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June 1, 2015

Bryan is not your average professional wrestler. He stands less than six feet tall and weighs just over 200 pounds. However, he has used his easygoing personality to gain great success in wrestling's biggest promotion: World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Bryan's book details his life beginning with his childhood in Washington State and his teenage years, when he developed an interest in learning how to wrestle professionally. In a conversational style, Bryan intersperses his background with chapters relating to the week before his main event at WrestleMania 30 in 2014, where he won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Triple H, Batista, and Randy Orton. Bryan is the leader of the "YES!" movement, his signature chant when entering the arena. In 2014, Bryan married fellow WWE star Brie Bella and, as of this writing, is the WWE Intercontinental Champion but has also been sidelined with various injuries. VERDICT Bryan's voice is forthright and comical, making this a fun read. The flip-book-style animation in the lower corner of each page is a nice touch for his admirers. Fans of WWE superstars such as Brett Michaels, Triple H, and especially Mankind (aka Mick Foley) will enjoy this entertaining read.--Jason L. Steagall, Gateway Technical Coll., Elkhorn Lib., WI

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2015
Bryan Danielson knew from a young age that he wanted to be a professional wrestler. He and his friends created their own wrestling championship, the BWL, or Backyard Wrestling League, and shortly after high school he enrolled in wrestling training from an ad he found in the back of a magazine. Fifteen years later, in 2014, Daniel Bryan, Danielson's WWE persona, was crowned heavyweight champion at WrestleMania XXX. In this engaging, behind-the-scenes memoir, Bryan chronicles his unlikely rise to the pinnacle of his sport. Undersized, unconventional, and with little regard for the fame and fortune of big-time wrestling, Bryan loved putting on a show for the fans, and he fine-tuned his style by wrestling for independents in the U.S., Japan, and Europe. Bryan shares details of his wrestling adventures; his love for his wife, Brie Bella (a WWE diva); and his passion for the sport. When not in the ring, Bryan is an avid supporter of environmental issues, and he was named PETA's Most Animal-Friendly Athlete of 2012. This will be amust-read for followers of professional wrestling.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)