kickerdad - , reviewed on 6/21/2011 + 115 more book reviews

I ordered "Against All Odds: My Story" on a whim and am I glad I did. I knew who Chuck Norris was and a little of his accomplishments as a martial artist so thought it would be a fun read. (I may have accidentally bumped into him a tournament a few years back, although not totally sure.)

"Against All Odds" is a relatively easy read and for the most part clearly lays out the life experiences that developed Mr. Norris' character. He shares many personal memories that are obviously important to him. Some of these stories may seem trifling but taken as a whole you can see the evolution of character and faith.

The book is liberally strewn with stories of Mr. Norris' personal interactions with many folks the rest of us have heard of - Bruce Lee, George Bush, Steve McQueen. Occasionally it feels like name dropping but from somebody whose entire professional life has been based on building relationships, it seems quite normal and acceptable.

He writes with clarity about martial arts competition, something that prior to reading the book I was concerned would be made overly complicated or drawn out. Discussing his faith in the early part of the book seems awkward, hesitant, and out of place. However, by the end, his beliefs are comfortably intertwined with his life experiences.

The essence of the book that I truly appreciated was its straight-forwardness. Some readers may consider it grandiose and bragging but when he achieved a major accomplishment he is not hesitant to claim quiet victory. And when he failed to meet a goal or reveals a character flaw, he does so with humility. Both time honored traits of a true martial artist and Christian.

The only issue I had with the book that I sometimes got lost in the time line of where I was in his experiences. The detours weren't long and I was quickly back on track.

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