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Buseyisms: Gary Busey's Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth
Words of wisdom and incredible life stories, told through Gary Busey's unique Buseyisms.
"What is a Buseyism? I take the letters that spell a word to create a definition for the word in the truth of its deeper, dimensional meaning. I weave in my personal anecdotes along with my musings on how I live life successfully according to my experiences.
Who am I, a genius, a crazy madman, to give advice? This is not advice. I am sharing the life lessons I learned while surviving the ups and downs of almost 50 years in Hollywood, a near fatal motorcycle accident, a drug overdose, two divorces, bankruptcy and cancer in the middle of my face. I may turn concepts you usually believe in upside down with my bizarre stories, but that comes with the dinner.
These are my life lessons, my B.I.B.L.E.—Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth."
—Gary Busey
"What is a Buseyism? I take the letters that spell a word to create a definition for the word in the truth of its deeper, dimensional meaning. I weave in my personal anecdotes along with my musings on how I live life successfully according to my experiences.
Who am I, a genius, a crazy madman, to give advice? This is not advice. I am sharing the life lessons I learned while surviving the ups and downs of almost 50 years in Hollywood, a near fatal motorcycle accident, a drug overdose, two divorces, bankruptcy and cancer in the middle of my face. I may turn concepts you usually believe in upside down with my bizarre stories, but that comes with the dinner.
These are my life lessons, my B.I.B.L.E.—Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth."
—Gary Busey
292 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 4, 2018
66 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
March 21, 2021
The book is written just the way he talks; I could even hear his voice in my head. I like Gary Busey. He is a free spirit and one of a kind. I'm also pretty sure I don't want him as my spiritual adviser. His life stories and lessons are interesting though, and the book, believe it or not, was hard to put down.
November 15, 2018
The author is one of the most positive people I've ever 'met'. Even when things go wrong & he seems down, he almost immediately turns the experience around into something affirmative. I liked his buseyisms - some of them were downright amazingly appropriate; some seemed somewhat forced. He has certainly been through a lot!
October 30, 2019
During the late 80's and early 90's, Gary Busey was a staple of great action movies, appearing in LETHAL WEAPON, PREDATOR 2, POINT BREAK, and UNDER SIEGE, all within a span of five years. When the 2000's hit, his career fell off a cliff, relegating him to junk like HOT BOYZ and G-MEN FROM HELL.
It wasn't until the 2003 "reality" show I'M WITH BUSEY that I became aware of his off-camera reputation as a wild man and quasi-lunatic. After that, I didn't really hear from him again until that viral clip from THE APPRENTICE in which Meat Loaf went nuclear on him for supposedly taking his art supplies. I remember thinking, "What a career trajectory. From throwing down with Mel Gibson, Steven Seagal, and the Predator to getting reamed out by Meat Loaf over paint brushes." As Donald Trump would say, "Sad!" ("You're fired!" would come a few episodes later.)
So, it was with great trepidation that I went into BUSEYISMS. I wasn't sure which Gary Busey I was going to get, the one who made Stephen King's SILVER BULLET or the one who made Charles Band's THE GINGERDEAD MAN. The title of the book made me think it might be the latter.
In the end, I got a bit of both. BUSEYISMS portrays its subject as a complicated individual whose personality encompasses a wide range of adjectives ("logical" being the one noticeable exception). To me, he comes across as likable but a little bit cray-cray. I can only wonder how bonkers he'd sound without an editor to rein him in now and then. Busey obviously fancies himself a very spiritual person, but it's a do-it-yourself brand of spirituality that feels part Catholic, part new age hippie, part bohemian cowboy, and part TV's GHOST WHISPERER. It's a religious outlook assembled piecemeal through emotion and out-of-body experiences. A lot of his statements are pretty out there, but most bewildering of all is the assertion that people had been urging him to commit his so-called Buseyisms to paper. Because...I mean...WHY?!
Overall, though, the vast majority of this book works as a perfectly enjoyable little celebrity bio. There's some great material about his time as singer/drummer for the band Carp, and a good deal of behind-the-scenes information on his early films like BIG WEDNESDAY and THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY. Plenty of things get overlooked (D.C. CAB, LOST HIGHWAY, TRIBULATION, his son's rise to fame); but on the plus side, it keeps things short and sweet. I listened to it on audio, and Busey's personal narration only adds to the charm, regardless of his frequent lisp and occasionally stumbling cadence (I could've really done without hearing the pages being flipped, though). The man has been through some pretty harrowing stuff, and much of the book focuses on his past drug abuse and various physical traumas. I'm not sure his overall account is anywhere near as inspiring as he intends it to be, but it's certainly fascinating. The fact he somehow survived it all must mean he's doing SOMETHING right.
It wasn't until the 2003 "reality" show I'M WITH BUSEY that I became aware of his off-camera reputation as a wild man and quasi-lunatic. After that, I didn't really hear from him again until that viral clip from THE APPRENTICE in which Meat Loaf went nuclear on him for supposedly taking his art supplies. I remember thinking, "What a career trajectory. From throwing down with Mel Gibson, Steven Seagal, and the Predator to getting reamed out by Meat Loaf over paint brushes." As Donald Trump would say, "Sad!" ("You're fired!" would come a few episodes later.)
So, it was with great trepidation that I went into BUSEYISMS. I wasn't sure which Gary Busey I was going to get, the one who made Stephen King's SILVER BULLET or the one who made Charles Band's THE GINGERDEAD MAN. The title of the book made me think it might be the latter.
In the end, I got a bit of both. BUSEYISMS portrays its subject as a complicated individual whose personality encompasses a wide range of adjectives ("logical" being the one noticeable exception). To me, he comes across as likable but a little bit cray-cray. I can only wonder how bonkers he'd sound without an editor to rein him in now and then. Busey obviously fancies himself a very spiritual person, but it's a do-it-yourself brand of spirituality that feels part Catholic, part new age hippie, part bohemian cowboy, and part TV's GHOST WHISPERER. It's a religious outlook assembled piecemeal through emotion and out-of-body experiences. A lot of his statements are pretty out there, but most bewildering of all is the assertion that people had been urging him to commit his so-called Buseyisms to paper. Because...I mean...WHY?!
Overall, though, the vast majority of this book works as a perfectly enjoyable little celebrity bio. There's some great material about his time as singer/drummer for the band Carp, and a good deal of behind-the-scenes information on his early films like BIG WEDNESDAY and THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY. Plenty of things get overlooked (D.C. CAB, LOST HIGHWAY, TRIBULATION, his son's rise to fame); but on the plus side, it keeps things short and sweet. I listened to it on audio, and Busey's personal narration only adds to the charm, regardless of his frequent lisp and occasionally stumbling cadence (I could've really done without hearing the pages being flipped, though). The man has been through some pretty harrowing stuff, and much of the book focuses on his past drug abuse and various physical traumas. I'm not sure his overall account is anywhere near as inspiring as he intends it to be, but it's certainly fascinating. The fact he somehow survived it all must mean he's doing SOMETHING right.
March 19, 2021
Gary Busey is a character and an interesting one at that. I can't help but like him and admire his work ethic and joie de vivre. Even through adversity, some of which he freely admits was the consequence of bad choices, his enthusiasm and positivity doesn't waiver, and it is infectious. God bless you, Gary Busey. I wish you well.
February 1, 2019
This is the best book I've read since sixth grade. Growing up, I was introduced to Gary Busey through my mom. She was a fan of Celebrity Apprentice and Gary Busey was a star on the show. I loved his characteristics, which included his big personality, humor, and his big heart. On the show, it seemed like Gary's one main goal was to make people smile, and he knew how to achieve his goals. My brother gave me this book for Christmas. I couldn't be happier, this book is so much different than a lot of books I've read. Every chapter has a "Buseyism" to describe it. For example, it turns out Mr. Busey was also a musician, a drummer to be specific. He had tracked a few songs for an artist named Leon Russell. Gary looked at him like a role model. Leon told Gary he wanted him to go on tour with his band and Gary was so excited to do so. The chapter that he talks about this in is called "M.U.S.I.C." Which stood for "Magnificent Unique Sound Inviting Creativity." I'll be honest, some of the "Buseyisms" in this book are a little silly, but this one was my favorite. Another reason I really enjoyed reading this book was that Gary is such an open person and very honest about his life. He opens up about his drug habits, his relationships, his career as an actor and musician, his life growing up, just everything. Auto-biographies are my favorite kind of books to read because I get a chance to look into the life of somebody from their perspective. I get to read their thoughts and opinions on things that happen to them. It makes reading a lot easier to connect with. This book probably isn't for everybody, but I really enjoyed the crap out of it.
July 23, 2025
4 ☆
I listened to him narrate his autobiography. What a unique, exuberant personality and life! There are 50 short chapters, and many of them are filled with some kind of spiritual lesson or revelation. Based on this read, I wouldn't call him a Christian (and I don't think he would either). So titling his memoir after the Bible seems odd. But his stories were compelling nonetheless, and I enjoyed learning more about his life.
I listened to him narrate his autobiography. What a unique, exuberant personality and life! There are 50 short chapters, and many of them are filled with some kind of spiritual lesson or revelation. Based on this read, I wouldn't call him a Christian (and I don't think he would either). So titling his memoir after the Bible seems odd. But his stories were compelling nonetheless, and I enjoyed learning more about his life.
January 6, 2019
This book wasn’t what I expected. It was full of Busey history, anecdotes, and an overall heartfelt explanation of Gary Busey’s life. Beautifully written. You can tell he put his heart into this.
November 11, 2018
Humanity Story Full Quality Life’s Journey Lessons Either Straighten Up Or
End Up Like Philip Seymour Hoffman Deceased From Drugs! Inner Peace Is An Awesome Gift Never Found In Addictions!
End Up Like Philip Seymour Hoffman Deceased From Drugs! Inner Peace Is An Awesome Gift Never Found In Addictions!
November 1, 2018
Wild Ride
Very interesting book. It is a miracle that man is still alive. A lot about drugs and other vices. Fine for an adult who has established belief system. Not for youth who could view drug use as cool. But good read in all.
Very interesting book. It is a miracle that man is still alive. A lot about drugs and other vices. Fine for an adult who has established belief system. Not for youth who could view drug use as cool. But good read in all.
October 25, 2018
Honesty and Then Some
Reading this was like sitting across from Mr Busey, and having a chat. What a marvelous character he is. Simply written but profound in its messages. Significant is how many people he met who became friends. Thank you for this look into a free spirit.
Reading this was like sitting across from Mr Busey, and having a chat. What a marvelous character he is. Simply written but profound in its messages. Significant is how many people he met who became friends. Thank you for this look into a free spirit.
September 11, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. Didn’t know a whole lot about Gary Busey before reading it, but am now a fan of him as a person in general. Lots of great stories, both happy and sad about his life and career. I laughed and smiled big several times along the way.
July 7, 2023
This is mostly a good book. Each chapter begins with a Busyism such as BIBLE = Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. This is not a religious book. It is mostly an autobiography of Gary Busey, but interspersed here and there are insights into living. Toward the end Busey tries to go deeper. He succeeds at first, but after repeated failures to learn the lessons of life, I'm not sure that his current "lessons learned" have been any more well learned than the other times he finally "learned" and then threw those lessons away.
It has been several years since he published this book. I know he is still controversial, but I tend to discount the controversies. What was normal in the days of his youth would be considered terrible things today, and I suppose they should be considered terrible since younger people are raised with certain expectations. If they screw up, well, they pay the price, but Busey was raised in a different time with different expectations (or lack of them). At the time of this writing he is approaching 80 years old. People that old don't change much. If you can't dodge a 79 year old man, there is something wrong with YOU.
I wish him well.
I doubt I will listen to this audiobook again.
It has been several years since he published this book. I know he is still controversial, but I tend to discount the controversies. What was normal in the days of his youth would be considered terrible things today, and I suppose they should be considered terrible since younger people are raised with certain expectations. If they screw up, well, they pay the price, but Busey was raised in a different time with different expectations (or lack of them). At the time of this writing he is approaching 80 years old. People that old don't change much. If you can't dodge a 79 year old man, there is something wrong with YOU.
I wish him well.
I doubt I will listen to this audiobook again.
March 2, 2019
This was sent to me as a gag gift during a difficult time and gave me a good laugh, but I have to say, Busey’s life story is interesting, entertaining and endearing. He’s a quirky guy operating on his own wavelength, and as far as celebrity autobiographies go, this one is actually well written. He admits his faults honestly but his optimism is infectious. Not something I would have picked up for myself, but highly enjoyable.
Oh, the ‘Buseyisms’ are a very minor part of the book, it’s really a straightforward autobiography and the better for it.
Oh, the ‘Buseyisms’ are a very minor part of the book, it’s really a straightforward autobiography and the better for it.
September 7, 2019
A fast-paced, acronym filled autobiography. Not extremely detailed, but more of an overview with some depth in various areas of his life. Read for personal research.
I found this work interesting - star rating relates to the book's contribution to my needs.
Overall, this work is also a good resource for the researcher and enthusiast.
I found this work interesting - star rating relates to the book's contribution to my needs.
Overall, this work is also a good resource for the researcher and enthusiast.
February 10, 2019
I adored Gary Busey as Buddy Holly & many of his other roles. He is always himself, always without filter. His stories were some times a bit crazy, but you gotta love some of the things he has to say. A fun read.
June 24, 2019
Phenomenal book! This doesn't jump around or bore you at times like some auto-biographies. Gary Busey has NAILED the genre!
The guy has suffered many setbacks in life (many caused by himself) and yet here he is - smarter than all of us. And more loving than all of us.
The guy has suffered many setbacks in life (many caused by himself) and yet here he is - smarter than all of us. And more loving than all of us.
October 20, 2019
I Enjoyed This True Biography of Gary Busey I feel like it was a good true tell all with humorous parts of his life! He tells it all in this tell all very good worth reading enjoyed it! Check it out you won’t be disappointed good book!
August 31, 2022
I tend to flick through Biographies. So with this one I started by opening random pages and reading a chapter here and there. But it was so good, after 3 or 4 random chapters, I had to go to the beginning and read the whole thing.
July 2, 2023
I loved this book, I’ve always been curious about Gary and what makes him tick and it seems like he just has such an interesting child like wonder about the world. He’s faced some hardships that no one deserves and he managed to come out on top and with a positive disposition and I admire that
November 23, 2023
This book was written by Gary Busey, but it was guided by cocaine "angels" and the pretense that Gary has something important to say. There's really no "basic instructions" here, and you would probably get as much from Gary Busey's wikipedia page as you would from this book.
December 3, 2018
I enjoyed this book very much. It is a quick read. Mr. Busey is an interesting guy.
December 28, 2018
Fast read loved the entire book.
February 3, 2019
Good book, very full life!!
May 22, 2019
Fun and free, like jazz.
May 29, 2019
He may be nutty, but he's got wisdom and talent
October 10, 2019
Dude is insane. Read this for the crazy stories.
November 29, 2019
I've always been a Gary Busey fan - once I saw him as Uncle Red in Silver Bullet. Really enjoyed the book and it was like listening to him talk...
April 18, 2023
love Gary B
This book was exceptional! I loved every word of it Gary you are one of a kind. And I appreciate every word. Thank you.
This book was exceptional! I loved every word of it Gary you are one of a kind. And I appreciate every word. Thank you.
October 3, 2025
I really enjoyed this one as an audiobook, as it's read by the author, and the word sound so authentically "him" this way. Gary Busey has had a really interesting life, and I enjoyed getting to read about it from his own perspective. Hearing about how he discovered acting as essentially a dare from his football buddies in high school, to developing both his music and acting career really filled out the story of his life.
One thing that struck me as king of odd was the stories about his kids. There was a lot of discussion about his first son, and a really good story about his second son, but his middle child, a daughter, basically only had one sentence dedicated to her. It's not clear if that's because he really didn't have much of a relationship with her mother and so wasn't involved in her life, or if there was another reason she was absent from the book, but it struck me as very weird that the boys were mentioned, and not the girl.
One thing that struck me as king of odd was the stories about his kids. There was a lot of discussion about his first son, and a really good story about his second son, but his middle child, a daughter, basically only had one sentence dedicated to her. It's not clear if that's because he really didn't have much of a relationship with her mother and so wasn't involved in her life, or if there was another reason she was absent from the book, but it struck me as very weird that the boys were mentioned, and not the girl.
July 15, 2022
My introduction to Gary Busey was, maybe like a lot of people my age, the Farley-Spade flick Black Sheep. Later, when I saw Lethal Weapon, Predator 2, and Under Siege, I remember saying to myself, "That guy's from Black Sheep!"
Even more later, my parents and I watched Celebrity Apprentice when it was on the air. In fact, we were in the middle of watching an episode of Celebrity Apprentice when it was interrupted by an announcement from then-President Obama that Osama Bin-Laden had been assassinated. That season, was the Gary Busey season, but after he had been fired.
Prior to watching this season of Celebrity Apprentice, I had no idea what Gary Busey was like in person. I never saw any interviews of him at all or anything. Just some supporting roles in some movies. I didn't even know about his head injury. But even if I did, I wasn't ready for the whirlwind of hilarity that is Gary Busey (because of his head injury). That was some good television.
Due to his appearance on Celebrity Apprentice, my parents and I love Gary Busey now. As sort of a joke, I gave my mom a copy. She actually read it. After reading it, she lost it and then the next Christmas she bought me a copy of this book. I'm still convinced she re-gifted it. But, since she actually read the book (and I do trust that she did because we've discussed the book since I finished it plus she's not a liar), it was only honorable that I read the book too.
Buseyisms: Gary Busey's Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth is everything you'd want from an autobiography. I never doubted for a second that Gary Busey didn't "write" this. I don't actually believe he physically wrote it, or typed. My assumption is Steffanie Sampson just recorded him for hours then organized it and typed it up herself, because it's totally his voice and written exactly how he talks but I know he wouldn't have capability to do it himself. Too chaotic, too distracted, and too energetic. There's no way.
Anywho, yeah, it's everything you want from an autobiography. Truly written like the person, goes through all the things you wanna know about the person's life and work, and is incredibly honest. He tells a bunch of stories in classic Busey fashion and doesn't sugarcoat his flaws and mistakes (okay - maybe a little bit) and is sometimes insightful. There's so many of his films he talks about that I now wanna go watch. Some of which I never wanted to see and now I do.
Full disclosure though: I both read this and listened to it. When working (I drive for a living), I'd listen to the audiobook. When I was home, I'd read the actual hardcover book. But I couldn't recommend the audiobook enough. He reads it himself. He accidentally gets words wrong and skips lines and sentences and words, he ad libs and corrects his own facts that he put in his own book. It's just hilarious.
Even more later, my parents and I watched Celebrity Apprentice when it was on the air. In fact, we were in the middle of watching an episode of Celebrity Apprentice when it was interrupted by an announcement from then-President Obama that Osama Bin-Laden had been assassinated. That season, was the Gary Busey season, but after he had been fired.
Prior to watching this season of Celebrity Apprentice, I had no idea what Gary Busey was like in person. I never saw any interviews of him at all or anything. Just some supporting roles in some movies. I didn't even know about his head injury. But even if I did, I wasn't ready for the whirlwind of hilarity that is Gary Busey (because of his head injury). That was some good television.
Due to his appearance on Celebrity Apprentice, my parents and I love Gary Busey now. As sort of a joke, I gave my mom a copy. She actually read it. After reading it, she lost it and then the next Christmas she bought me a copy of this book. I'm still convinced she re-gifted it. But, since she actually read the book (and I do trust that she did because we've discussed the book since I finished it plus she's not a liar), it was only honorable that I read the book too.
Buseyisms: Gary Busey's Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth is everything you'd want from an autobiography. I never doubted for a second that Gary Busey didn't "write" this. I don't actually believe he physically wrote it, or typed. My assumption is Steffanie Sampson just recorded him for hours then organized it and typed it up herself, because it's totally his voice and written exactly how he talks but I know he wouldn't have capability to do it himself. Too chaotic, too distracted, and too energetic. There's no way.
Anywho, yeah, it's everything you want from an autobiography. Truly written like the person, goes through all the things you wanna know about the person's life and work, and is incredibly honest. He tells a bunch of stories in classic Busey fashion and doesn't sugarcoat his flaws and mistakes (okay - maybe a little bit) and is sometimes insightful. There's so many of his films he talks about that I now wanna go watch. Some of which I never wanted to see and now I do.
Full disclosure though: I both read this and listened to it. When working (I drive for a living), I'd listen to the audiobook. When I was home, I'd read the actual hardcover book. But I couldn't recommend the audiobook enough. He reads it himself. He accidentally gets words wrong and skips lines and sentences and words, he ad libs and corrects his own facts that he put in his own book. It's just hilarious.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews