Review of "Tuff Juice"

Memoirs are becoming one of the fastest growing genres of books, as more and more ordinary people as well as celebrities are writing them.  This is one from a person in the latter group that will be published on October 7 and it one example of a person who escaped the life of gangs and drugs after seeing some of his friends die far too young.  Here is my review of "Tuff Juice" by current NBA player Caron Butler.

Title/Author:

“Tuff Juice: My Journey from the Streets to the NBA” by Caron Butler with Steve Springer

Tags:

Basketball, memoir, autobiography, Heat, Wizards

Publish date:

October 7, 2015

Length:

256 pages

Rating: 

3 of 5 stars (good)

Review:

Caron Butler is a real-life success story, proving that one can escape the world of drugs and gangs and become successful in a different occupation. In his case, it was basketball where once he was noticed on the court instead of on the street, he became a huge success.  His story of hope and the power of love from family is his autobiography “Tuff Juice.”

He was born in Mississippi, but spent most of youth in Racine, Wisconsin as his mother and grandmother found good paying jobs by migrating north. However, young Caron got caught up in the thrill of quick money by selling drugs and I found that portion of the book to be the most compelling part of Butler’s story. It portrayed a young man who knew what he was doing was dangerous but yet was still respectful to authority figures.  While that sounds contradictory, it was mentioned several times by both police officers and family members.

That helped Butler turn his life around – people remembered this when he discovered that basketball was his way out of this lifestyle.  The basketball portions of the book read much like other books on the sport. The language used is much like what is on the court, teammates of Butler are praised.  While this portion of the book was not much different than others, the reader will still feel Butler’s pride in how he turned his life around and has become not only a successful basketball player but also a husband and father. This is a good read for anyone wanting to read about a man who really did escape the life of gangs.

I wish to thank Lyons Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Pace of the book:

It was a fairly quick read, especially once the book switched from his drug dealing days to his basketball prowess. After that point, it was a very fast paced book.

Do I recommend? 

Basketball fans who have followed Butler in his professional career will appreciate this book that describes his troubled childhood and subsequent success on the basketball court.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links: (links are for pre-orders at time of posting)

http://www.amazon.com/Tuff-Juice-Journey-Streets-NBA/dp/1493011421/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442882592&sr=8-1&keywords=tuff+juice

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tuff-juice-caron-butler/1120360302?ean=9781493011421