Power, Money and Sex: How Success Almost Ruined My Life by Deion Sanders (31-Dec-1998) Hardcover

by Deion Sanders

Football and baseball star Deion Sanders tells his powerful life story and reveals how power, money and sex could void in his life...a void ultimately satisfied by his relationship with Christ. Packed with behind-the-scenes sports stories and never-before-revealed anecdotes, this book shows a side of Deion that most have never seen.

Genres: Sports, Biography, Football

Unknown Binding

First published October 15, 1998

Reviews

[Brian Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Few people know that Deion Sanders attempted suicide by driving his sports car off of a cliff when he was at the top of his NFL career years ago. Power, money, and sex didn't come close to filling the massive void in his life at the time. But then he met Jesus Christ, the Bread of Heaven, who spared Deion's life and manifested Himself to Deion in a most OVERWHELMING way. Deion has been full ever since. He still represents Christ today too. Check out his twitter feeds and enjoy a little bible encouragement.

Note: A lot of people know that at one time Deion was the fastest man in the NFL, I mean super duper speed. Few people know how he attained his speed though. According to Deion, when he was a young teenager, he'd have to walk past a graveyard at night to get home after football practice. So what he would do is wait until a car would drive by the graveyard and he'd attempt to run alongside the car, because the car's headlights would provide light for him to see, instead of him running past the graveyard in the pitch black dark. Is that funny or what?

Check out George Foreman's book too, "God In My Corner". Jesus revealed Himself to George in a most overwhelming way too. Powerful, powerful, testimonies of the love of God extended to the materially-wealthy, but spiritually-bankrupt.

[Dionne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading biographies, this one was enjoyable for numerous reasons. My name is also Dionne and I was even given one of Deion's nicknames, Neon Deion by college friends. He is also the same age as me and so it was interesting to read about him growing up at the same time, but in a very different atmosphere. I also was inspired by how he came to know the Lord and how influential T.D. Jakes was in his life.

[5Carlile E]

In the memoir of Deion Sanders Power, Money, & Sex How success Almost ruined my life, was as very good read. Deion Sanders structures the story by starting of while he is a professional baseball and Football player and describing that he is one of the best in both the sports. Despite this his life is truly disastrous and he learns fast that money doesn't by happiness. There is a very suspenseful way he writes that grabs the readers attention especially when he is thinking about coming suicide. Deion had just bought a new 270,000 dollar Lamborghini and took it for a drive he turned the radio all the way up and was thinking of ways to kill himself. He thought about jumping in front of a car but didn't because he couldn't do that to whoever was driving, but ended up driving to the edge of the cliff and to do it he "hesitated for a seconds but then pushed the accelerator to the floor and shot of he cliff". This described the lowest part of his life and for him to overcome this is truly remarkable. Deion after describing the suicide attempt does a flash back to when he was just a boy and starts describing his childhood. He explains using emotional appeal how his mom was truly the rock in his life and how important she is to him, but also how his dad left and he mentions that it "was the most difficult time part of my life growing up knowing that my father was just around the corner and he wasn't there for me". This shows what he went through as a child and that he only had a very hard working mom to get him through his younger years. After Deion addiction with power money and sex he found the light in god which truly turned his life around. He even mentions a story where people where yelling provocative thing at him in a baseball game and he runs over to them and says " God loves you and God is with you." This demonstrates the growth he has accomplished and how he did turn his life around by finding God. After all this he went on to be one of the greatest athletes and even. Even won a world series and a super, first person ever to win both. Eventually he forgave his father and bought his mother the million dollar house he always promised her.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book about the life of Deion Sanders. I found his writing style to be rambling, and repititious. The main focus of the book appeared to be to tell the story of his conversion, which I appreciated, but wasn't as in depth as I would have liked. A little too "preachy" in some places. I still don't feel like I really know who the real Deion Sanders is. You'll hear a lot about the teachings of T.D> Jakes, his mentor.

[Adam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fifteen years ago I picked this book up from the library and it was a disappointing book to say the least. Just looking at the cover and the title of this book should tell you all you need to know. That "Prime Time" wants to have a serious talk with you about football, money, fame, the birds and the bees, and above all religion. There is little that is "Neon Deion" in this book and I did not find myself highstepping with glee after reading this. Perhaps others will find value and inspiration from it but I was not one of them.

Deion Sanders is a colorful individual and was the shutdown corner in the NFL that arguably is one of the best defensive players of all time. He is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for these reasons and is one of my favorite athletes regardless of his views he expresses in this book. If this book was more of a tell all about his playing career similar to Keyshawn Johnson's autobiography of his 1996 rookie season in "Just Give me the Damn Ball" then I would have been satisfied. An uncensored book that breathes authenticity about Deion Sanders would have been outstanding. Sanders recently stated his issues with Jerry Rice while they played on the San Francisco 49ers in 1994 on Jerry Rice's profiled episode of A Football Life on the NFL Network. Facts like that are worth reading about.

Instead this book is more about Deion's path to salvation that he found through religion. The part where he describes his suicide attempt stood out to me and one can understand the personal choices he made given his celebrity. That said, most of this book is preachy, repetitive and gives you the idea that after his playing career he would be a televangelist. One can presently find him on the NFL Network as one of their leading commentators and he uses his over the top persona on TV breaking down the NFL every week.

Looking back at this book I find that Deion is using his celebrity as a platform to convert others to religion. To me any time one does this I find it a bit disturbing because so many individuals looked up to athletes and oftentimes fans are young and impressionable. The subject of religion is a personal choice and this is a book about an All Pro Football player cloaked in televangelism.

[Johnathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

At the beginning it was a good book. It talked about his life as it was now and as a little kid. But as the story went on it started to get boring. At the end of the story I didn't like that book. I don't really like biography books so that could be why. But don't listen to my comment. Read it for yourself.

[Andy Pullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Autobiography by Football/Baseball superstar Deion Sanders. Talks about how he had everything this world has to offer but had nothing and no peace. He comes to know Jesus Christ as his Personal Saviour and his life is instantly changed.

[Dave S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about an athlete who struggled, lost it all, then found Jesus in the midst of his trials. Wasn't the best written, but a good book into the life of amazingly gifted athlete.

[Terry Caldwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not worth your time. A profile of Deions selfishness and supposed pained life

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title of this book should have been "My Conversion to Christianity," because the book was dominated by Deion Sanders' newfound passion (at the time which was the late 1990s) for Christianity, a religion that he dedicated much of his life to after a failed vehicular suicide attempt.

It took me years and years to finally purchase this book and then read it because I knew that hardly any football was going to be discussed in this book. This book was for people who are zealots for Christianity or who are super passionate about that religion of which I am not. I know there is a God or a higher power out there, but I am by no means a Christian or let alone a follower of that religion.

After page 106 of this book, I found myself disinterested in the subject matter of this book, because after that page (with the exception of the picture section from pages 113 to 120) Deion was on this journalistic path where he wanted to just talk about his conversion to Christianity, that religion's teachings, and his friendship with Bishop T.D. Jakes (I wonder what Deion thinks about him now in 2024 as opposed to what he thought about him in 1999). From pages 121 to 238 this book was like reading the bible, but in Deion's words or writing style.

I ain't gonna lie though, there were some interesting stories or side notes in this book. I didn't know that Deion suffered from migraine headaches all of his life (he discussed that topic on page 24). Or that the main reason why he committed to Florida State University out of high school was so his mother wouldn't have to drive very far to see his football games for the Seminoles. Or that part of the reason why he adopted the Prime Time nickname and persona was because someone came into his dorm room in 1988 and showed him a sports magazine with an article about the salaries of the top players in the NFL. Or that part of the reason why he left the San Francisco 49ers in free agency after the 1994 season was because he was bored with living in California and playing for the Niners.

Pros of Power, Money & Sex: The book had a ton of teaching points about life and about how Christianity can work for you in your daily life. Plus, Deion was candid here and there about certain aspects of his life which included not having a father figure throughout his childhood.

Cons of Power, Money & Sex: Hardly any football was discussed in this book. Deion is one of the greatest college and pro football players who ever lived, but he wasn't too interested in discussing that aspect of his life in this book. Plus, Deion dedicated some pages and chapters here and there to the title or supposed premise of this book, money, power, & sex, but in reality, he left those three subjects behind so he could talk about his conversion to Christianity and that religion's teachings.

In closing, Money, Power & Sex wasn't a bad book (it was a national bestseller for God sakes) but it just didn't work for me. When I read a book about a football player, I want some background on his life growing up, some background on his football career, and some writing about his off the field pursuits and passions. I would recommend this book to Christianity converts and those who are lifelong disciples of that religion.

[Chad Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I expected. Became so preachy about God. And I also didn’t realise he wrote it from when he was still playing…
I love Deion Sanders and he didn’t even go into his college and NFL experiences in depth.
Didn’t give lower as I love him and not his fault I didn’t expect the tone of the book

[Wayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite his unhinged ego not a bad book overall.

[Ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

shares his experiences with fame and how he somehow always gets in trouble?

[GEORGE · Rating 4 out of 5]

the amazing autobiography of an athletic icon.