- Hardcover: 336 pages
- Publisher: Willow; New edition edition (5 Feb 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0007106696
- ISBN-13: 978-0007106691
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16.5 x 2.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 550,667 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
The name list compiled by the WWF creative department included Teeva Gweeve, Phalan, Sheera, Venus, and Tigress. Teeva Gweeve?! What is that all about? Sounds like the name of a female pig in a cartoon. Phalan? Sheera? Why didn't they just come out and call me Butch Woman?
In the end, of course, they settled on the name Chyna--The 9th Wonder of the World--and not-so-little Joanie Laurer took a giant stride on her way to being the biggest, baddest, silicone-enhanced butt-buster in wrestling history.
Brutally candid -- and, those of a tender disposition should note, not shy of employing the sort of language that they just don't like to encourage on The Tweenies -- Chyna bares all in a non-stop expose of what it really took to be the first woman to hold the WWF Intercontinental Belt. It's a classic, sometimes harrowing story of one woman's battle to define her own identity in the face of overbearing, manipulative parents and a world which has firm ideas about how 'little girls' should look and behave.
Chyna lifts the lid off the WWF, taking no prisoners in her assessments of the biggest names -- including The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin -- the backstage bust-ups and what happens when things go wrong for real in the ring.
A genuinely funny, perceptive account of the game by one of its defining performers, lavishly illustrated with dozens of never-seen-before private photos and all-out action shots of the woman at work -- If Only They Knew is simply a must-read for WWF fans. --Alex Hankin
Review
Yes, the spelling is correct and the Internet even has a shrine to her because Chyna (born Joanie Laurer) is one big, strong woman - with a figure fit for Playboy - and the first to infiltrate the male-dominated world of professional wrestling. Although under wraps (because of a serial deal), her autobiography is bound to fascinate because of her alien and enigmatic career. She came from a dysfunctional family, with an alcoholic father and a mother who eventually married five times. She had teen-age bulimia yet was a brilliant scholar. Despite such academic promise she tried all things physical, including belly dancing, because she yearned for athletics and entertainment. Success eventually came in wrestling - training with killer Kowalski and taking on men at their sport. Here are the screw-ups and confrontations, the insults and humiliations, the bodybuilding and fighting back. Chyna, no holds barred.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Joanie Laurer aka Chyna had been through a heck of a lot in her life before she became successful in the WWF as has been well documented but this time it's Joanie herself who tells the tale.
There are a lot of shocking revelations in this book and it's makes you wonder how Joanie managed to carry herself through it all.
Her storytelling style is very much in the vein of Mick Foley (for those of you who have read "Have A Nice day") and her irreverant humour shines throughout.
However, I do have two slight moans :
1) The language! For a woman who comes across as thoughtful, polite and intelligent in her television and magazine interviews, it makes you wonder if this is the same person who wrote this book as it's chock full with gratuitous profanity. I wonder if her writing partner was Roy "Chubby" Brown...
2) Joanie doesn't actually tell everything. There are some chapters of her life that she either completely ignores or relegates to a passing mention - for example, her relationship with Gerry Blias, the man who taught her all she knew about bodybuilding and nutrition. Also, there is no mention of Owen Hart's tragic death (unlike Foley and The Rock's books) or the Montreal Screwjob, both of which happened during her tenure in the WWF.
I do feel though, that this book is somewhat "rushed", which is probably why so much is missing. This is evident by the fact that it only takes a couple of hours to read.
Having said that though, this is a great read and you are left with a different appreciation for Joanie Laurer. Oh and there are some great photos too.
I would recommend this to any Chyna fan, and I don't think it would hurt for any non-Chyna fans to read this - if they could put their prejudice against Chyna aside for a moment.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Chyna was one of my favourite WWF performers until I read this. She insults everyone who ever helped her (except those who had her career in their hands at time of writing), there are so many typos, it takes only a couple of hours to read and ignores the 2 biggest WWF events of all time - Owen's death and Montreal. There is no humility at all - she deserves everything she gets. Well, that came back to haunt her now the WWF fired her.
Mick Foley's book was awesome, the Rock's was shallow but this is, at times, nasty.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Definitely better in content than most books written about joanie laurer but still a bit hard to read. Although she talks about key moments in her life there is a tendency for her to wonder off onto another subject which makes for tricky reading at times. Her past relationship with HHH is mentioned although not in great detail, but still a book any fan should buy just to hear her story which is interesting.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Revealing more of Chyna's personality than her short life
I have read Mick Foley's, the Rock's and now Chyna's auto/biography and Chyna's is definitely the most revealing as to her personality. Read more
Published on 14 Jun 2001
Execllent reading!!!
Ok. So even though I haven't read any of the other WWF autobiographys, I'm guessin' this is the best. Read more
Published on 24 May 2001
A must for everyone - WWF fan or not.
I read this book early because I know someone who works at the company.
It is the same as the hard back version, very hard to put down. Read more
Published on 30 April 2001
...This is the WORST "Autobiography" ever made in wrestling
This is the WORST "Autobiography" ever made in wrestling. We are treated to over 300 pages of nonsensical boring rambling which simply sickens and bores you. Read more
Published on 28 April 2001
Enthralling
I was not, admittedly, a big fan of Chyna's, but having read both The Rock's and Mick Foley's autobiographies I bought this one. It was no mistake. Read more
Published on 20 April 2001
excellent
I would recommend this book to anyone,even non-chyna fans.It tells you about how chyna overcame many obsticles to become one of the most succesful,powerful and respected wrestlers... Read more
Published on 15 April 2001 by dude1977
This book is addictive
The girl who came into the wrestling as a bodygaurd and made herself into a superstar basically overnight has really gone through the mill let me tell ya. Read more
Published on 22 Mar 2001 by bradley733@ntlworld.com
FANATIC
THE BIOGRAPHY OF CHYNA IS A GREAT BOOK. There are some great pics and some good refrences from HHH,Y2J AND MIC FOLLEY. If theres one great book its this one.
Published on 21 Mar 2001 by deepak1uk@yahoo.co.uk
truly inspirational
This book is a must read for everyone. I could not put it down and read it all the morning I got it. Read more
Published on 27 Feb 2001 by cat23_12@hotmail.com
Great book but deserves... well...1 ...2 stars most
The chyna book on whole was excellent but realistically is a quater the size of the Foley book which i was not amuzed with:(. Read more
Published on 24 Feb 2001 by drew.potter@cableinet.co.uk
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