listened to). The first half of his book was more interesting than the last half. It was seriously a chore to get through after a while and I just wanted him to stop talking. Sometimes, he just rambled about the most inane things, especially near the end. I was not a fan of some of the impressions he did of famous people at all.
For the record, he talked about a prank that he pulled on Jada when she met his grandma Gigi. I am on her side. It was not funny. It was immature.
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Traci Thomas
490 reviews · 9,213 followers
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February 6, 2022
This audiobook is A+ Smith’s narration is so good (zero percent surprised). He avoids talking about some of the more salacious parts of his life which is fine but he’s so big on honesty it feels a little questionable. I understand Smith better, but I’m not sure I like him any more. A mixed bag but overall good.
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BookNightOwl
938 reviews · 157 followers
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December 4, 2021
I highly enjoyed this read! I grew up loving Fresh Prince of Bel Aire and was sad the day it ended. I remember watching the last episode and feeling like it was a huge lost. I love the movies he made and excited to watch the recent release of King Richard. This book made me laugh but also made me see that even the biggest celebrities go through troubles in their life. Highly recommend this book A+
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Krystal
1,243 reviews · 333 followers
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June 6, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this but I don't think I like Will Smith at all now XD
You can definitely feel which parts were Mark Manson, because Will comes across as so arrogant and blind to the world. His materialism was so obvious throughout this book, and I really admire his honesty but there wasn't enough humility to soften it. For example, he straight up confesses that he put himself before his family and his kids, and while it made a twisted kind of sense there still never seemed to be much growth that followed, and any notion of his seeing why that might be a messed up way of thinking.
I mean, this book is essentially about his achievements. There are some interesting insights into why he might have behaved a certain way (and this is where Manson's contribution is quite evident) but there's no change in behaviour until the very last few chapters. I'll say it again: there is no humility. He notes when his behaviour was inappropriate but explains it away rather than offering any notion of regret. This memoir is completely unapologetic.
As a self-help book, it's not great. Will Smith got where he was by working hard and valuing success above everything else in his life, including loved ones. He destroyed countless relationships with his selfishness, and ultimately he got famous by working hard in the right place at the right time. You can't deny he worked hard, but you also can't deny that he got pretty damn lucky.
Will Smith is a brilliant entertainer - there's no denying that. This book details that journey, and it was quite fun to read. I particularly enjoyed reading about his early days as a rapper, as we tend to forget that was his stepping stone into acting. The story of his life, here on the page, is told quite well, with all the highlights, and he has had some incredible experiences so the story is not a dull one by any stretch.
The honesty is apparent, to such a point you almost wish he'd left some stuff out. The way he lives his life is almost the complete opposite of how I live mine, so it was quite painful to read at times, but it was a fascinating character study.
As I said, I don't think I would like to meet him in person after reading this (which I'm sure wouldn't bother him in the slightest), but I really admire how honest a tale this is. The highlights of his career are all covered, so fans should be satisfied, and Mark Manson's contributions adds some much needed psychology to the story. I wanted to read more about Will's growth that came so late in the story, but otherwise it was a fun, insightful read.
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Brittany McCann
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December 15, 2022
This was good. Like REALLY good. I love Will, but having kind of lost touch with television and movies for much of the last decade, I have only been peripherally aware of what his latest life works have been. I have seen more of the Jada side when I can catch one of her Red Table Talks, which are always great for life speculation. However, I grew up with Will on my television and I always liked him. I watched Men in Black at least 500 times. It came out in my middle school years, and my friend and I would just always have it on no matter what was going on, it became somewhat of a comfort show.
Will gets real and raw in this autobiography. He digs deep into his psyche and exposes things that were likely cathartic to share in general, let alone with us the readers. I got more out of this book than I have from most in my life. You have to listen to Will read it to get the full effect, to get the inflection and the emotion that he imbues into the telling.
Will struggles and battles with his inner demons helped me take a harder look at my own issues, and the things that hold me back in life. This is a book worth reading, and it is one that I will definitely come back to and read again in the future.
5 Stars, it's wonderful if you were ever or are currently a fan, and great for a soul searching read even if you aren't.
2022-challenge 5-stars biographical
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Colm Holland
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March 12, 2022
Spoiler alert! I am about to reveal the true heart of the message that Will Smith really wants to convey to his readers in his very revealing autobiography, ‘WILL’. If you prefer to find out what that is for yourself then don’t read my review. And yet, if you have decided his life story is not something that deserves your attention, then what I am about to tell you here could change your mind.
I confess, even though I have enjoyed being entertained by Will over many years, I would probably not have begun to read Will’s memoir apart for one thing: a YouTube video I came across some years ago, where in an interview, Will said his life was transformed by reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. As the original publisher of that book and the author of the #1 book critiquing it; The Secret of The Alchemist. For that reason I was intrigued to see what Will had to say about that experience in his book.
I’ll let Will tell you his story, but I will reveal his conclusion.
On page190, he says ‘I wanted to be an alchemist, too. I wanted to be able to transform anything and everything that life gave me into gold.’
He made that discovery almost twenty years ago and when you read his memoir, it is full of stories of his adversity beating ‘Will-power’, set against the obstacles to be overcome and recovered from. Will has also created his fair share of collateral damage to his own wellbeing and to those he loves along the way. But even so, in the sense of achieving your chosen goals against all the odds, Will can easily self identify as an alchemist; but that’s not the full story.
Being able to turn the lead in your life into gold as measured by your ability to achieve success artistically, financially and by your celebrity status is only one side of the alchemy gold coin; the ego facing side as I call it. The other side of the same coin, the shadow side, is the least attractive side, and we see Will in the telling of his own story or ‘personal legend’ trying to be as open and reflective about that side of himself as he can. However, he keeps the reader waiting until the last three chapters to discover when and how he began to put in the hard work of inner transformation that alchemy requires to transform his whole self into gold.
Personal transformation is hard work because the ego has to surrender (this is the title of a chapter towards the end), and then the new self has to learn to self love so he can love others unconditionally (Love is the title of the penultimate chapter.) This cannot be done without the ego wanting to visit the unconscious of the personal psyche and yes, Will does seek the aid of a Jungian psychoanalyst to help him on this part of his inner journey.
I’ve decided I won’t spoil your discovery of how Will finally manages to break the grip of his cast-iron ego, and how he began to unearth the contents of his unconscious, except to say that for all the external adoration and criticism in his life, he finally realises that it’s his lack of inner self love and the destructive power of his own self judgement that has stood between him and unconditional love.
As you may know, Will is deep in the production of a film version The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and based on what we see in the final chapters of his memoir, I suspect that as a producer and actor, Will will bring his full alchemical insight into the movie.
Life is not a game of who wins or who loses, it's about who is prepared to put in the hard work of going beyond the power of the ego to loving the deepest, least attractive parts of ourselves, so we can become the unconditional love the world needs to transform. If that is how we can self identify as an alchemist.
Like Will Smith, we are all alchemists when we commit to becoming our better future self.
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Erin
1,185 reviews · 1,090 followers
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July 12, 2022
Top 5 Will Smith Songs
1. Summertime
2. Gettin Jiggy Wit It
3. Men in Black
4. Fresh Prince Theme Song
5. Parents Just Don't Understand
Top 5 Will Smith Movies
1. Bad Boys II
2. Men in Black
3. Bad Boys
4. Hitch
5. Enemy of the State
Before I begin this review I would like to say that anyone who doesn't love Gettin Jiggy Wit It can leave now because no slander against that song will tolerated.
A few things that I learned while reading this book.
1. Will Smith is incredibly insecure
2. He seems like a fun and annoying friend
3. WILL SMITH AND JADA SHOULD NOT BE MARRIED ANYMORE
Will Smith has been famous for basically my entire life. I don't remember a time when his songs or tv show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air wasn't on. I love that show and can probably recite lines from several episodes by heart. Independence Day is a movie that while a bit overrated is still a great movie(its #7 on my list). When I think of my childhood it's Will Smith, Michael Jackson, Jason Weaver and Raven Symone.
I was a little bit worried that I would dislike Will Smith and given The Slap Heard Around the Globe I wanted a deeper insight into the life and psychology of Will Smith....and I got that. Had I read this before he bossed up on Chris Rock, I wouldn't have been surprised by it at all. Will Smith has spent his entire life preparing to lose his shit. He is so pent up and neurotic, slapping Chris Rock was probably cathartic. His whole life he's felt weak and like he isn't tough enough to defend the women he loves.
Reading this book made me feel sorry for Will Smith. He's rich and famous beyond my wildest dreams but my life is better. I'm not rich and nobody knows who the hell I am but my life is so much more happy and fulfilling. It's sad. Will Smith seems like a nice guy. A genuinely nice guy with cool buy weird kids and I want him to be happy. As much as I love Jada Pickett Smith as an actress and Black icon....her and Will should get divorced. They probably won't but I think they would be happier as friends who aren't married to each other.
I enjoyed this book but it felt disjointed at times. I did learn alot about Will's earlier life but I felt like he really held back when discussing his marriages. Maybe in 10 or 20 more years he'll write Part II of his memoir and we'll get the real tea.
I highly recommend it to fans of Will Smith....Who doesn't like Will Smith btw?
2022-nonfiction african-american-author best-non-fiction
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ABookwormWithWine
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December 13, 2021
I love memoirs, but I especially love them when they are about people I am familiar with which is exactly why I got excited to see Will by Will Smith as a Book of the Month add on last month. This might be the first time I have ever gotten to one of my picks so fast, and that is really because I love Will so much. I feel like I got to know so much about him in this book, and there was a ton of information that I didn't know going into it. Parts of it broke my heart, and I love that he touched on so many of the things that made him into the person he is today. He tells the reader about how he got into the different arts, and how he ultimately ended up becoming a movie star. He didn't go too in-depth with any particular movie, but he did talk a lot about when he was growing up as well as The Fresh Prince since that is where he got his start. I loved the random facts he provides throughout, and there are so many new tidbits that I now know about both his life and The Fresh Prince.
I mainly bought the book for the pictures that are included, but I had to listen to the audiobook since Will narrates it. I love listening to his voice as it is, and he did an excellent job narrating his story. It is a very immersive experience having both the book and the audiobook and I highly recommend both! He talks a lot about family, and I had tears in my eyes many times, but he also had me laughing my butt off on multiple occasions as well. He also talks about his arrogance and attitude, which for anyone that has met him in person seems like an important thing to note. He is no Tom Cruise (read this and you'll see what I'm referring to!), but I think he is an incredible person and Will made me love him even more. The only thing that was rather weird was hearing about his different personas through his meetings with Michaela and some ceremonies that he did. I will let you read that for yourselves but be prepared for some... interesting things too.
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* A Reader Obsessed *
2,051 reviews · 424 followers
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March 8, 2022
5 Stars!
Will Smith’s autobiography is as entertaining as one of his blockbuster movies! I promise!
Starting with his tumultuous upbringing that shaped and molded him into the mega driven, crowd pleasing, most personable star out there, Will Smith is larger than life, and he explores and reveals how this all came about.
Filled with life lessons galore and plenty of inspiration, Smith’s story is riveting in the groundbreaking accomplishments he has achieved. One cannot say this man has not worked extremely hard for all he has obtained. He’s far from perfect, but this fascinating, deeply personal, and intimate look at every facet will move even the most hard hearted person.
Will Smith narrating his own story only makes it that much more compelling. I laughed. I cried. I was simply impressed. Highly recommended!
(And for those who have read this, I side with Jada)
2022 audio nonfiction
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Oleh Bilinkevych
223 reviews · 38 followers
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August 11, 2022
Господи, та в нього его розміром з Галактику. Книга Віла- це така собі архетипна подорож героя, яка обов’язково має завершитись кульмінаційним просвітленням (власне, про що він і натякає в одному з розділів).
Однозначно, це не ”Зелене світло” МакКонахі, де можна відчути справжність оповідача. Тут віддає пластиковістю, як в старих маршрутках.
Гляньте, в мене було не просте дитинство, але я був такий класний. О, а потім я став зіркою хіп-хопу, та я не розумів своїх почуттів і відштовхував всіх довкола. A few moments later.. мені вже далеко за двадцять, я зірка екрану, але в мене за плечами розлучення і нездорові стосунки з батьками і я висрався на власну дитину від попереднього шлюбу. Але ж я стіііількии заробив! Гляньте-но, цей альбом зібрав стільки-от, а цей фільм став відомим тільки завдяки мені! (звісно ж, в дупу всіх учасників знімального майданчику, в тому числі сценаристів, операторів та режисерів)
На щастя, аж у свої 50ть він зрозумів, що почуття близьких мають значення. Алілуя
21th nonfiction real-bummer
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Andi
1,111 reviews
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November 25, 2021
When I was in elementary school, I was obsessed with Will Smith. I wanted to marry him and I wanted to be the light of his life. I had seen him in Men in Black and 4th grade me wanted to watch every movie he was in after that.
Over the years, I felt that I outgrew Will Smith because his choices in films no longer aligned with my tastes ; I felt his demeanor changed ; he wasn't really box office material anymore, ... list goes on. I always still had a place in my heart for him since I grew up with him in my adolescent / teen years.
So I was excited when I found out that he had a memoir coming out. Though what had me a bit on the fence that while this was a memoir... I didn't think that he would actually make it an autobiography.
So. Finishing it. I see that this memoir was more like an airing of his failures and his need for repentance. The biggest reveal Will gives on his life is more or less on his time frame from childhood to Fresh Prince of Bel Air. ... Everything regarding his cinema years is a blur and is just brought up here and there.
You see, Will was more or less writing this book as a self help book to everyone too. So that you can learn from his mistakes , failures , and make yourself a better person. To which I ask: how? you're on a different level of wealth and view of the world. We all cannot life the same failures and correlate / empathize with what you're going through.
I also come to find out that Will is a very controlling individual, or he was up until the last five years. Some of that can be blamed on his teenage years, but as he got older, and he began to rise in stardom, there comes a time when the things you say and do need to be evaluated as if you are an adult. His treatment of his wives (even current) and girlfriends are so poor that I can't believe this was going on up until he was almost 50 years old. That is a LONG time of his life he spent being a poor individual. Even worse that he was forcing his fame / fortune lifestyle / dreams on other people.
I don't know if I should feel pity, remorse, or just be happy that he was able to air / express his demons. The last couple chapters show that he got spiritually uplifted and that this is something that one does with a lot of money. I don't see people around here offering him the type of therapy he went through (it was a liquid induced LSD). I just know that after feeling so much better about himself he went to the Grand Canyon and bungee jumped out of a helicopter.
So. In summary:
- This is a self help book that isn't really self help. It is a memoir but it is more of a airing of his failures. This is not an autobiography since he spends some time bragging and doesn't really cover his time in Hollywood.
Maybe someone years from now will give a solid biography. But for now, this is what you get. A half-baked one.
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Fátima Linhares
460 reviews · 56 followers
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March 21, 2022
Encontráramos a fórmula. O Dia da Independência tinha efeitos especiais, criaturas de outro mundo e uma história de amor. E, ao juntarmos a isso o nosso poderio promocional... só tenho duas palavras a dizer: Terra. Queimada. Passara de pobre a rico, a falido, a novato no mundo da representação, a estrela do maior êxito de bilheteira do mundo. E ainda só tinha 27 anos.
Sentia-me invencível, mas ciente de que já sentira aquilo antes. Sabia o que era ter o vento a soprar a meu favor. Mas, agora, tinha o pé no acelerador e não ia largá-lo até que as rodas caíssem.
Quando olho para trás e analiso a minha vida, lembro-me de histórias engraçadas, experiências bonitas, perdas trágicas, vitórias magníficas - tudo ligado por um punhado de momentos cruciais, escolhas críticas que alteraram completamente a minha trajetória de vida.
Gostei muito de ler a autobiografia de Will Smith e conhecer um pouco da sua vida. Só o conhecia de alguns dos filmes em que foi protagonista e que foram grandes êxitos de bilheteira, por isso foi agradável conhecer o seu lado privado e perceber o caminho, nem sempre fácil, que o levou até ao estrelato mundial. Também gostei do seu sentido de humor e da forma honesta com que relatou fases menos boas da sua vida, pois não deve ser fácil assumir falhanços, ainda para mais quando se sabe que vão ser lidos por milhares de pessoas. Foi uma ótima leitura.
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Oyinda
638 reviews · 141 followers
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January 12, 2022
Top tier god shit
This was such an amazing read and the way this book went is why i love books like Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones. Following a celeb's life from humble beginnings to stardom and seeing them as humans with all their failings and highs and lows and now this one is a real person baring himself and the character development? Chef's kiss. So much to take away from this book. My first 5-star read of '22
2022-jan 2022-reads popsugar-22
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Jocelyn - Sorta on Hiatus, who knows
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November 19, 2021
If I didn’t love Will Smith before (of course I did), I absolutely adore him now. This was a very open and honest book. I feel like I know (and love) Will and his family now. I wish him only continued success.
2021 non-fiction
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