Amazingly written

This book was beautifully written, having Ronda Rousey do the reading made the book so emotional. It gives a perfect insight into the trials and tribulations she had endured. I would recommend this book to all readers not just MMA fans. I give this book 5 stars all the way around. Thoroughly impressed.

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It's Real

I try a lot of audiobooks and finish fewer than half. Most of them I listen to while gardening, painting, or house-cleaning--even driving--the point being that I easily lose concentration unless a story gives me good reason to pay attention. Some books I listen to because their writing and style are exquisite art: that was not this book. Others I stick with because the philosophy, meaning, or relevance to my life deserved the emotional investment: that was this book.

As a middle-aged former wrestler--my sport and its lifestyle half a lifetime ago--I've needed four years to step back onto a mat to follow that craving for cooperative combat, to satisfy what I think is an instinct for battle and game, to activate those natural feel-good chemicals reactive to contact sports, and to keep alive that childhood dream of becoming anything at all like an orphan boy taken in by Shaolin monks. Finally, after listening to Motivation: Stories on Life and Success from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belts by Chuck J. Rylant, I went to a couple free trial classes and have kept coming back for 6 weeks now.

Rousey's Judo story has been part of my fuel, and there is a lot about it I love. To begin with, she narrates her own story. At times she's whiny, and she admits she's a big crybaby over almost anything: when she's happy, when she's nostalgic, when she misses her dad, when she wins, when she messes up her life, and to all of this I relate. I'm a whiner and feel sorry for myself frequently, but she's willing to fight her way out of the crap she gets herself into. With some meditation to crawl out of hesitancy, I can usually do the same. But her narrative training bursts more than balance her lapses into humanity.

Her details are specific. One thing I can't stand is when people make a claim but aren't exact in their illustrations. Ronda is rather illustrative and explicit, to say the least. She clearly entails her path to where she is now. She doesn't skimp over the early years at all, and she even explains how really early childhood challenges continually affected her while growing up. She really tells a balanced story: childhood, teenhood, adulthood, and she vivifies these personal eras as if none was more valuable than the others. She speaks even of athletic emotional predicaments such as winning without satisfaction, grasping air bubbles underwater and finding your hand empty when you bring your catch to the surface.

She doesn't bring up one relationship and leave it there for the rest of the book; her influences, both positive and detrimental, come back in episode after episode as if she keeps learning new lessons from past teachers (and failure is a great teacher).

Her performance is genuine. She is not Glenn Close, but she is theatrical and does keep her own voice and characterizations of others from growing monotonous.

I will probably re-listen to this audiobook this summer. I'm pretty sure I paid attention to almost all of it, and for an aging, ADHD, creaking former wrestler with head injuries, that's saying something. I've become Ronda's fan because she has been so honest about her screw-ups as well as her fortitude. She has given me some hope.

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4 people found this helpful

inspiring

I couldn't stop listening! I had read the book but having her read it made everything more real. such an inspiring story great read and great audio book

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Thank you Ronda

One of the greatest book I have heard because of you Ronda I have beat depression not get through it but kicked it’s mf ass!!!

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Great production, blah story

Great production and recording.
Rousey is just a bad voice actor and the way the story is written is like a boastful advertisement for her and her sponsors in most parts.

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Loved it!

I absolutely loved this book. I enjoyed listening listening to it on my drive to and from work. Much respect and admiration to Ronda. She is super bad ass!

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Written Before Her Fall

Very interesting book, read by Rhonda herself while undefeated.

I enjoyed this book but gave it a lower rating because of the gap at the author’s confidence and what happened afterwards.

It’s interesting view into the story and mind of a determined and single minded athlete at the top of her game.

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Shane

Wow! Great story, Ronda is an awesome athlete and really funny. I loved the book.

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Ronda Pulls No Punches

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

What's interesting is that I might recommend her book to young women who are coming-of-age. Ronda's story is inspirational for those 20-something women who are needing a push in the right direction in their lives. Ronda goes through all the usual heartbreaks, difficulties through loss, and a good/bad relationship with her mother. Young women in the western world may feel they have a lot in common with Ronda Rousey and will relate to her feelings.

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Love Ronda

Loved her raw, emotional, detailed story. I love how she recalls the details of her fights and emotions before, during and after. I'll remember this book for a long time.

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