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No Is a Four-Letter Word: How I Failed Spelling but Succeeded in Life
New York Times bestselling author and six-time WWE champion Chris Jericho shares 20 of his most valuable lessons for achieving your goals and living the life you want.
Chris Jericho has known what he wanted out of life since he was a to be a pro wrestler and to be in a rock 'n' roll band. Most of his high school friends felt that he lacked the tools necessary to get into either, but Chris believed in himself. With the wise words of Master Yoda echoing through his head ("Do or do not. There is no try."), he made it happen. As a result, Chris has spent a lifetime doing instead of merely trying, managing to achieve his dreams while learning dozens of invaluable lessons along the way.
No Is a Four-Letter Word distills more than two decades of showbiz wisdom and advice into twenty easy-to-carry chapters,
Now, in the hopes that those same principles might help and inspire his legions of fans, Chris has decided to share them while recounting the fantastic and hilarious stories that led to the birth of these rules. The result is a fun, entertaining, practical, and inspiring book from the man with many scarves but only one to be the best. After reading No Is a Four-Letter Word , you'll discover that you might have what it takes to succeed as well...you just need to get out there and do it. That's what Jericho would do.
Chris Jericho has known what he wanted out of life since he was a to be a pro wrestler and to be in a rock 'n' roll band. Most of his high school friends felt that he lacked the tools necessary to get into either, but Chris believed in himself. With the wise words of Master Yoda echoing through his head ("Do or do not. There is no try."), he made it happen. As a result, Chris has spent a lifetime doing instead of merely trying, managing to achieve his dreams while learning dozens of invaluable lessons along the way.
No Is a Four-Letter Word distills more than two decades of showbiz wisdom and advice into twenty easy-to-carry chapters,
Now, in the hopes that those same principles might help and inspire his legions of fans, Chris has decided to share them while recounting the fantastic and hilarious stories that led to the birth of these rules. The result is a fun, entertaining, practical, and inspiring book from the man with many scarves but only one to be the best. After reading No Is a Four-Letter Word , you'll discover that you might have what it takes to succeed as well...you just need to get out there and do it. That's what Jericho would do.
217 pages, Hardcover
First published August 29, 2017
96 people are currently reading
901 people want to read
About the author
Chris Jericho
8 books208 followersChris Jericho lives in Los Angeles and Florida. He has been named one of the 50 greatest wrestlers of all time by the WWE.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
November 7, 2018
A good part motivational part memoirs style of the book. The two strongest things I found of this book were:
Chris using his own life achievements to give his real world examples of many motivational quotes or sayings, we older people, have heard many times over, and youngsters will hear, and showing how he used that to achieve one of his goals. To me it did not seem like he was bragging but felt more like he was saying "I acchived my dreams you can too". This is great especially in a motivational book and him memoir to illustrate the point works perfectly.
The second is Chris has a really talent of mixing pop culture references, and telling stories/memoirs with them. This definitely makes old quotes and sayings seem more cullent and relivent. Sort of how he keeps updating his on screen character to be the same way.
There are many positives I took away from this book. I actually found it eerie while reading this book how many similar situations pop up in my own life. No I do not run into or hang around with Chris' celebrity friends, but things like how to deal with your boss, taking a risk, or even doing something that might pay dividends in the future. Things like this do come up daily.
Something else that is fine very well is Chris knows his audience. He knows the majority of his fan base is from wrestling, so he gives plenty of his insider stories from the wrestling business, mainly WWE but do mention wrestling around the world and info as well. Also for the heavy metal fans there are plenty of stories from or of some of the biggest rock icons of all time.
The only reason this book was very good but not absolutely great for me was because, it lacked a sort of inspirational spark all movatiinal books need. An example is Chris would give advice, show how this helped do something in the WWE then the rest of the chapter would continue the story. So sometimes for me the inspirational side would get list in me reading the story. I could be said the it is a testament to his story telling that I as a "constant reader",(read the book to see what they means), got so list in his storytelling.
A very good book, and a great mix of story and movatiinal styles. A lot of great stories and I really like the I achieved my dreams so you can too message. Just missing a little something to make it amazing.
Chris using his own life achievements to give his real world examples of many motivational quotes or sayings, we older people, have heard many times over, and youngsters will hear, and showing how he used that to achieve one of his goals. To me it did not seem like he was bragging but felt more like he was saying "I acchived my dreams you can too". This is great especially in a motivational book and him memoir to illustrate the point works perfectly.
The second is Chris has a really talent of mixing pop culture references, and telling stories/memoirs with them. This definitely makes old quotes and sayings seem more cullent and relivent. Sort of how he keeps updating his on screen character to be the same way.
There are many positives I took away from this book. I actually found it eerie while reading this book how many similar situations pop up in my own life. No I do not run into or hang around with Chris' celebrity friends, but things like how to deal with your boss, taking a risk, or even doing something that might pay dividends in the future. Things like this do come up daily.
Something else that is fine very well is Chris knows his audience. He knows the majority of his fan base is from wrestling, so he gives plenty of his insider stories from the wrestling business, mainly WWE but do mention wrestling around the world and info as well. Also for the heavy metal fans there are plenty of stories from or of some of the biggest rock icons of all time.
The only reason this book was very good but not absolutely great for me was because, it lacked a sort of inspirational spark all movatiinal books need. An example is Chris would give advice, show how this helped do something in the WWE then the rest of the chapter would continue the story. So sometimes for me the inspirational side would get list in me reading the story. I could be said the it is a testament to his story telling that I as a "constant reader",(read the book to see what they means), got so list in his storytelling.
A very good book, and a great mix of story and movatiinal styles. A lot of great stories and I really like the I achieved my dreams so you can too message. Just missing a little something to make it amazing.
November 28, 2017
After finishing Jericho’s previous book, “The Best in the World (At What I Have No Idea)”, I was pretty confident that if he chose to write a fourth book, I wouldn’t be picking it up. I found it boring, lacking in substance and purely a money-grab. Yet, here we are. You can blame Kindle for temporarily dropping the price to $4.99.
Before I get started, I want to preface this by saying that I’m a big fan of his work as a pro wrestler and have often said that he has one of the best minds in the industry. He’s always on top of his game looking for a way to differentiate himself from his peers by reinventing his character over and over again. Outside of the ring, he has an incredible work ethic. When not wrestling, he fronts the metal band Fozzy, runs his own podcasting network, and dabbles in both comedy and acting. He even just announced a joint rock and wrestling cruise to set sail next year! Being the busy man he is, you’d think he’d have a wealth of interesting stories and anecdotes, right? Well, about that…
No Is A Four Letter Word is structured like a self-help/motivational book as Jericho looks to bring out the best in his audience and share some of the advice he’s received in the past that helped make him successful. While the book has some decent advice, the problem lies in many of the embarrassing, downright uninteresting stories he chose to share. Stories about fighting traffic to meet Keith Richards, hiding in a bathroom stall to listen to Yoko Ono pee, accepting a phone call from Paul Stanley, throwing up on an airplane or making awkward conversation with Paul McCartney were so.. dull. He even equates a chapter about using his celebrity to get a flight upgrade to “not taking no for an answer”. What did I just read?
It’s not all bad, however. Jericho tells some interesting stories about WWE head-honcho, Vince McMahon that to be honest, only made me want a book about Vince’s life and career even more (someone make “An Oral History of Vince McMahon” happen, please). It may be just where my interest primarily lies but when Jericho chooses to talk about wrestling, the book seems to really hit its stride. Behind-the-scenes tales about working WrestleMania with Fandango, his feuds with The Wyatt Family, AJ Styles and Kevin Owens were real high spots, but still lacking when compared to the gold standard of his first memoir, A Lion’s Tale.
For a profession as physically demanding as wrestling, I recognize the importance of establishing a career (or many careers) outside of the industry. My problem with this book is that I just flat out don’t care about anything else this man does. I know that may sound harsh, but I was bored to tears during the chapters about Fozzy, his podcast or his many, many, many stories about KISS. My God, do I ever hate KISS.
If you’re a fan of wrestling books, Jericho’s first, “A Lion’s Tale”, is one of the absolute best wrestling memoirs available and I urge you to pick it up. Anything after that is diminished returns.
Before I get started, I want to preface this by saying that I’m a big fan of his work as a pro wrestler and have often said that he has one of the best minds in the industry. He’s always on top of his game looking for a way to differentiate himself from his peers by reinventing his character over and over again. Outside of the ring, he has an incredible work ethic. When not wrestling, he fronts the metal band Fozzy, runs his own podcasting network, and dabbles in both comedy and acting. He even just announced a joint rock and wrestling cruise to set sail next year! Being the busy man he is, you’d think he’d have a wealth of interesting stories and anecdotes, right? Well, about that…
No Is A Four Letter Word is structured like a self-help/motivational book as Jericho looks to bring out the best in his audience and share some of the advice he’s received in the past that helped make him successful. While the book has some decent advice, the problem lies in many of the embarrassing, downright uninteresting stories he chose to share. Stories about fighting traffic to meet Keith Richards, hiding in a bathroom stall to listen to Yoko Ono pee, accepting a phone call from Paul Stanley, throwing up on an airplane or making awkward conversation with Paul McCartney were so.. dull. He even equates a chapter about using his celebrity to get a flight upgrade to “not taking no for an answer”. What did I just read?
It’s not all bad, however. Jericho tells some interesting stories about WWE head-honcho, Vince McMahon that to be honest, only made me want a book about Vince’s life and career even more (someone make “An Oral History of Vince McMahon” happen, please). It may be just where my interest primarily lies but when Jericho chooses to talk about wrestling, the book seems to really hit its stride. Behind-the-scenes tales about working WrestleMania with Fandango, his feuds with The Wyatt Family, AJ Styles and Kevin Owens were real high spots, but still lacking when compared to the gold standard of his first memoir, A Lion’s Tale.
For a profession as physically demanding as wrestling, I recognize the importance of establishing a career (or many careers) outside of the industry. My problem with this book is that I just flat out don’t care about anything else this man does. I know that may sound harsh, but I was bored to tears during the chapters about Fozzy, his podcast or his many, many, many stories about KISS. My God, do I ever hate KISS.
If you’re a fan of wrestling books, Jericho’s first, “A Lion’s Tale”, is one of the absolute best wrestling memoirs available and I urge you to pick it up. Anything after that is diminished returns.
October 29, 2019
As always this review can also be found on my blog The Tattooed Book Geek: https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress...
No Is a Four-Letter Word includes an introduction, epilogue and twenty chapters in-between that share twenty of Jericho’s own life lessons and principles on both how to live the life you want and how to achieve your goals. Featuring various tales, stories and anecdotes from both the world of wrestling and the music industry.
My favourites were. For wrestling, the tale of AJ Styles WWE debut and how Jericho got the Styles clash (one of AJ’s finishing moves) unbanned by WWE owner Vince McMahon. As a wrestling fan, I couldn’t help but laugh when Jericho states that while Vince had banned ‘the Styles Clash‘ and knew the name of the move he didn’t actually know what the move looked like!😂
For music, there’s a tale where Jericho is asked to be part of Lemmy’s (Motorhead) 70th birthday celebrations. It is a pretty cool tale that is made far more poignant by the fact that Lemmy was diagnosed with terminal cancer and sadly, passed away two weeks after his birthday.
Another tale that stands out is to do with Fozzy (Jericho’s band). Fozzy were touring Europe at the time of the devastating terrorist attacks perpetrated by ISIS in Paris during November 2015. While lots of other bands subsequently decided to postpone their tours, Fozzy continued with their own tour playing in Paris exactly a week after the attack on the Bataclan. Fozzy’s backstage assistant for their Paris show was at the Bataclan during the attack the previous week and it’s a moving tale that is full of feeling.
Jericho has a lot of famous friends and he frequently drops their names with a reckless abandon. Whilst reading NIAFLW you’ll need to watch your tootsies with all the name dropping that takes place! But, it never feels like the names are simply ‘there‘ added to the book just to show that Jericho knows all these famous people. No, you really do get a sense and a feeling that they are on the whole all genuine friends of Jericho (who really does come across as a great guy in the book).
Jericho is a very driven guy wanting to be the best that he can be and continually be looking to expand his horizons. Including both successes and failures that he has had along the way, NIAFLW shows how he learnt from his mistakes to obtain his goals. It’s easy to see that Jericho doesn’t just ‘try‘ and with everything that he has achieved he does, in fact, follow his own life lessons from the book constantly striving to ‘learn‘ and ‘do‘ to succeed in his life.
Whether he’s playing a heel or a face (bad guy or good guy) in wrestling Jericho has always had a charisma about him. the ability that when he speaks and cuts a promo, you listen. He has a mesmerising way with words that make you take notice and Jericho manages to channel that same charisma he uses for wrestling promos into his writing style. Giving you a book that is easy to read, draws you in and offers some deep, meaningful and educational lessons on life that are all told with an abundance of his own signature style.
For readers looking for a book with a positive message and for fans of rock music and/or wrestling this truly is an outstanding read. From the first page through to the last you will be dazzled by Jericho as he leads you through his life lessons with attitude, charm and a wit that is infectious and highly entertaining.
Side note: Since the book was released over two years ago. Jericho has been keeping himself very busy and has done a lot more both with Fozzy and in the wrestling world. Fozzy has continued to tour and release albums. Jericho created the Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager at Sea. He continues to reinvent himself in wrestling, signed with NJPW, had some classic matches and won the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. Then, most recently he signed with AEW (All Elite Wrestling) and defeated ‘Hangman‘ Adam Page to become the inaugural AEW World champion. All in all, there are lots of newer exploits for another entertaining book by Jericho should he choose to write one.
No Is a Four-Letter Word includes an introduction, epilogue and twenty chapters in-between that share twenty of Jericho’s own life lessons and principles on both how to live the life you want and how to achieve your goals. Featuring various tales, stories and anecdotes from both the world of wrestling and the music industry.
My favourites were. For wrestling, the tale of AJ Styles WWE debut and how Jericho got the Styles clash (one of AJ’s finishing moves) unbanned by WWE owner Vince McMahon. As a wrestling fan, I couldn’t help but laugh when Jericho states that while Vince had banned ‘the Styles Clash‘ and knew the name of the move he didn’t actually know what the move looked like!😂
For music, there’s a tale where Jericho is asked to be part of Lemmy’s (Motorhead) 70th birthday celebrations. It is a pretty cool tale that is made far more poignant by the fact that Lemmy was diagnosed with terminal cancer and sadly, passed away two weeks after his birthday.
Another tale that stands out is to do with Fozzy (Jericho’s band). Fozzy were touring Europe at the time of the devastating terrorist attacks perpetrated by ISIS in Paris during November 2015. While lots of other bands subsequently decided to postpone their tours, Fozzy continued with their own tour playing in Paris exactly a week after the attack on the Bataclan. Fozzy’s backstage assistant for their Paris show was at the Bataclan during the attack the previous week and it’s a moving tale that is full of feeling.
Jericho has a lot of famous friends and he frequently drops their names with a reckless abandon. Whilst reading NIAFLW you’ll need to watch your tootsies with all the name dropping that takes place! But, it never feels like the names are simply ‘there‘ added to the book just to show that Jericho knows all these famous people. No, you really do get a sense and a feeling that they are on the whole all genuine friends of Jericho (who really does come across as a great guy in the book).
Jericho is a very driven guy wanting to be the best that he can be and continually be looking to expand his horizons. Including both successes and failures that he has had along the way, NIAFLW shows how he learnt from his mistakes to obtain his goals. It’s easy to see that Jericho doesn’t just ‘try‘ and with everything that he has achieved he does, in fact, follow his own life lessons from the book constantly striving to ‘learn‘ and ‘do‘ to succeed in his life.
Whether he’s playing a heel or a face (bad guy or good guy) in wrestling Jericho has always had a charisma about him. the ability that when he speaks and cuts a promo, you listen. He has a mesmerising way with words that make you take notice and Jericho manages to channel that same charisma he uses for wrestling promos into his writing style. Giving you a book that is easy to read, draws you in and offers some deep, meaningful and educational lessons on life that are all told with an abundance of his own signature style.
For readers looking for a book with a positive message and for fans of rock music and/or wrestling this truly is an outstanding read. From the first page through to the last you will be dazzled by Jericho as he leads you through his life lessons with attitude, charm and a wit that is infectious and highly entertaining.
Side note: Since the book was released over two years ago. Jericho has been keeping himself very busy and has done a lot more both with Fozzy and in the wrestling world. Fozzy has continued to tour and release albums. Jericho created the Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager at Sea. He continues to reinvent himself in wrestling, signed with NJPW, had some classic matches and won the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. Then, most recently he signed with AEW (All Elite Wrestling) and defeated ‘Hangman‘ Adam Page to become the inaugural AEW World champion. All in all, there are lots of newer exploits for another entertaining book by Jericho should he choose to write one.
August 30, 2017
"I'm sure if I said I wanted to be an astronaut and a pharmacist or the premier of Manitoba and a rodeo clown, my friends probably wouldn't have batted an eye. But to say I had dreams of playing rock'n'roll and being a WWE champion made me look like Donald Trump in a windstorm... really stupid."
Chris Jericho is the Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rolla! The coffee boy! The g.o.a.t. Man!! And one hilarious mofo. This was my first experience with one of his books and I immediately want to buy his others.
What made me automatically love this book was meeting him in NY during BEA. He signed my book and gushed over my tattoos. That's the type of man you need representing your company.
With this book you'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll get the sudden urge to listen to someone pee while hiding in a stall.
You will never, eeeevvvveeerrr read anything this entertaining agayn!!
Chris Jericho is the Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rolla! The coffee boy! The g.o.a.t. Man!! And one hilarious mofo. This was my first experience with one of his books and I immediately want to buy his others.
What made me automatically love this book was meeting him in NY during BEA. He signed my book and gushed over my tattoos. That's the type of man you need representing your company.
With this book you'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll get the sudden urge to listen to someone pee while hiding in a stall.
You will never, eeeevvvveeerrr read anything this entertaining agayn!!
July 4, 2023
Love Jericho and his stories, definitely wanna read his other books!
July 5, 2025
Let me caveat this review first by putting on record that I started watching WWE in 2003, and consequently went back and watched the prime Attitude Era and early 2000s stuff. I’ve been a huge fan of Jericho for a long, long time. As a wrestler, of his band Fozzy, I’ve seen him wrestle live, been to Fozzy gigs and saw his spoken word show.
To that end, I really, really enjoyed his first three books. They were an excellent reflection of his years in the industry and before then, however, this was pretty bad.
The best way I can describe it is probably that he wrote a 217 page about how great he is, but disguised it as a self-help book, and it just turned out to be really poor quality writing anyway.
The strongest points in this book is when he veered away from the ‘life lessons’ aspect of it and told stories of his time in wrestling/music/doing his podcast, etc. However, even that didn’t compared to the first three books. I was astounded he added the chapter about trying to meet McCarthy and Yoko Ono. No one in their right mind would document such creepy and weird behaviour. I also got a laugh out of him talking about all his hard work and success with Fozzy, only to admit that the only two songs he didn’t have any involvement more than doing the vocals on were the two most famous songs from the band. Weird self-own.
Really disappointed in this. I admit that it was meant to be a palette cleanser anyway, having just finished an intense five-book crime fiction series, but this was outright awful. Jericho has really gone down in my estimations in recent years due to what has come out politically, and it seems it compounded into his writing also.
Two stars, with only his biographical elements of the book saving it from being an outright one star review.
To that end, I really, really enjoyed his first three books. They were an excellent reflection of his years in the industry and before then, however, this was pretty bad.
The best way I can describe it is probably that he wrote a 217 page about how great he is, but disguised it as a self-help book, and it just turned out to be really poor quality writing anyway.
The strongest points in this book is when he veered away from the ‘life lessons’ aspect of it and told stories of his time in wrestling/music/doing his podcast, etc. However, even that didn’t compared to the first three books. I was astounded he added the chapter about trying to meet McCarthy and Yoko Ono. No one in their right mind would document such creepy and weird behaviour. I also got a laugh out of him talking about all his hard work and success with Fozzy, only to admit that the only two songs he didn’t have any involvement more than doing the vocals on were the two most famous songs from the band. Weird self-own.
Really disappointed in this. I admit that it was meant to be a palette cleanser anyway, having just finished an intense five-book crime fiction series, but this was outright awful. Jericho has really gone down in my estimations in recent years due to what has come out politically, and it seems it compounded into his writing also.
Two stars, with only his biographical elements of the book saving it from being an outright one star review.
January 17, 2019
Warning: some stories have drinking and partying, a lot of drinking and partying. You may want to talk with your young reader about it first.
Chris Jericho is not a genius. He writes plainly, with humor, sometimes through hazy, party-hardy memories. But he works hard to learn from others, keep inspiring and reinventing himself – to BRING IT he needs to FEEL IT – and share stories and motivation with readers.
Author of four books with dual careers (lead singer for his rock band Fozzy and a WWE superstar) spanning decades, Jericho is better than a genius. With a loving family, good friends, supportive and respected co-workers, global travels, and self-contentment, Chris Jericho is an unexpected teacher. He’s not just another pretty face, self-indulgent performer, or mountain of muscle.
Reading this book created a fan. I read it as research for an article (“Why I Let My Kids Watch WWE”). I was looking for something about the WWE corporate culture. Instead, short, funny stories illustrated a simple lesson in each chapter. Jericho’s success story inspires fans of all ages because he achieved his childhood dream to be both a rockstar and a WWE star.
Referring to a scene from Dawn of the Dead,
Chris Jericho is not a genius. He writes plainly, with humor, sometimes through hazy, party-hardy memories. But he works hard to learn from others, keep inspiring and reinventing himself – to BRING IT he needs to FEEL IT – and share stories and motivation with readers.
It’s easy to think of a hundred reasons why something won’t work but I’d rather find the reasons to MAKE it work. If you want your dreams to come true, stop thinking of excuses and start making realities. This is the way I’ve always lived my life and that credo remains my golden rule to this day. (Jericho, 28)
Author of four books with dual careers (lead singer for his rock band Fozzy and a WWE superstar) spanning decades, Jericho is better than a genius. With a loving family, good friends, supportive and respected co-workers, global travels, and self-contentment, Chris Jericho is an unexpected teacher. He’s not just another pretty face, self-indulgent performer, or mountain of muscle.
Reading this book created a fan. I read it as research for an article (“Why I Let My Kids Watch WWE”). I was looking for something about the WWE corporate culture. Instead, short, funny stories illustrated a simple lesson in each chapter. Jericho’s success story inspires fans of all ages because he achieved his childhood dream to be both a rockstar and a WWE star.
Referring to a scene from Dawn of the Dead,
There’s a lesson there: it may not be easy, but you can always find a way to make it work. Even if we’re talking about the struggles we face every day, it’s worth it to battle through the zombies to get what you want. (Jericho, 29)
June 15, 2024
I really enjoyed the writing style or this book. I've read Chris Jericho's Undisputed book as a child and really enjoyed that. This book includes stories about wrestling pitches he made that didn't work but more so focused on his music career and his podcast. The chapters are not too long, which is good. This book works as a self-help book and autobiography as it gives incredible advice whilst also telling his story. He talks about being a fan boy himself and an awkward encounters with his favourite rock stars showing he's human too. Addressing the balancing wrestling and fozzy and keeping them separate. And wanting Fozzy to be its own thing. This book contains some funny and silly stories from Jericho's life.
January 9, 2023
I was looking for some motivational reading to start my year and figured this tome from one of wrestling's most entertaining performer would be a good choice.
This book is full of puns and hard rock song titles, which makes it cheesy. It's a quick read and some of the lessons are good to hear, along with some entertaining examples.
Jericho is to Paul Stanley what Dave Grohl is to Paul McCartney. Jericho loves to name drop, but at least he's honest, open and transparent about it.
You can read more of my writing on my Substack newsletter:
www.thebrianlennonshow.substack.com
This book is full of puns and hard rock song titles, which makes it cheesy. It's a quick read and some of the lessons are good to hear, along with some entertaining examples.
Jericho is to Paul Stanley what Dave Grohl is to Paul McCartney. Jericho loves to name drop, but at least he's honest, open and transparent about it.
You can read more of my writing on my Substack newsletter:
www.thebrianlennonshow.substack.com
July 30, 2019
Barely 3, the only thing it isn't 2 it is because I am a mark of Jericho.
It is a motivation book with examples and the fact that most of the exemples I know one way or another really killed this book for me.
Don't know, doesn't have much to say about this one, just as this one doesn't really have to say anything new.
It is a motivation book with examples and the fact that most of the exemples I know one way or another really killed this book for me.
Don't know, doesn't have much to say about this one, just as this one doesn't really have to say anything new.
March 30, 2019
📖 📖 📖
Chris Jericho is one of my all-time favourite wrestlers. I've read his trilogy of autobiographies (A Lion's Tale, Undisputed, The Best in the World...) which end at his triumphant 2013 Royal Rumble. Therefore I was going into this book with the same mindset, that it would pick up from where he left off and continue.
However this was a semi-self-help-autobiography hybrid where he has written about life lessons and elaborated upon how he reflected them in his life. Self help isn't really my cup of tea so I didn't really care for it but the incidents and nuggets he shared about his life and career were all fun to read. There is a lot of name dropping of rock legends but I'm not a huge rock fan so I couldn't recognize or appreciate the value of the name dropping per se. The wrestling bits I enjoyed thoroughly.
Chris has a funny, corny, dad-jokey way of writing that I find nice to read. He uses ample puns and double entendres. He writes in a simple and direct fashion and it is very conversational in tone. Sometimes his confidence comes across as arrogance and sometimes he pretends to write as an arrogant character, which can be confusing to distinguish. Nonetheless it is always fun as a 'mark' to be a fly on the wall for such people, to find out what these guys do backstage and how they are behind their characters. This was a decent read that I breezed through in a couple of days.
Chris Jericho is one of my all-time favourite wrestlers. I've read his trilogy of autobiographies (A Lion's Tale, Undisputed, The Best in the World...) which end at his triumphant 2013 Royal Rumble. Therefore I was going into this book with the same mindset, that it would pick up from where he left off and continue.
However this was a semi-self-help-autobiography hybrid where he has written about life lessons and elaborated upon how he reflected them in his life. Self help isn't really my cup of tea so I didn't really care for it but the incidents and nuggets he shared about his life and career were all fun to read. There is a lot of name dropping of rock legends but I'm not a huge rock fan so I couldn't recognize or appreciate the value of the name dropping per se. The wrestling bits I enjoyed thoroughly.
Chris has a funny, corny, dad-jokey way of writing that I find nice to read. He uses ample puns and double entendres. He writes in a simple and direct fashion and it is very conversational in tone. Sometimes his confidence comes across as arrogance and sometimes he pretends to write as an arrogant character, which can be confusing to distinguish. Nonetheless it is always fun as a 'mark' to be a fly on the wall for such people, to find out what these guys do backstage and how they are behind their characters. This was a decent read that I breezed through in a couple of days.
May 9, 2025
No Is A Four Letter Word is Chris Jericho's 4th book and sees him take the switch from a classic autobiography to more of a self help manual based on his past experiences.
This book won't wow Chris's wrestling fans with stories of his wrestling like his previous 3 and isn't meant too. It's a good look at how one man succeeded through lessons he learned AFTER he had his initial success which is good because it shows the reader their is always room to grow and something to learn.
As with his previous works I've read I truly enjoyed this read and many of the lessons it tries to teach it's readers, especially the Keith Richards principal of 'find a way to make it Work' , because you are usually what is holding yourself back
This book won't wow Chris's wrestling fans with stories of his wrestling like his previous 3 and isn't meant too. It's a good look at how one man succeeded through lessons he learned AFTER he had his initial success which is good because it shows the reader their is always room to grow and something to learn.
As with his previous works I've read I truly enjoyed this read and many of the lessons it tries to teach it's readers, especially the Keith Richards principal of 'find a way to make it Work' , because you are usually what is holding yourself back
September 12, 2017
I pre-ordered NO IS A FOUR-LETTER WORD sight unseen—literally; it didn't have a cover—months ago. It was Chris Jericho's fourth book. That's all I needed to know. While NO is autobiographical, it's Jericho's fourth book only insofar as it's the fourth book he's written. It doesn't follow the more-or-less linear trajectory of his previous three memoirs, charting his course through wrestling, music, and life.
But that's appropriate. Like Jericho, NO is a reinvention of Jericho's writing formula. Part memoir, part self-help guide, part motivational tool, the book consists of 20 life lessons and the events and people that drove the lesson home. Chapter 2, The Jericho Principle, is about believing in yourself even—especially—when no one else will. Other chapters espouse the virtue of eliminating sources of negativity, enjoying small moments, and my personal favorites, committing to and seizing opportunities.
It's one thing to read a self-help book and take its lessons for test drives. It's another thing to know that a bona fide superstar like Chris Jericho has had its share of ups and downs, but has still become a success story. Jericho's wit, hilarious pop-culture references, and conversational writing style are all on display and used effectively in NO, but what really sells the book is his candor. Sure, Jericho became the first undisputed world's champion, and he's enjoyed great success in music as well, but not everything he's touched has turned to gold. What makes NO work is Jericho's readiness to admit when things didn't work out, and what he learned from those occasions—lessons arguably even more important than what he learned when things did go his way.
While I was hoping Jericho would dig into stories like his best friendship with Kevin Owens, the fulcrum of his most recent run in WWE, NO IS A FOUR-LETTER WORD ended up being so much more than a collection of wrestling anecdotes. Jericho's grounded, self-deprecating personality sold me on every lesson and every page.
But that's appropriate. Like Jericho, NO is a reinvention of Jericho's writing formula. Part memoir, part self-help guide, part motivational tool, the book consists of 20 life lessons and the events and people that drove the lesson home. Chapter 2, The Jericho Principle, is about believing in yourself even—especially—when no one else will. Other chapters espouse the virtue of eliminating sources of negativity, enjoying small moments, and my personal favorites, committing to and seizing opportunities.
It's one thing to read a self-help book and take its lessons for test drives. It's another thing to know that a bona fide superstar like Chris Jericho has had its share of ups and downs, but has still become a success story. Jericho's wit, hilarious pop-culture references, and conversational writing style are all on display and used effectively in NO, but what really sells the book is his candor. Sure, Jericho became the first undisputed world's champion, and he's enjoyed great success in music as well, but not everything he's touched has turned to gold. What makes NO work is Jericho's readiness to admit when things didn't work out, and what he learned from those occasions—lessons arguably even more important than what he learned when things did go his way.
While I was hoping Jericho would dig into stories like his best friendship with Kevin Owens, the fulcrum of his most recent run in WWE, NO IS A FOUR-LETTER WORD ended up being so much more than a collection of wrestling anecdotes. Jericho's grounded, self-deprecating personality sold me on every lesson and every page.
June 14, 2023
Wherever you are - that’s the place to be. Make the most of every moment. If you have an unenviable task, just set your eyes on doing the best job you can with the situation. Stop talking about things and start doing them. “You can’t change today. You can only learn and change tomorrow.” - Negro Casas. You won’t always hit a home run but when you strike out, remember the times where you did knock it out of the park. Don’t make excuses for not pursuing what you want. It’s easy to talk about why something doesn’t work, it’s harder to find ways to make it work. If something’s worth doing, put in the effort to make it work. How dated this is when he references Chris Hardwick and Adam Carrolla being the podcast kings. Confidence is contagious. Bad cow. Skip trying and get right to doing. Say yes first, then figure out how you’ll do it second so you never miss out on an opportunity. “The only people that are ever gonna tell ya you can’t accomplish something are the ones who failed.” - Paul Stanley. Whatever your passion is, no matter how big or how small, no matter how far-fetched or obvious, you owe it to yourself to pursue it with everything you’ve got. Jericho once hid in a bathroom stall during the Rock Hall inductions while drunk to listen to Yoko Ono pee. Slow down, don’t stress, enjoy what you have—because in the end, you’re going to end up old just like everyone else. Take time to savor accomplishments and history, paying gratitude for those around you, and appreciating you’re still able to do things you love. If you commit to your vision of who you are and refuse to compromise on it, you’ll get what you want and then some. Jericho was almost host of AFV after Bergeron (down to Mario Lopez and Ribeiro). If something doesn’t work out, it just wasn’t right for you, and that means there’s something else out there that will be. Live your values and stand by your convictions. You have to sell yourself, no one will pick up the phone and call you—you have to be the one to call them. You never know who is watching, so always do your best. Give people the kudos they deserve and make things memorable for them to give them a good experience. Always dress to impress and look your best. Sometimes you have to be a bit of an asshole to stop yourself from getting pushed around or taken advantage of. Always reinvent yourself, try new things, and keep being creative to stay fresh and motivated.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2017
Upon hearing about Chris Jericho's announcement that he was adding a fourth memoir to his bibliography, I can't say I was at all excited. His first book was excellent, then the second and third efforts, although good, didn't quite reach the same level. Given we were pretty much up to date with the life and times of Jericho when he left us, I really had to question just how much mileage he'd get out of what little he had left to write about. In truth, I bought the book out of pure loyalty to the man.
No Is A Four-Letter Word took me completely by surprise. I was genuinely entertained throughout. He tells stories from all across his life in no chronological order, and they're written in the same Jericho fashion, with quips, in-jokes and pop culture references. While some of the stories are not told for the first time, there is plenty of fresh content.
I think the main reason why this book is so enjoyable is that it is formatted as a "self help" book. Each chapter begins with a bold statement, a life lesson he's learned. For example "Do or no not, the Master Yoda Principal". In the chapter he'd explain why "doing" instead of "trying" was so pivotal to his success. He'd then give his anecdotes and how they pertain to the lesson he's trying to teach. I think this format has led to the book being far more introspective and honest than his previous ones, and that's why No Is A Four-Letter Word is worth your time.
No Is A Four-Letter Word took me completely by surprise. I was genuinely entertained throughout. He tells stories from all across his life in no chronological order, and they're written in the same Jericho fashion, with quips, in-jokes and pop culture references. While some of the stories are not told for the first time, there is plenty of fresh content.
I think the main reason why this book is so enjoyable is that it is formatted as a "self help" book. Each chapter begins with a bold statement, a life lesson he's learned. For example "Do or no not, the Master Yoda Principal". In the chapter he'd explain why "doing" instead of "trying" was so pivotal to his success. He'd then give his anecdotes and how they pertain to the lesson he's trying to teach. I think this format has led to the book being far more introspective and honest than his previous ones, and that's why No Is A Four-Letter Word is worth your time.
February 9, 2021
Don’t let the rating out you off this book. It’s much shorter that it’s three predecessors, and while it doesn’t follow the same structure of following Jericho’s career, it’s an interesting read, packed again with some rather fascinating stories. Whether it be wrestling or Fozzy, the stories continue to come and it really amazes me with the amount of musical gods that Jericho has had the pleasure to meet, hang out with and later call a friend. Makes a good read.
This is a inspirational, self help sort of book. It was what I’d of gone for, had I known the exacts when I bought it. I just assumed it was another book picking up from the last one and continuing to tell the story of Jericho. While it does that, it does also offer a great insight into what made Chris Jericho the wrestler and Chris Jericho the musician. With only a short 20 chapters, each is different to the last and each offers more on the how, why and what in life.
I wasn’t sure at first, but as the stories continued, the chapters started to make more sense and I loved the concept behind the book. While it wasn’t what I was expecting and with it being on the smaller side when it comes to a Jericho book - I still did enjoy this one. I learned some things I didn’t know about wrestling and music, while also having a laugh along the way. While it’s the weakest of his four books, it still is a fun read and one you should give a go at some point.
This is a inspirational, self help sort of book. It was what I’d of gone for, had I known the exacts when I bought it. I just assumed it was another book picking up from the last one and continuing to tell the story of Jericho. While it does that, it does also offer a great insight into what made Chris Jericho the wrestler and Chris Jericho the musician. With only a short 20 chapters, each is different to the last and each offers more on the how, why and what in life.
I wasn’t sure at first, but as the stories continued, the chapters started to make more sense and I loved the concept behind the book. While it wasn’t what I was expecting and with it being on the smaller side when it comes to a Jericho book - I still did enjoy this one. I learned some things I didn’t know about wrestling and music, while also having a laugh along the way. While it’s the weakest of his four books, it still is a fun read and one you should give a go at some point.
October 19, 2017
Jericho is now tied with Mick Foley for wrestler with most autobiographies with four. Chris dares to hint at a 5th book too in here. His 4th bio jumps all over the place but primarily focuses on 2013 through 2016. This book has a self-help theme to it with each chapter having one of Jericho's life tips and how he applied it in a past part of his life.
A lot of the life tips are commonly heard ones ranging from be persistent, learn how to sell yourself and sometimes knowing when to be a jerk. Chris found a good way to tie in past events to the tips like how he is constantly reinventing himself to stay relevant, going above and beyond to lock in big time interviews for his podcast, to taking low paying gigs for his band Fozzy for better exposure and word-of-mouth for his band. I dig Chris's non-stop band and pop culture asides, even when they fly over my head.
The only part of the book that overstayed its welcome for me was a few too many tales on Chris getting starstruck when meeting music celebrities like Yoko and Mick Jagger. However I really enjoyed his chapters dealing with the Scorpions and Lem from Moorhead. If you are worried about the book being too much focused on music instead of Wrestling I think you should be alright because it is about half and half and Jericho's writing style kept me plugged in even when talking about acts I was only slightly familiar with.
A lot of the life tips are commonly heard ones ranging from be persistent, learn how to sell yourself and sometimes knowing when to be a jerk. Chris found a good way to tie in past events to the tips like how he is constantly reinventing himself to stay relevant, going above and beyond to lock in big time interviews for his podcast, to taking low paying gigs for his band Fozzy for better exposure and word-of-mouth for his band. I dig Chris's non-stop band and pop culture asides, even when they fly over my head.
The only part of the book that overstayed its welcome for me was a few too many tales on Chris getting starstruck when meeting music celebrities like Yoko and Mick Jagger. However I really enjoyed his chapters dealing with the Scorpions and Lem from Moorhead. If you are worried about the book being too much focused on music instead of Wrestling I think you should be alright because it is about half and half and Jericho's writing style kept me plugged in even when talking about acts I was only slightly familiar with.
August 29, 2017
I first became aware of Chris Jericho through his wrestling career with the WWE, then his music career with his band, Fozzy, and then his podcast, Talk is Jericho. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that he seems like a pretty nice guy. (Spoiler alert: the heel he plays on the WWE is just a character!)
No Is a Four-Letter Word is a fun read that combines Jericho's signature humor with some pretty deep life lessons. In this book, he shares his personal failures as well as successes, and advice on how to learn from one's mistakes in order to succeed in life, whether professionally or personally. There's something here for everyone: each chapter is filled with anecdotes from the wrestling world as well as the music business.
I had the opportunity to meet Chris at BookExpo earlier this year, and I was struck by how attentive he was with each of his fans who were at his signing. As I mentioned, I had been aware of him peripherally before. After having met him and now reading and enjoying his book, I'm definitely a full-fledged fan now.
No Is a Four-Letter Word is a fun read that combines Jericho's signature humor with some pretty deep life lessons. In this book, he shares his personal failures as well as successes, and advice on how to learn from one's mistakes in order to succeed in life, whether professionally or personally. There's something here for everyone: each chapter is filled with anecdotes from the wrestling world as well as the music business.
I had the opportunity to meet Chris at BookExpo earlier this year, and I was struck by how attentive he was with each of his fans who were at his signing. As I mentioned, I had been aware of him peripherally before. After having met him and now reading and enjoying his book, I'm definitely a full-fledged fan now.
November 14, 2017
With this one in the form of a self help book there’s a bit of a “reinvention” to the format of his previous books. For me this one isn’t quite as well played out as the previous books.
There’s a lot of stories which are here purely to show how many people he knows, how cool he is or how amazing he is at something. If you like a bit of humble this probably isn’t the book for you.
If you’re a fan of either music or wrestling I’d say the split is pretty even in this book. For me the wrestling stories were a lot more engaging as Jericho isn’t trying quite as much “look who I know, how cool am I?” throughout them and there’s a bit more behind the scenes of the shows etc.
It’s not a bad book by any stretch, just don’t go in expecting modest stories about the previous 5 years of Jericho’s life.
There’s a lot of stories which are here purely to show how many people he knows, how cool he is or how amazing he is at something. If you like a bit of humble this probably isn’t the book for you.
If you’re a fan of either music or wrestling I’d say the split is pretty even in this book. For me the wrestling stories were a lot more engaging as Jericho isn’t trying quite as much “look who I know, how cool am I?” throughout them and there’s a bit more behind the scenes of the shows etc.
It’s not a bad book by any stretch, just don’t go in expecting modest stories about the previous 5 years of Jericho’s life.
September 24, 2018
Another really great insight into the wrestling world. Being a fan myself, the backstage stories and tales behind certain angles and incidents are great to read and very gripping. I was less interested in the Fozzy road stories, as I don't really know the band.
From remembering to always look like a star from Gene Simmons of KISS, learning to let it go when the America's Funniest Home Videos hosting gig goes to his rival to seeing the legend Lemmy for the last time at his own tribute show just before his death, these are some really great anecdotes filled with practical life advice on dealing with all kinds of people in this world.
You wouldn’t find it hard to enjoy this if you were not a fan of the WWE and the on-screen character (like most wrestling autobiographies) but for myself, it was hugely enjoyable.
From remembering to always look like a star from Gene Simmons of KISS, learning to let it go when the America's Funniest Home Videos hosting gig goes to his rival to seeing the legend Lemmy for the last time at his own tribute show just before his death, these are some really great anecdotes filled with practical life advice on dealing with all kinds of people in this world.
You wouldn’t find it hard to enjoy this if you were not a fan of the WWE and the on-screen character (like most wrestling autobiographies) but for myself, it was hugely enjoyable.
October 11, 2017
The premise of Jericho's fourth book may have changed slightly from autobio to self-help, though it's still chocked full of modern tales that continue his life story, while pointedly presenting a lesson with each. I picked it up more for the stories than the help, but I could easily recommend it for each. It's an incredibly positive treatise on making anything and everything out of yourself through 20 simple rules that can be boiled down to "kick ass and don't quit". But Jericho tells it much better. I fully plan to read it to my child, just like I did the last three (with some healthy editing of the f-bombs and such). It's a quick read...it only took me two short sittings, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think you will too!
October 25, 2017
Chris Jericho's fourth book may be the lesser of his autobiographical tomes, but it's still fun and a quick read. Instead of being a memoir like his past books, this one is written in the form of a self help book with Jericho using his success and the methods he used to get it, as a guide for others. While there are a lot of amusing tales and some helpful advice, this book more than any of his others comes across as a "look at how many famous people I know" ego piece than an actual desire to impart wisdom on others…unless all you care about is meeting famous people. Then you may find this really useful. Name dropping aside, it's still entertaining enough to warrant a read if you are a fan of Jericho, his books, or both.
February 6, 2018
Chris Jericho makes a slight departure from his previous 3 memoirs, in that he shapes this as more of a motivational book. Each chapter describes a lesson he has learned from somebody throughout his life, and then relates it to specific stories from his time in WWE or with Fozzy.
It's a unique take that blends his comedic style for writing about his life, while also providing more than just wrestling tales. Some of the lessons do seem a bit redundant and perhaps forced in order to tell a specific story, but they are useful nonetheless.
The lessons are great and people would be smart to adapt them to their own lives. This gives Jericho's fourth book more "value" than the other three. Would recommend, and this evolution of style is a welcome change (one of his lessons!)
It's a unique take that blends his comedic style for writing about his life, while also providing more than just wrestling tales. Some of the lessons do seem a bit redundant and perhaps forced in order to tell a specific story, but they are useful nonetheless.
The lessons are great and people would be smart to adapt them to their own lives. This gives Jericho's fourth book more "value" than the other three. Would recommend, and this evolution of style is a welcome change (one of his lessons!)
December 1, 2019
Among other things, Chris Jericho is a world-famous wrestler, the frontman of his band Fozzy and runs his own podcast.
As a huge fan of his, i had to pick this book up the moment i saw it at a book sale. I had no idea that this was a self-help book, but it was just what i needed. At this point in my life where i have an idea of what i want to do in the future, the lessons found here helped me a great deal - Chris talks about believing in yourself and getting off your ass to do what you have to do to achieve your goals because there is no "try". His advice is practical and his stories, in true Jericho fashion, cracked me up. Even though I found one or two stories quite weak, I really enjoyed Chris' writing. He is funny, entertaining and inspirational. I can't wait to read his other books.
As a huge fan of his, i had to pick this book up the moment i saw it at a book sale. I had no idea that this was a self-help book, but it was just what i needed. At this point in my life where i have an idea of what i want to do in the future, the lessons found here helped me a great deal - Chris talks about believing in yourself and getting off your ass to do what you have to do to achieve your goals because there is no "try". His advice is practical and his stories, in true Jericho fashion, cracked me up. Even though I found one or two stories quite weak, I really enjoyed Chris' writing. He is funny, entertaining and inspirational. I can't wait to read his other books.
September 23, 2017
As a pro-wrestling fan, I take great interest in the WWE-related chapters, but tended to skim over the music stories due to my lack of knowledge or interest in the people mentioned. Therefore, I didn't feel there was enough new material here to justify a new book since the last one, and it left me wanting more, particularly an insight into the recent programme with Kevin Owens. Still, Jericho's style is engaging and I always enjoy the glimpses into life behind the scenes at WWE, such as the dynamics of creative meetings with Vince or Jericho's crusade to get a particular move unbanned. He still shouldn't have kicked out of the Styles Clash, though.
April 13, 2024
I was extremely disappointed with this book. It is a poorly written, money grabbing, naming dropping, egotistical book with little to no "self help". Do you want to read about Chris bragging about cruising with Kiss, or weirdly listening to Yoko Ono pee? This is the book for you. If you are looking for motivation or something that refers to anything other than grandpa rock bands or wrestling than this is not for you.
I wish there was a preface, not written by a famous person, that gave all of us normal peasants an idea that this was purely about who Chris knows or stalks in the rock world, very little wrestling stories, and a whole lot of filler words to make the word count.
I wish there was a preface, not written by a famous person, that gave all of us normal peasants an idea that this was purely about who Chris knows or stalks in the rock world, very little wrestling stories, and a whole lot of filler words to make the word count.
September 5, 2017
Although not at all what I was expecting, this was a very entertaining book. I twas thinking it was another look at his career and picking up at the end of his last book as the prior three books had done. Instead, this was more of a self help book that broke down ways to improve yourself and succeed using only Jericho's wit and humor as a guide. It did include new stories from his days on the road and was highly entertaining, including giving me some ideas to improve myself. So in that, it was a success.
September 16, 2017
I have read all of Jericho's book, and even wrote a review of his last one for Slam Sports in Canada. You would think after writing 3 books that Jericho would run out of exciting stories, but that's not the case. This book is a success manual, unlike his other books that dealt with his wrestling life. There are wrestling stories in this, along with his journeys with his band and being a podcaster. There is humor, along with great name references throughout. For an in depth review, go to my page at :https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/201...
December 27, 2017
This is very much a different book then Jericho's last 3, but it no less brilliant. This is basically a book about the 20 principals that Jericho lives by, based on some of the heroes in this life. This over course leads to many great stories being told, both about the Wrestling and the Rock world. This is actually a really great inspiring book with some great life advice to follow. It fits perfectly with Jericho's other books and lets hope we get at least one more from Jericho who has now become one of my fav authors.
November 7, 2018
Once again, Chris Jericho has written a book that is both entertaining, informative, and inspirational. From his beginnings as a kid watching his dad play pro hockey for the New York Rangers, to his legendary career as a pro wrestler all over the globe, Jericho has done it all. This newest volume is something of a self-help guide, with Y2J basing each chapter around a life lesson. Readers will follow The Ayatollah or Rock and Rolla on his journey back to the WWE main event, touring the world with his rock band Fozzy, and almost taking over the America's Funniest Home Videos hosting gig!
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