Devouring Books: Will by Mark Manson and Will Smith (No Spoilers)

I started last year with “Will” by Mark Manson and Will Smith. It was the first book my friends and I decided to read that year. “Will” is described by everyone I know who’s read it as the quintessential “Man Book”. And I agree it is but, I have reason to believe that it’s more than that.

It’s a  down-to-earth account of a modern man’s journey through life. Only the modern man in question happens to be one of the most famous people alive. A man who I have watched from “Fresh Prince of BelAir” to “Men In Black” to “The Karate Kid”, “The Pursuit of Happiness” and everything in between! This man’s work forms the body of my childhood in films, movies and music.

I love that he gets very vulnerable in this book and reading it felt like he was letting me in into his life, his life decisions, his work ethic, and his traditions. He shows you who he is and how he has come to make a good number of his decisions. The thought process and the outcomes. He takes responsibility for the things that he isn’t proud of and you can see him learn and unlearn, grow and develop, and become the man, the myth, the legend. All from a down-to-earth, relatable perspective that’s easy to understand. This is a yummy book to say the very least. Reading it, especially if you’re from the generation that watched “Fresh Prince” and listened to him rap, feels very nostalgic.

I especially love the audio version of the book. I listened to it on Audible. The book is self-narrated brilliantly. It’s done in vibrant and vivid recollection in both hood slang and Academic intellectual Uncle “Phill” style diction. It feels very “Fresh Prince”. Listening to the audiobook as you peruse through the book is such a treat.

A refreshing glimpse into a life of Uber success and Grand Canyon-like emotional roller coasters makes “Will” a page Turner for any of his fans. This book portrays Will Smith as just that, Will Smith. It is a loud testament to the fact that we are all human despite our labels and that we are capable of greatness and defining legacy despite – and I dare say, because of- our checkered pasts. This book is filled with golden life nuggets. It will have you highlighting in many many instances and nodding in agreement to so much.

And what’s more, you get to experience Will, his mind and his logic. “Will” has left me enthused and determined to be the best version of myself in life. The honest perspective and larger-than-life experiences are a testament that anything is possible. All you’ve got to do is put your all in everything you do. Live as authentically and as loudly and boldly as you can as yourself.