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Foley is Good: And the Real World is Faker Than Wrestling
In Foley Is Good, Mick Foley -- former Commissioner of the World Wrestling Federation, aka Cactus Jack, Dude Love, and Mankind -- picks up right where his smash #1 New York Times bestseller Have a Nice Day! left off, giving readers an inside look at the behind-the-scenes action in the Federation. With total honesty and riotous humor, Mick Foley shines a spotlight into some of the hidden corners of the World Wrestling Federation. From the ongoing controversy surrounding "backyard wrestling" to the real story behind his now-infamous "I Quit" match with The Rock, Foley covers all the bases in this hysterically funny roller-coaster ride of a memoir.
592 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
41 people are currently reading
1691 people want to read
About the author
Mick Foley
43Ìýbooks378ÌýfollowersMick Foley is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several memoirs, a WWE Hall of Famer, and the author of numerous books for children. He has appeared on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Late Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Good Morning America, Family Feud, Fox News, and has made several appearances on The Today Show. He was featured in a story on ABC’s World News Tonight for his work as an online volunteer with RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization. Foley was also recognized for his work with RAINN at the famous "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" â€� where he was awarded the Medal of Reasonableness from "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart. Follow him at @RealMickFoley.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
June 4, 2011
I don't know what to say about this book. The first 460 pages of it are almost as good as his first book. He probably could have used some reigning in, and a higher percentage of his jokes fall a little flat. But you get a lot of insight into matches he didn't get into in the first book, along with some fun personal moments, which include the writing and success of his first book.
Unfortunately, at around the 460 mark he goes into a really, really long tangent about the Parents Television Council. It takes up almost 100 pages of his roughly 550 pages worth of writing. It's not poorly written - it's actually not a bad attempt at investigative journalism. But I don't think many readers came into Foley is Good for hard-hitting investigative journalism. They came to read about a behind the scenes look at the life of a wrestler. In the paperback's bonus chapter (which I recommend for his reflections on his Katie Couric interview) he actually concedes he talked about the PTC too much, which I guess is more obvious in hindsight since the whole PTC thing kind of just blew over anyway.
Anyway, it was still a fun read, so I probably would've given it 4 stars, but man, 100 pages of something I really didn't care about had to be worth a -1 star at least.
Unfortunately, at around the 460 mark he goes into a really, really long tangent about the Parents Television Council. It takes up almost 100 pages of his roughly 550 pages worth of writing. It's not poorly written - it's actually not a bad attempt at investigative journalism. But I don't think many readers came into Foley is Good for hard-hitting investigative journalism. They came to read about a behind the scenes look at the life of a wrestler. In the paperback's bonus chapter (which I recommend for his reflections on his Katie Couric interview) he actually concedes he talked about the PTC too much, which I guess is more obvious in hindsight since the whole PTC thing kind of just blew over anyway.
Anyway, it was still a fun read, so I probably would've given it 4 stars, but man, 100 pages of something I really didn't care about had to be worth a -1 star at least.
March 21, 2023
Wow... 592 pages.. This is a big book.
Love wrestling, love to read about all the great characters in the WWE, especially in the 80's and 90's
This is your book, WWE wrestling was at it's prime in the 90's, with Vince McMahon establishing his business worldwide.
In this follow-up to his huge bestseller Have a Nice Day!, Mick Foley lets the reader in on all the behind-the-scenes action of the World Wrestling Entertainment, I did not release it was a follow up but soon realised this when reading this book, so missed his story, but gained a great knowledge of his wrestling career, ALL his fights.
No longer wrestling as ‘Mankind�, Mick Foley is now the Commissioner for the World Wrestling Federation, and his role has expanded to encompass plot lines ranging throughout the grand soap opera that the WWF shows have become.
Written with his trademark humour and total honesty, Foley is Good touches on everything from the controversy surrounding ‘backyard wrestling� to the trials and tribulations of dealing with a fickle media as a Federation superstar.
Filled with personal anecdotes, hilarious diatribes, inside dirt on the McMahon family and plenty of slapstick humour, Foley is Good is nothing less than required reading for all of the millions of World Wrestling Federation fans.
Never fully explains deeply on how much the matches are fixed, how I see it, is the conclusions are decided in advance, then they fight, and often real injuries, real blood, maybe sometimes fake blood, but it's often real injuries, but overall it's entertainment.
Love wrestling, love to read about all the great characters in the WWE, especially in the 80's and 90's
This is your book, WWE wrestling was at it's prime in the 90's, with Vince McMahon establishing his business worldwide.
In this follow-up to his huge bestseller Have a Nice Day!, Mick Foley lets the reader in on all the behind-the-scenes action of the World Wrestling Entertainment, I did not release it was a follow up but soon realised this when reading this book, so missed his story, but gained a great knowledge of his wrestling career, ALL his fights.
No longer wrestling as ‘Mankind�, Mick Foley is now the Commissioner for the World Wrestling Federation, and his role has expanded to encompass plot lines ranging throughout the grand soap opera that the WWF shows have become.
Written with his trademark humour and total honesty, Foley is Good touches on everything from the controversy surrounding ‘backyard wrestling� to the trials and tribulations of dealing with a fickle media as a Federation superstar.
Filled with personal anecdotes, hilarious diatribes, inside dirt on the McMahon family and plenty of slapstick humour, Foley is Good is nothing less than required reading for all of the millions of World Wrestling Federation fans.
Never fully explains deeply on how much the matches are fixed, how I see it, is the conclusions are decided in advance, then they fight, and often real injuries, real blood, maybe sometimes fake blood, but it's often real injuries, but overall it's entertainment.
July 26, 2008
I like this memoir, but I think it could have been edited and made a lot shorter. Foley ended up repeating himself a lot. For instance, he mentioned several times how much he likes to write and I thought, well obviously! Some of it just appears to be ramblings. It is fun learning about Mick's experiences in the wrestling world. However, my favorite part of the book is when he talks about the writing and publishing of his first book, "Have a Nice Day." A writer was hired to tell Mick's story, but Mick felt he could do a better job. So, he wrote his book himself by long hand. He felt sympathy for the secretaries at the publishing house who had to read his handwriting and type up his text. Apparently he did do a fine job, as the book became a best seller. There are many questions unanswered in this book which I am sure are in the first book. For instance, I need to know how he got into wrestling and what happened to his ear. Mick does talk about fame and not being able to escape even when he cut off all his hair. He didn't think anyone would recognize him. He was wrong there. He mentions how he and other wrestlers sometimes get injured in this "sport." And he does use many examples to show how "the real world is faker than wrestling." This thick book would be good to take on a travel vacation.
October 31, 2010
While I personally enjoyed "Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks" a little more, this book is much more accessible to non-wrestling fans. Foley's first book was essentially an autobiography. This book picks up where the previous ended, with Mick Foley winning the WWF title from the Rock in December of 1998, and covers Foley's in and out of ring adventures throughout 1999 until the middle of 2000. Because of the time period and Foley's popularity, the other players in this tale are much more well known than in his previous book, such as the Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Vince McMahon. There are many funny and philosophical vignettes and tangents thrown into the mix as well.
This is the easiest book I have ever read. I read the first couple of chapters on a Friday and read almost the entire book the day following. As in the first book, Foley's tone is very conversational. I found myself skipping back and forth as well... the book does not suffer from non linear reading.
***
At the end of the book, there is an 80 page "Epilogue" which mostly consists of Mick Foley defending the WWF from its critics who say that it corrupts children due to violence, sexual references, language, etc. While not an academic study or strictly logical argument, this section is extremely thought provoking, especially in regards to how "academic studies" can be extremely prejudicial and misleading.
This is the easiest book I have ever read. I read the first couple of chapters on a Friday and read almost the entire book the day following. As in the first book, Foley's tone is very conversational. I found myself skipping back and forth as well... the book does not suffer from non linear reading.
***
At the end of the book, there is an 80 page "Epilogue" which mostly consists of Mick Foley defending the WWF from its critics who say that it corrupts children due to violence, sexual references, language, etc. While not an academic study or strictly logical argument, this section is extremely thought provoking, especially in regards to how "academic studies" can be extremely prejudicial and misleading.
December 1, 2008
Foley's follow-up to his epic Have a Nice Day. Not nearly as good. But still pretty entertaining. I was especially shocked by his expose of the ghost-writing process employed by professional athletes. Spoiler alert! The athletes who "write" books don't write books.
April 21, 2023
Foley’s first book is by a wide margin the best wrestling biography ever. I’m gonna guess anyone who’s read multiple of these would agree. This one picks up where the first left off and is still engrossing but it lacks the content that made the first one so memorable.
March 21, 2022
I'm not a professional wrestling fan; the extent of my wrestling knowledge (prior to reading this book) comes from what I hear from friends who follow. But I saw the documentary "Beyond the Mat" a year or two ago, and found Mick Foley (Mankind, or Cactus Jack, to many of his fans) to be a somewhat fascinating guy, and when someone gave me this, his second autobiography, I had a feeling I might enjoy it.
Foley's writing is good enough, and consistently engaging enough, that I found myself scrolling Wikipedia for more information on some of the wrestlers he mentions and some of the industry terms. Not that Mick doesn't explain all this stuff well enough for a reader unfamiliar with the sports entertainment industry; I just found it all interesting to the point that I wanted to know a little more.
Foley discusses early on the fact that his books are not ghost-written, unlike many other sports entertainers' memoirs. It's not surprising to me that his books have hit the top of the NY Times Bestseller lists; maybe the guy was a talented wrestler, but he's potentially more talented with a pen.
Foley's writing is good enough, and consistently engaging enough, that I found myself scrolling Wikipedia for more information on some of the wrestlers he mentions and some of the industry terms. Not that Mick doesn't explain all this stuff well enough for a reader unfamiliar with the sports entertainment industry; I just found it all interesting to the point that I wanted to know a little more.
Foley discusses early on the fact that his books are not ghost-written, unlike many other sports entertainers' memoirs. It's not surprising to me that his books have hit the top of the NY Times Bestseller lists; maybe the guy was a talented wrestler, but he's potentially more talented with a pen.
January 2, 2016
I wasn't watching wrestling while Mick Foley was wrestling, so I come into this with a different perspective than someone who knew him as a wrestler. The only reason I read this was that I read Chris Jericho's books. I wasn't watching when Jericho was wrestling either, but he has been active in recent years and I have become a big old wrestling smark, and I read his. I enjoyed them, so I picked up the books by Foley (recommended to me).
This is my second book by Foley and, as before, I feel he is a better writer than Jericho (and I enjoyed Jericho's books). They are somewhat more literary in scope, and Foley is wonderful at describing scenes as they played out. I have been watching the WWE Network and am just about at the same place viewing as Foley was when he wrote this book, so that has given me an increased perspective of what is going on behind the scenes.
Look, if you like wrestling then you will like this book; if not, you won't bother reading it. As for me, I enjoyed it quite a bit.
This is my second book by Foley and, as before, I feel he is a better writer than Jericho (and I enjoyed Jericho's books). They are somewhat more literary in scope, and Foley is wonderful at describing scenes as they played out. I have been watching the WWE Network and am just about at the same place viewing as Foley was when he wrote this book, so that has given me an increased perspective of what is going on behind the scenes.
Look, if you like wrestling then you will like this book; if not, you won't bother reading it. As for me, I enjoyed it quite a bit.
August 26, 2010
is the follow up to Foley's first autobiography (the book that blazed the trail for the multitude of professional wrestling biographies that would come about in the last 10 years). He basically brings you up to speed on the time since his intial book release, his retirement, his on-screen return as WWE Commissioner and his personal life.
While not as good as his previous outing, , Foley still manages to be entertaining. Especially when he breaks down the Home Alone movies and what REALLY would have happened to poor Harry and Marv.
While not as good as his previous outing, , Foley still manages to be entertaining. Especially when he breaks down the Home Alone movies and what REALLY would have happened to poor Harry and Marv.
July 30, 2018
FOLEY IS GOOD.
He really is, both in regards to being a durable, lovable human punching bag / pin cushion who used to be the living hardcore legend in wrestling arenas throughout the world, and as seen in his numerous autobiographies Mick has proved himself to be a REALLY really good writer and story teller. In his second 500 page book published shortly after the 2000 hit memoir “Have a Nice Day!�, Mick Foley made two years of his life some of the most enjoyable hours of reading that I have ever come across. The mere narrative style of Foley’s autobiographies coupled with his memory, devotion to writing these books personally and with ink and paper, and his lovable and affable personality make each Foley book a real treat to read. From the word “go�, this book instantly became one of my all-time favorites.
FOLEY IS GOOD.
He really is, both in regards to being a durable, lovable human punching bag / pin cushion who used to be the living hardcore legend in wrestling arenas throughout the world, and as seen in his numerous autobiographies Mick has proved himself to be a REALLY really good writer and story teller. In his second 500 page book published shortly after the 2000 hit memoir “Have a Nice Day!�, Mick Foley made two years of his life some of the most enjoyable hours of reading that I have ever come across. The mere narrative style of Foley’s autobiographies coupled with his memory, devotion to writing these books personally and with ink and paper, and his lovable and affable personality make each Foley book a real treat to read. From the word “go�, this book instantly became one of my all-time favorites.
FOLEY IS GOOD.
February 6, 2024
I can't believe that I waited over 20 years to read this!
Going in, I was looking most forward to hearing Mick's stories from his time in the WWF after I became a fan in 1999. What I got was not only great stories from his matches, told in compelling fashion, but also a look at who Foley is outside of the ring: including stories of friendship, marriage and becoming an author. I have a much greater appreciation for the Hardcore Legend after reading.
I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book and found it very hard to put down. The writing was in turns very heartfelt and honest and at times, hilarious!
My only regret was not reading it much sooner!
Going in, I was looking most forward to hearing Mick's stories from his time in the WWF after I became a fan in 1999. What I got was not only great stories from his matches, told in compelling fashion, but also a look at who Foley is outside of the ring: including stories of friendship, marriage and becoming an author. I have a much greater appreciation for the Hardcore Legend after reading.
I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book and found it very hard to put down. The writing was in turns very heartfelt and honest and at times, hilarious!
My only regret was not reading it much sooner!
June 6, 2009
It's hard to live up to the masterpiece of his first book, but this book was still entertaining and engrossing. He's a talented writer and if couldn't get enough of Foley in the first book, press on and read this one, too. These books are like Pringles...once u start u can't stop.
January 6, 2024
First, the ugly: Whoever was in charge of updating the paperback edition after the World Wrestling Federation’s conversion to World Wrestling Entertainment didn’t for one moment check the grammar. All they did was swap “Federation� for “Entertainment.� It’s glaring and ridiculous. Perhaps one day a new edition will correct this.
Because, make no mistake, this is an important book.
In some of the bonus material in this particular edition, Foley himself unfavorably compares Foley is Good to Have a Nice Day!, his first memoir, in which he details his early life and unexpected rise as a genuine WWE superstar. Much of the attention that first book got was likely rubbernecking from the world at large, gawking at one of the more outlandish personalities in the era where professional wrestling was at its most notorious (at least in this era).
What sets Foley is Good apart is that it’s a fully-articulated defense of professional wrestling. It chronicles Foley’s last several years as an active wrestler (since that WrestleMania 2000 match he’s participated in a number of other matches, including a run he wrote about in Countdown to Impact for TNA), but more importantly it also functions as a document on how he wrote the first book, and everything he experienced as a result, and how he interpreted it, and why he came to view his job of fifteen years as more than the sum of the crazy stunts he used to do to get a pop (and be noticed) (and put on a show).
All of this and Foley continues, to this day, to be the notable exception to everything people say is wrong with professional wrestling. He never became a hopeless addict. He was never arrested. He certainly didn’t die a horrible death. He never killed anyone (much less his family). All of which is what critics like to point to as the needless consequences of the wrestling ring (much less the bogus indictments Foley lays the literary smackdown on in the most historically consequential parts of the book) aren’t inevitable, even for a guy who frequently references his most punishing and famous match in this very book.
Professional wrestling is old by modern pop culture standards. It has a history stretching back more than a hundred years, one that’s far better documented than the debates of fans that usually run thirty years max into the past. What Foley produced here is a comprehensive window on the era in which he thrived, both on an intimate and expansive level, which is far more later generations will have to try and make sense of it than, say, Ed “Stranger� Lewis managed to leave behind.
And despite sometimes losing perspective, it’s also really good.
Because, make no mistake, this is an important book.
In some of the bonus material in this particular edition, Foley himself unfavorably compares Foley is Good to Have a Nice Day!, his first memoir, in which he details his early life and unexpected rise as a genuine WWE superstar. Much of the attention that first book got was likely rubbernecking from the world at large, gawking at one of the more outlandish personalities in the era where professional wrestling was at its most notorious (at least in this era).
What sets Foley is Good apart is that it’s a fully-articulated defense of professional wrestling. It chronicles Foley’s last several years as an active wrestler (since that WrestleMania 2000 match he’s participated in a number of other matches, including a run he wrote about in Countdown to Impact for TNA), but more importantly it also functions as a document on how he wrote the first book, and everything he experienced as a result, and how he interpreted it, and why he came to view his job of fifteen years as more than the sum of the crazy stunts he used to do to get a pop (and be noticed) (and put on a show).
All of this and Foley continues, to this day, to be the notable exception to everything people say is wrong with professional wrestling. He never became a hopeless addict. He was never arrested. He certainly didn’t die a horrible death. He never killed anyone (much less his family). All of which is what critics like to point to as the needless consequences of the wrestling ring (much less the bogus indictments Foley lays the literary smackdown on in the most historically consequential parts of the book) aren’t inevitable, even for a guy who frequently references his most punishing and famous match in this very book.
Professional wrestling is old by modern pop culture standards. It has a history stretching back more than a hundred years, one that’s far better documented than the debates of fans that usually run thirty years max into the past. What Foley produced here is a comprehensive window on the era in which he thrived, both on an intimate and expansive level, which is far more later generations will have to try and make sense of it than, say, Ed “Stranger� Lewis managed to leave behind.
And despite sometimes losing perspective, it’s also really good.
January 17, 2015
After the huge success that was “Have a Nice Day�, Mick Foley’s biography of his time wrestling as Mankind and other characters, it was almost inevitable that there would be another part. Especially as his first book was supposed to end with his wrestling career and, as it turned out, his career within World Wrestling Entertainment didn’t end at that point.
Mick Foley also has something he wants, or maybe even needs, to say. About many things, mostly related to wrestling. He feels very strongly about the stupidity of the backyard wrestling craze in the US and the (as he sees it) unfair treatment handed out to World Wrestling Entertainment by the Parents Television Council.
He starts by talking in more depth about his time at the end of his active wrestling career, about his time as champion and what he felt was his worst moment in wrestling and as a father. He relates his story of a match when he was being filmed for his part in the film “Beyond the Mat�, when he was hit with a chair quite a few times with his family watching. His wife and children were extremely upset at him getting hurt, but he wasn’t aware of this and caused them more emotional distress than he realised, something that still haunts him several years on.
From this point onwards, however, the book ceases to be just an autobiographical account of Foley’s life. After all, he’s covered all that ground once, in “Have a Nice Day�, so there’s no real need to cover it all again. Certainly, he does dip back into his wrestling career, but mostly only into the later parts which had either occurred after “Have a Nice Day� was published, or only got a brief mention in the Bonus Chapter in the paperback edition.
Interspersed with these recollections are Mick Foley’s thoughts on wrestling related issues such as backyard wrestling, how his book came into being and how he came to be the author after an abortive attempt to use a ghost writer and some memories on some old friends who are no longer around. But this book, unlike his first, isn’t all about wrestling, so you get to hear Mick Foley’s thoughts on meeting Britney Spears and on going to amusement parks with his kids, as well as finding out some of his favourite things.
Unfortunately, it is this last that provides one of the worst sections of the book. Instead of writing as he has done throughout both his biographies, Foley descends into a list format, listing his favourite amusement parks, rides, wrestling matches and films. It’s a shame, as he has already proven himself to be an accomplished writer and several pages of lists serves only to break up the flow of the book. It’s certainly a nice change to read something that isn’t completely related to wrestling, but it’s more of a distraction than a change for the better.
Although Foley’s writing style is easy to read, being fairly laid back and not too concerned with using too much vocabulary, the style of “Foley is Good� doesn’t stand up too well to comparison with “Have a Nice Day�. Although it’s still quite easy to read, he seems to be in a worse mood than he was writing his original autobiography. Maybe part of it is that he’s writing about things that don’t make him happy, such as the deaths of a couple of close wrestling friends and the unfair behaviour handed out to the WWE. Maybe it’s because he’s writing about times where he has been treated badly, by a lawyer in a court appearance and by a television interviewer. Maybe it’s because, at this stage, he’s writing about his wrestling career � a career he has loved greatly � first going into a decline and then coming to an end.
It could just be that, for the first time, Mick Foley has a bee in his bonnet. He’s not just writing about Mick Foley, he’s writing about the World Wrestling Entertainment. And in writing about WWE, he’s not telling how it is, or was, but trying to defend the company he loves from all number of attacks, about drug-taking, about encouraging kids to imitate their moves with dangerous and even fatal consequences and about spreading filth and immorality to the nation via the medium of national TV. He’s on the defensive for the most part, and upset at the slurs on the business he loves, and it shows in his writing.
The sections where he is defending WWE are certainly very well researched, and their writing has clearly involved more thought that anything he’s written before. But they just don’t feel quite as good as the rest. For one thing, he’s writing with a purpose, whereas before he was just writing for the joy of telling his story, and that takes some of the spontaneity and fun out of it. As another, what he’s writing is very American-centric, and has less appeal outside the US, as other countries don’t have anything like the Parents Television Council (unless you count Janet Street-Porter), or at least in not such a visible form, so it gives us less of a reference point, even for the wrestling fan.
For all this, “Foley is Good� is a better book for the non-wrestling fan than “Have a Nice Day� was, purely because it’s not completely about wrestling. Unfortunately, he does refer back to parts of his career and parts of this book are about how “Have a Nice Day� came into being, so it’s one best read after “Have a Nice Day�, and doesn’t stand up terribly well on it’s own. Whilst it covers more ground than would be expected of a second part of Mick Foley’s autobiography, it’s essentially little more than a sequel to that first book, which will restrict the audience to people who have read “Have a Nice Day� � essentially mostly wrestling fans.
For anyone who has read and enjoyed “Have a Nice Day�, this is more or less essential reading. It may not be as good to read, but it is a continuation and you’re really missing out on large parts of Mick Foley’s life story by not keeping going. For anyone who has an interest in wrestling in general, past or present, this is virtually essential, as it’s full of how the WWE has been and been treated in the past and is well-written enough to appeal to the general wrestling fan, and not just a historian. For anyone who doesn’t like wrestling but does enjoy biographies, I’d recommend “Have a Nice Day� over “Foley is Good�, but to bear this in mind if you enjoy the former. For someone with no interest in wrestling, you may be surprised to discover that a former sports-entertainer can write so intelligently. But you’ll most likely be too busy being confused or bored by the frequent wrestling descriptions for this to be your over-riding emotion.
This is definitely worth a look, even if it is harder going than “Have a Nice Day�. It’s not one that will get you going in the same way as that did, but one not to be missed if you have an interest in the subject. As anyone who has read a number of wrestling biographies could tell you, even being a weaker sibling to “Have a Nice Day� makes this a better book on wrestling than most out there and it still appeals to me, despite my not having been into wrestling for quite some time.
This review may also appear under my name at any or all of , , , and
Mick Foley also has something he wants, or maybe even needs, to say. About many things, mostly related to wrestling. He feels very strongly about the stupidity of the backyard wrestling craze in the US and the (as he sees it) unfair treatment handed out to World Wrestling Entertainment by the Parents Television Council.
He starts by talking in more depth about his time at the end of his active wrestling career, about his time as champion and what he felt was his worst moment in wrestling and as a father. He relates his story of a match when he was being filmed for his part in the film “Beyond the Mat�, when he was hit with a chair quite a few times with his family watching. His wife and children were extremely upset at him getting hurt, but he wasn’t aware of this and caused them more emotional distress than he realised, something that still haunts him several years on.
From this point onwards, however, the book ceases to be just an autobiographical account of Foley’s life. After all, he’s covered all that ground once, in “Have a Nice Day�, so there’s no real need to cover it all again. Certainly, he does dip back into his wrestling career, but mostly only into the later parts which had either occurred after “Have a Nice Day� was published, or only got a brief mention in the Bonus Chapter in the paperback edition.
Interspersed with these recollections are Mick Foley’s thoughts on wrestling related issues such as backyard wrestling, how his book came into being and how he came to be the author after an abortive attempt to use a ghost writer and some memories on some old friends who are no longer around. But this book, unlike his first, isn’t all about wrestling, so you get to hear Mick Foley’s thoughts on meeting Britney Spears and on going to amusement parks with his kids, as well as finding out some of his favourite things.
Unfortunately, it is this last that provides one of the worst sections of the book. Instead of writing as he has done throughout both his biographies, Foley descends into a list format, listing his favourite amusement parks, rides, wrestling matches and films. It’s a shame, as he has already proven himself to be an accomplished writer and several pages of lists serves only to break up the flow of the book. It’s certainly a nice change to read something that isn’t completely related to wrestling, but it’s more of a distraction than a change for the better.
Although Foley’s writing style is easy to read, being fairly laid back and not too concerned with using too much vocabulary, the style of “Foley is Good� doesn’t stand up too well to comparison with “Have a Nice Day�. Although it’s still quite easy to read, he seems to be in a worse mood than he was writing his original autobiography. Maybe part of it is that he’s writing about things that don’t make him happy, such as the deaths of a couple of close wrestling friends and the unfair behaviour handed out to the WWE. Maybe it’s because he’s writing about times where he has been treated badly, by a lawyer in a court appearance and by a television interviewer. Maybe it’s because, at this stage, he’s writing about his wrestling career � a career he has loved greatly � first going into a decline and then coming to an end.
It could just be that, for the first time, Mick Foley has a bee in his bonnet. He’s not just writing about Mick Foley, he’s writing about the World Wrestling Entertainment. And in writing about WWE, he’s not telling how it is, or was, but trying to defend the company he loves from all number of attacks, about drug-taking, about encouraging kids to imitate their moves with dangerous and even fatal consequences and about spreading filth and immorality to the nation via the medium of national TV. He’s on the defensive for the most part, and upset at the slurs on the business he loves, and it shows in his writing.
The sections where he is defending WWE are certainly very well researched, and their writing has clearly involved more thought that anything he’s written before. But they just don’t feel quite as good as the rest. For one thing, he’s writing with a purpose, whereas before he was just writing for the joy of telling his story, and that takes some of the spontaneity and fun out of it. As another, what he’s writing is very American-centric, and has less appeal outside the US, as other countries don’t have anything like the Parents Television Council (unless you count Janet Street-Porter), or at least in not such a visible form, so it gives us less of a reference point, even for the wrestling fan.
For all this, “Foley is Good� is a better book for the non-wrestling fan than “Have a Nice Day� was, purely because it’s not completely about wrestling. Unfortunately, he does refer back to parts of his career and parts of this book are about how “Have a Nice Day� came into being, so it’s one best read after “Have a Nice Day�, and doesn’t stand up terribly well on it’s own. Whilst it covers more ground than would be expected of a second part of Mick Foley’s autobiography, it’s essentially little more than a sequel to that first book, which will restrict the audience to people who have read “Have a Nice Day� � essentially mostly wrestling fans.
For anyone who has read and enjoyed “Have a Nice Day�, this is more or less essential reading. It may not be as good to read, but it is a continuation and you’re really missing out on large parts of Mick Foley’s life story by not keeping going. For anyone who has an interest in wrestling in general, past or present, this is virtually essential, as it’s full of how the WWE has been and been treated in the past and is well-written enough to appeal to the general wrestling fan, and not just a historian. For anyone who doesn’t like wrestling but does enjoy biographies, I’d recommend “Have a Nice Day� over “Foley is Good�, but to bear this in mind if you enjoy the former. For someone with no interest in wrestling, you may be surprised to discover that a former sports-entertainer can write so intelligently. But you’ll most likely be too busy being confused or bored by the frequent wrestling descriptions for this to be your over-riding emotion.
This is definitely worth a look, even if it is harder going than “Have a Nice Day�. It’s not one that will get you going in the same way as that did, but one not to be missed if you have an interest in the subject. As anyone who has read a number of wrestling biographies could tell you, even being a weaker sibling to “Have a Nice Day� makes this a better book on wrestling than most out there and it still appeals to me, despite my not having been into wrestling for quite some time.
This review may also appear under my name at any or all of , , , and
July 8, 2021
There's too many reviews on Mick's 2nd memoir complaining about Mick's epilogue where Mick does research and offers trenchant opinions about the Parent Television Council and that Bozell guy.
It's in the epilogue. Mick firmly states his intention, his thesis, and encourages the reader to choose whether to read his research, or to close the book.
This is a memoir - it's a good memoir - not a great memoir like Have a Nice Day! - but it's still Mick's memoir. His opinion about the PTC isn't the focus of the book, nor is it even woven throughout the narrative.
It's more like a college essay stapled to the back of the book.
Regardless of how I feel about his epilogue (I love Mick's insight and counter-arguments, pre-REAL social media), this book (and I predict his next 3 memoirs) will forever exist in the shadow of Have a Nice Day! But, while I found myself a little flustered by the rollercoaster-ride of Mick's narrative storytelling, with a lot of reflection, and as a fan of Mick, it's the ridiculous amount of tangents that I'll remember more than anything.
It's been 20 years - we all know the meta-narrative of Mick Foley's career and life (his A&E doc was basically a summation of Have a Nice Day! as was the WWE documentary For All Mankind) - I want the other bits. The stuff that maybe Foley wouldn't even remember in 2021.
The chapter on the Penis Suplex?? Amazing.
The random anecdote about the Vegas show where Mick, The Rock, Kane, and Steve Austin are making each other break character by making bad "Pimpin Ain't Easy!" puns?
"Shrimpin' Ain't Easy!"
Hilarious.
None of us need a summary of his (1st) retirement match.
I REALLY would like to know what Al Snow did to ruin a segment on RAW, though...
It's in the epilogue. Mick firmly states his intention, his thesis, and encourages the reader to choose whether to read his research, or to close the book.
This is a memoir - it's a good memoir - not a great memoir like Have a Nice Day! - but it's still Mick's memoir. His opinion about the PTC isn't the focus of the book, nor is it even woven throughout the narrative.
It's more like a college essay stapled to the back of the book.
Regardless of how I feel about his epilogue (I love Mick's insight and counter-arguments, pre-REAL social media), this book (and I predict his next 3 memoirs) will forever exist in the shadow of Have a Nice Day! But, while I found myself a little flustered by the rollercoaster-ride of Mick's narrative storytelling, with a lot of reflection, and as a fan of Mick, it's the ridiculous amount of tangents that I'll remember more than anything.
It's been 20 years - we all know the meta-narrative of Mick Foley's career and life (his A&E doc was basically a summation of Have a Nice Day! as was the WWE documentary For All Mankind) - I want the other bits. The stuff that maybe Foley wouldn't even remember in 2021.
The chapter on the Penis Suplex?? Amazing.
The random anecdote about the Vegas show where Mick, The Rock, Kane, and Steve Austin are making each other break character by making bad "Pimpin Ain't Easy!" puns?
"Shrimpin' Ain't Easy!"
Hilarious.
None of us need a summary of his (1st) retirement match.
I REALLY would like to know what Al Snow did to ruin a segment on RAW, though...
May 8, 2022
I honestly liked this book. Not as much as Have A Nice Day, but this book showed insight into Mick's political stance as much as wrestling. Also described is Mick's intention to really retire from wrestling (really!)and how he wished he stuck to it. Fortunately, for us fans he did not stick to his word. Mick's best in-ring work is making the other wrestler look like gold while making himself look good as well, win or lose, both guys usually end up smelling like roses when Mick is involved.
I was entertained by a lot of Mick's top ten lists (amusement parks, wrestling matches, movies etc). Mick still has a style of writing that is personal and makes you feel as if he is sitting with you discussing his career. This book is very personal just like Have A Nice Day.
The downside? Parts of the book were so political that you feel jarred away from the feeling Mick gives you when he opens himself up to you. While interesting, the politics could leave you feeling winded from reading it. Most Foley fans might want to skip these parts of the book. Also, it was a bit depressing unlike Have A Nice Day. Have A Nice Day was uplifting even when he discussed serious things he seemed to have a smile on his face, at least that's the feeling I got when I read the book (many times!).
I still liked this book enough to order another copy, as with Have A Nice Day, I read and re-read this book enough to wear out the original copy and have to order 2nd copies. Even this book was that damn good. Highly recommended even for non-wrestling fans. Where Have A Nice Day was an A+ this book might be an A or B+.
I was entertained by a lot of Mick's top ten lists (amusement parks, wrestling matches, movies etc). Mick still has a style of writing that is personal and makes you feel as if he is sitting with you discussing his career. This book is very personal just like Have A Nice Day.
The downside? Parts of the book were so political that you feel jarred away from the feeling Mick gives you when he opens himself up to you. While interesting, the politics could leave you feeling winded from reading it. Most Foley fans might want to skip these parts of the book. Also, it was a bit depressing unlike Have A Nice Day. Have A Nice Day was uplifting even when he discussed serious things he seemed to have a smile on his face, at least that's the feeling I got when I read the book (many times!).
I still liked this book enough to order another copy, as with Have A Nice Day, I read and re-read this book enough to wear out the original copy and have to order 2nd copies. Even this book was that damn good. Highly recommended even for non-wrestling fans. Where Have A Nice Day was an A+ this book might be an A or B+.
September 10, 2023
I Love wrestling, love to read about all the great characters in the WWE, especially in the 80's and 90's
This is your book, WWE wrestling was at it's prime in the 90's, with Vince McMahon establishing his business worldwide.
In this follow-up to his huge bestseller Have a Nice Day!, Mick Foley lets the reader in on all the behind-the-scenes action of the World Wrestling Entertainment, I did not release it was a follow up but soon realised this when reading this book, so missed his story, but gained a great knowledge of his wrestling career, ALL his fights.
No longer wrestling as ‘Mankind�, Mick Foley is now the Commissioner for the World Wrestling Federation, and his role has expanded to encompass plot lines ranging throughout the grand soap opera that the WWF shows have become.
Written with his trademark humour and total honesty, Foley is Good touches on everything from the controversy surrounding ‘backyard wrestling� to the trials and tribulations of dealing with a fickle media as a Federation superstar.
Filled with personal anecdotes, hilarious diatribes, inside dirt on the McMahon family and plenty of slapstick humour, Foley is Good is nothing less than required reading for all of the millions of World Wrestling Federation fans.
Never fully explains deeply on how much the matches are fixed, how I see it, is the conclusions are decided in advance, then they fight, and often real injuries, real blood, maybe sometimes fake blood, but it's often real injuries, but overall it's entertainment.
This is your book, WWE wrestling was at it's prime in the 90's, with Vince McMahon establishing his business worldwide.
In this follow-up to his huge bestseller Have a Nice Day!, Mick Foley lets the reader in on all the behind-the-scenes action of the World Wrestling Entertainment, I did not release it was a follow up but soon realised this when reading this book, so missed his story, but gained a great knowledge of his wrestling career, ALL his fights.
No longer wrestling as ‘Mankind�, Mick Foley is now the Commissioner for the World Wrestling Federation, and his role has expanded to encompass plot lines ranging throughout the grand soap opera that the WWF shows have become.
Written with his trademark humour and total honesty, Foley is Good touches on everything from the controversy surrounding ‘backyard wrestling� to the trials and tribulations of dealing with a fickle media as a Federation superstar.
Filled with personal anecdotes, hilarious diatribes, inside dirt on the McMahon family and plenty of slapstick humour, Foley is Good is nothing less than required reading for all of the millions of World Wrestling Federation fans.
Never fully explains deeply on how much the matches are fixed, how I see it, is the conclusions are decided in advance, then they fight, and often real injuries, real blood, maybe sometimes fake blood, but it's often real injuries, but overall it's entertainment.
May 23, 2022
I have read all 4 of Mick Foley's aut0biographies although not in order. The first one I read was the third Hardcore Diaries which I hoped would become a series vol. 1, 2 3 etc. Next I read Have a Nice Day. Thirst I read Countdown to Lockdown and finally I read the second Foley is Good. And I loved this book as I did each of the others. It is such an enjoyable read and hard to put down. I love the humor that mick puts in these books. To me reading these books feels like he is sitting next to you telling you the stories in person. I don't know if Mick Foley has any plans to write a 5th autobiography but I will be in line for a copy if he ever does. I would like to read about his run as the Raw General Manager and see how his relationship with McMahon was at this point in time.
For me my favorite aspects are of course his wrestling career and I do enjoy his personnel stories about his family and life outside of wrestling. I even enjoyed the final chapter on the PTC situation. Mick clearly put a lot of time and thorough research into defending the WWE.
This and any of Mick's books are must reads for any wrestling fan especially of 90's and 2000 era WWE. I have also read some of Mick's fictional work. I loved Antietam Brown and am planning to read Scooter soon.
For me my favorite aspects are of course his wrestling career and I do enjoy his personnel stories about his family and life outside of wrestling. I even enjoyed the final chapter on the PTC situation. Mick clearly put a lot of time and thorough research into defending the WWE.
This and any of Mick's books are must reads for any wrestling fan especially of 90's and 2000 era WWE. I have also read some of Mick's fictional work. I loved Antietam Brown and am planning to read Scooter soon.
May 19, 2022
Mick Foley's second book is nearly as good as his first, written only a year apart from Have a Nice Day!, with a more personal flair that dives more into Foley's personal experiences outside of wrestling and his thoughts on certain topics. Foley is Good covers the events directly after his first WWE Championship win in early 1999 to his main event match at WrestleMania 2000. In between, Foley dives into his love for Christmas, his favorite theme parks, the legacies of Owen Hart and Brian Hildebrand, and the topic of drug abuse in wrestling. There's a lengthy epilogue mainly spent ranting on L. Brent Bozell and the inaccuracies of the PTC's gripes against the WWE that felt a little long and rambly, but the book flows almost as well as the first. This feels more like a half memoir than the first, there's less subject material than the first, but Foley's deep dives into his interests and experiences outside of wrestling still prove entertaining. Foley proves again to be so incredibly likable to me, and this book majorly delivered. It's a rare that a followup memoir was near the same level as the first, and Mick scores a home run autobiography yet again.
May 28, 2021
Ich finde seine zweite Bio um Welten besser als die erste. Aus dem Grund, dass er nicht in das Schema verfällt Matches und Onscreen Segmente zu beschreiben.
Es ist vielmehr ein Blick in sein Seelenleben, seine Welt mit haufenweise Hintergründen. Es hat viele richtig lustige Momente und dann ist da der lange Epilog. Ein sehr langes Kapitel, welches einer Forschungsarbeit, vlt einer Masterarbeit gleichkommt. Er setzt sich so sehr mit der parents television council, PTC auseinander. Er forscht in themen wie gewalt, sexuelle darstellung, morden. Ich stehe nicht auf de rgleichen seite mit ihm, dass er viele dargestellte dinge relativiert, aber finde es gut, dass er sehr viele beispiele nennt von anderen sportarten und tv produktionen, die für das gleiche oder schlimmeres nie belangt werden.
Er erarbeitet eine fundierte verteidigung.
Toll gemacht und toll geschrieben!
Es ist vielmehr ein Blick in sein Seelenleben, seine Welt mit haufenweise Hintergründen. Es hat viele richtig lustige Momente und dann ist da der lange Epilog. Ein sehr langes Kapitel, welches einer Forschungsarbeit, vlt einer Masterarbeit gleichkommt. Er setzt sich so sehr mit der parents television council, PTC auseinander. Er forscht in themen wie gewalt, sexuelle darstellung, morden. Ich stehe nicht auf de rgleichen seite mit ihm, dass er viele dargestellte dinge relativiert, aber finde es gut, dass er sehr viele beispiele nennt von anderen sportarten und tv produktionen, die für das gleiche oder schlimmeres nie belangt werden.
Er erarbeitet eine fundierte verteidigung.
Toll gemacht und toll geschrieben!
October 27, 2018
Such an incredible read! Wonderfully written and with witty humour, the Hardcore Legend takes us into an in-depth (and sometimes shocking) look at WWE, its superstars at the time, the media, his literary pursuits, and most of all, himself. At 604 pages, some may find it overly long and even the author admits in its bonus chapter that he went too in-depth sometimes; however, this doesn't take away from his way of analysing and researching subjects that are almost unheard of in the world of WWE. Oh, and his depiction of the Cactus Jack vs Triple H at No Way Out 2000 was breathtaking and intense, like a fight in a Rocky movie! An amazing sequel to 'Have a Nice Day!' and a must-read for wrestling fans and beyond.
April 16, 2025
Just as funny, entertaining, honest and touching as his first book. The final chapter (about the PTC and all of the accusations aimed at wrestling for promoting violence etc) felt extremely long, and a little unnecessary, but I did appreciate the point he was trying to make and the fact that he was standing up for an industry that means a lot to him. It's hard not to feel both pride and anguish/sadness for the guy because of how much he put himself through over and over again, as well as how much he was able to achieve through hard work, dedication, and an unbreakable will. I think most people who didn't know about Mick would also be surprised by how intelligent he is, so if only for that reason alone, this side of him is important to know.
September 6, 2023
Somewhere between 3 3/4 and 4 stars on the ludicrous Meltzer scale.
Have a Nice Day was 5 Stars, no doubt about it. It was a staple read during my very early teens and although I’ve read books 3 and 4, Foley Is Good has always evaded me for some reason!
Mick is witty, charming, funny, intelligent and all manner of self deprecating and whilst there’s plenty of wrestling content here, it only focuses on a very small two/three year period of time.
Reading the last two chapters in 2023 is an odd one because they are very much a product of their time.
Overall, not a patch on Have a Nice Day, but still a fun trip down memory lane leading up to the first of Mick’s many retirements.
Have a Nice Day was 5 Stars, no doubt about it. It was a staple read during my very early teens and although I’ve read books 3 and 4, Foley Is Good has always evaded me for some reason!
Mick is witty, charming, funny, intelligent and all manner of self deprecating and whilst there’s plenty of wrestling content here, it only focuses on a very small two/three year period of time.
Reading the last two chapters in 2023 is an odd one because they are very much a product of their time.
Overall, not a patch on Have a Nice Day, but still a fun trip down memory lane leading up to the first of Mick’s many retirements.
August 17, 2024
I debated between giving this book three stars or four stars. Mick Foley is a tremendous writer and he has written a book that is easy to digest, easy to read, and quite entertaining. The jokes are supposed to be corny and bad, yes, but after a while, they get to be too much and cringe worthy. His first book was raw and revealing. He comes across like a company man in this book far too often for my liking, especially near the end when he is kissing Vince’s ass and defending the company to such an extreme degree. I liked the writing style, but the content was far too underwhelming most of the time.
October 25, 2023
Book is not readable on Kindle
This book, the follow up to Mick Foley's Have a nice day was recently released for Kindle. Unfortunately, the Kindle version only consists of twenty pages and not the full book. The Kindle version is not readable as it appears that the few pages that were part of this version were broken apart in that it's a collection of ripped pictures and unreadable texts. Please upload the full version of this book and please make sure it is readable. I would like to actually read it seeing as I paid for it. Thank you.
This book, the follow up to Mick Foley's Have a nice day was recently released for Kindle. Unfortunately, the Kindle version only consists of twenty pages and not the full book. The Kindle version is not readable as it appears that the few pages that were part of this version were broken apart in that it's a collection of ripped pictures and unreadable texts. Please upload the full version of this book and please make sure it is readable. I would like to actually read it seeing as I paid for it. Thank you.
March 15, 2025
Mick is a treasure, but this book wasn’t up to the standards of his first. After 700 pages of chronicling his entire life journey into wrestling, there’s not much material to go over 2 or 3 years. Hearing about his recent main event run, battles with injuries, and battle against retirement with retirement was interesting, but there’s a lot of side tangents that isn’t what I came looking for. It also convinced me to watch Big City Hustlas which is a crime against humanity so minus half a star for that. Still solid, but didn’t have the magic of his first book. God bless Mick Foley anyway
January 5, 2021
This is one of the best titles I've ever read of any book and have even closed out Christmas cards with this: Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and if you've learned nothing else this year, remember that Foley is good, and the real world is faker than professional wrestling. That being said, this book is terrible. It is almost all lists. Lists for this. Lists for that. There's nothing of entertainment or value here. I cannot recommend it.
May 30, 2022
Foleys voice shines through the pages presenting an entertaining peek behind some of the WWEs most iconic moments. I can’t lie, he had some takes i didn’t agree with and i felt the final part of the book which consisted of a long winded defence of professional wrestling was a bit much. That being said this book is earnest, touching, intriguing, and most importantly pretty funny.
January 19, 2024
Parts of it were very good, parts of it dragged. The Epilogue was not needed at all. There were better ways to spend those 90 pages or not even have them there at all. Even Foley admits his first book was better. Worth the read, was never the biggest Foley fan, but still worth the read. Not sure if I would read it again or not.
May 17, 2018
This is a book that I read almost a decade ago and for any wrestling fan of the 90's this is a must read. Mick Foley is actually a decent writer and takes an in-depth look at his career in the WWF during the attitude era, and at the height of some of his worst injuries.
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