George Foreman's Guide to Life: How to Get Up Off the Canvas When Life Knocks You Down

THis is a very informative and insightful read. George really has some beautiful insights that should definitely be considered. Whether you are a Foreman fan or a self-help fan, I recommend you read this.

GEORGE FOREMAN'S GUIDE TO LIFE by George Foremanwith Linda Kulman is a short book (124 pages) that surprised me inall that it had to offer.I wasn't expected much from it, given that Foreman on the surfacewouldn't seem to be the ideal role model to write a self-help book . . . hewas a bully, of sorts, when a kid . . . he didn't read his firstwhole book until the age of 16 . . . and he was married and divorced four times, only to find his fifth time to be the charm.Furthermore, after he lost the heavyweight title for the first time,he became a recluse of sorts . . . he also had a reputation forbeing surly and mean-tempered, as unlikely as it now seemswhen you see him pitching products on TV or doing boxingcommentary on HBO.But Foreman has really turned his life around, and he shows youhow you can do the same . . . though much of the advice is basic,and you may have heard it before, his effective use of exampleshelps to drive many of his key points home . . . as he notes in the Introduction, "Everyone in life goes through a hard time sometime, but you can't let that define who you are. What definesyou is how you come back from those troubles and what you findin life to smile about."There were several other memorable passages; among them:With life there is pain and still more pain, but even with it all, there is always a reason to smile: a beat of music to make youlift your feet and dance; a piece of chocolate to sweeten upa moment. With death, as far as we know, there is no pain,only silence.The point is I could forgive a horse for biting me, another foralmost killing me. But it seems that people can rub us thewrong way and we're through with them overnight. We canforgive an animal and hold on to a grudge for years againstanother person.People only want to hear the best about their children. That'sbecause every mom and dad feels their child is an extensionof themselves. So pointing out their kid's shortcomings-whetherthey're physical, emotional, or behavioral-hurts because itfeels like it's a reflection on them and their success as a parent.As soon as you say something's wrong with that boy or girl, theirmother or father starts a conversation inside their head that goessomething like, "If only I were better at this or if only I had donethat, my child wouldn't have this problem." It doesn't really matterwhat you say or that you meant well; what they hear is, "What'sthe matter with you? Couldn't you have done a better job?"

I enjoyed reading this book. Down to earth advice on being positive and believing in yourself.

I have always thought of George Foreman as the perfect guy to have over and grill up a few steaks with. I can only imagine what extraordinary dinner conversation we would have if I was ever that lucky. George has incredible wisdom that he conveys in a friendly and down-to-earth style. His stories are as wonderfully told as they are meaningful. This book absolutely knocked me out. So please, George, come on over anytime. . . and bring some burgers!

George has never been afraid to change and adapt. He may have lost some fights and had some disappointments, like us all, but he has maintained a sense of humor and a clear sense of self.