Review: Will

Will by Will Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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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