If They Only Knew by Chyna, Michael Angeli
Part feminist, part superhero, Chyna has blazed a trail where no woman had gone before. She has gained the respect of the men inside the World Wrestling Federation, and the world at large. She was the first woman to wear the Intercontinental Championship belt, yet these were not her most significant battles. She has battled her entire life: against a controlling mother; against a scheming father; and against a world with a predetermined view of what beauty and success should be. She has battled and won her entire life. If they only knew offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of the World Wrestling Federation, and a rarer glimpse of what it takes just to get there -- the hurdles that must be overcome... and the broken hearts and broken body parts that are suffered along the way. Chyna -- a.k.a. Joanie Laurer -- lets us in what it's like to live your dream and overcome your nightmares. Complete with insights from other WWF Superstars, this is a must read for any fan of the WWF and for anyone who wants to see how a real-life hero overcame adversity. Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly With its beguiling blend of swagger and vulnerability, anger and poise, largesse and disgust, Laurer's tell-all tragicomedy will not disappoint her many fans. Sharp-tongued, idiom-slinging and wry, the voice encountered in these pages is both more and less than the Chyna who appears in the wrestling ring. Laurer's painful childhood and adolescence were characterized by her sense of her difference from her peers (taller, more muscular) and punctuated by the antics of her divorced mother and father. She leads us through the tribulations and joys of searching for her niche (belly dancing, selling pagers in inner-city neighborhoods); of getting the proper breast implant size; of changing the role of women in the WWF; of intra-WWF romance; of celebrity. In one memorable scene, while she is fighting for a spot in the WWF, she outdoes pro-wrestler Hunter (who later becomes her boyfriend) in the weight room. In another, terrible moment, her mother and stepfather burst in on her at the doctor's office, livid because her con-artist father had already used their insurance to cover thousands of dollars of his medical bills. As Laurer eloquently demonstrates, her chosen profession makes a fine metaphor for her life. The book successfully maintains Chyna's awe-inspiring, larger-than-life image at the same time that it imparts deeply personal, poignant and inspirational insight into Joanie Laurer. B&w photos. (Jan. 30) Forecast: With her recent Playboy feature, the book's excellent array of photos, Chyna's fan base, a planned author tour and a print run of 300,000 this book should sell big, as have other recent memoirs by wrestling stars. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. About the Author Chyna made history in 1999 by becoming the first female to win the World Wrestling Federation Intercontinental Championship belt. She has appeared on 3rd Rock from the Sun and Mad TV, and recently encouraged young to Smackdown the Vote at the Democratic National Convention. This is her first book.
Publication Details
Title:
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Binding: Hardcover
Published by: HarperEntertainment: , 2001
Edition:
ISBN: 9780060393298 | 0060393297
336 pages.
Book Condition: Good
spine faded
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