Monsters and How to Tame Them

by Kevin Hart

You’ve seen Kevin Hart rule the stand-up circuit. You’ve watched him take over Hollywood. You’ve even seen him slay the New York Times best seller list. Now he’s going to help you own your monsters.

Following his popular titles, I Can’t Make This Up and The Decision, Kevin is back sharing the practical wisdom that he’s gained from a profound, life-changing event. Monsters and How to Tame Them is Kevin’s most recent guide on how to live your best life, wrapped in his signature honesty, hilarious voice, and adept storytelling. You’ve heard stories about vampires, zombies, and ghosts. Now it’s time to meet some of the monsters that haunt your mind. Kevin will introduce you to Control Monster, or the need to control everyone and everything around you that ultimately limits your chance to grow. Then there’s Comparison Monster. This one makes you compare yourself to others, causing irrational jealousy. You’ll also meet Approval Monster, that nagging feeling deep down inside you that just wants likes and approval from the entire world, which leads to endless emptiness.

If you’re afraid of these monsters and more lurking around every dark corner, let Kevin, the monster hunter, show you how to train those bad tendencies we all have in the recesses of our minds. But first, you’ll have to look and see who or what is hiding under your bed. Kevin’s got you. Now get them.

5 hrs and 37 mins

Genres: Audiobook, Nonfiction, Humor, Self Help, Memoir, Psychology, Biography

Audible Audio

Published September 15, 2022

About the author

Kevin Hart is an award-winning actor and comedian. His films, including Central Intelligence, Think Like a Man, Get Hard, Ride Along, The Wedding Ringer, and The Secret Life of Pets have earned over $3.5 billion at the box office. His stand-up comedy tours, including Let Me Explain, Laugh at My Pain, and What Now?, have sold out arenas and football stadiums, leading Forbes to name him the “king of comedy.” He is also the first comedian with a Nike sneaker line; a television producer, creating the BET show Real Husbands of Hollywood and the Laugh Out Loud Network; and CEO of Hartbeat Productions. Hart currently lives in Los Angeles with his family.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic audiobook from Kevin Hart. The man has conquered comedy and is taking over the self-help world using his own life as a series of examples of how he has improved himself.

This book is about Monsters, and how to identify and tame them. The monsters are ones such as The Comparison Monster, The Do-It-All Monster, The Control Monster, The Not-Me Monster, and others. I have known some of them, personally. This book is well worth the listen.

[Iulia Huiculescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hillarious, intelligent, vivacious.

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

We can only juggle so much in life, right? Thank you, Kevin, for this reminder. What he taught me is it’s sometimes essential to just throw the balls that life has given us into the air, and let them go! Trust me, they’ll land, and when they do - they’ll bounce. Ok, now smelling what I’m stepping in yet? Not yet? Well, from the movie Frozen we all learned, and we should accept that in life sometimes, it’s necessary to just, “let it go, let it go.” Like a ball, you can - and will bounce back.

Yes, friends, fellow fans of Kevin Hart, brilliant minds, lovers of funny audiobooks - Kev, has done it again with, “Monsters and How to Tame Them” (and damn it, Brandy, somehow you went from “I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons” to “Monsters and How To Tame Them - how did you totally miss “The Decision?”) But, don’t worry friends, I started it today so anticipate that review - coming soon.

So, this gem is all about our inner monsters - yes kids, my friends - we ALL have them! There’s no denying it - “denial” is a river in Egypt - and unless you’re on a kayak in that river - forget about it. So now, I must ask you, what’s your monster or perhaps monsters?

Me? Well my monster is a multi-headed monster. My monster’s first head, is the “not me.” It’s that monster that says, it wasn’t me - nope, I didn’t do it (pretty sure my kids have this monster too!) The “not me” monster also touts the phrase - it can’t, and absolutely won’t happen to me - others yes, but hell to the no - not me.

My second monster’s head is that of the, “do it all monster.” I’m the gal who thinks why ask others to do it; when I can do it the right way, the way it should be done. This is also known as the “Brandy Way.”

Now, those are two of my monsters - I want to know yours.

Regardless of the monster’s you have lurking - remember this - what I just learned thanks to this book.

You only need “you,” and “your” approval. Forget all others, they don’t matter, tune them out. At the end of the day it’s YOU and only YOU who must look into the mirror. It’s only YOU that needs to look and say - YOU are amazing, YOU did awesome, YOU are beautiful. Yes, kids, friends, book nerds like myself, Kev was right, the only approval you need is YOURS! 5stars and thank you. ❤️❤️

[Cara Deane · Rating 4 out of 5]

#4 for your girl. This is a great one for the leaders out there. I heard about this audiobook on Jay Shetty’s podcast— and as proper and pure as Jay Shetty is— he said he was really struck by Kevin Hart’s book about our “monsters”. Now keep in mind— it’s Kevin Hart. 😩 So there’s plenty of inappropriate commentary and irreverence… maybe not the right pick for the delicate or faint of heart. But ultimately he talks about monsters and how to tame them and boy could I relate to a few:
The Not Me monster
The Control monster 🙋🏽‍♀️
The Approval monster
The You Can’t Go Backwards monster
The Comparison monster
The Do It All monster 🙋🏽‍♀️
Kevin tells us about the monsters and how to tame them— not destroy them. Because these monsters are actually beneficial to us and should stick around, but they shouldn’t run the show.
I saw the monsters in me and I saw the monsters in every one of my teammates. 🤣🤣 When you know better, you do better. A good read for every leader. Only on Audible.
#iread #chasingcarabooks #chasingcarabooks2023

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last 20 percent is the best where Kevin talks not just about the monsters but the intentional using of the monsters for our betterment.

[Rosanna 📚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ I love me some Kevin Hart so I was excited to listen to this book. He is super hilarious and id say less inspirational but it was good content and funny. There are monsters I relate to for sure, like the Approval Monster- and he did a good job putting things into perspective. It took me a bit to get into it at first because of the corny naming but it got better. You know profanity is part of his humour so if that bothers you - here’s your heads up. It was light, entertaining and i learned a thing or 3.

[Amy Baukol Zertuche · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all have some monsters - comapring ourselves to others, the need for control and approaval and my favorite that I learned the most about was the "can't go backwards monster. I feel like I always have to be "outperforming myself" and it's good to know that others do this and IT IS OKAY to have ebbs and flows in life.

[D.C. Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a Kevin Hart fan, his Audible originals are hysterical. They are the perfect blend of hard truths and inspiration with a touch of that Kevin Hart comedy. His monsters' descriptions and ideas to tame them were the self-help tips I needed today.

[Katherine Lincoln · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audible. Read by author. Good ideas of self help but his examples of content are unrepeatable. His pressured speech meds listening to content hard. May be a good written book .

[Tõnu Vahtra · Rating 3 out of 5]

"This book is about monsters, but don't be afraid, as I'm Kevin Hart and I have the Rock on speed dial".
I know Kevin from several of his movies and not so much as a stage comedian and for me his comedy is more appealing in the movies. Listening to this book was a conflicting experience for me, as you want to focus on the gist of the book but in this process are constantly "distracted" by the comedy (which felt a bit overachieved), your focus is lost and eventually you are a bit confused on what value you actually got from the book. Maybe it's the wrong question to start with anyway, beucause one does not read such books for transformative life lessons, it's more of a pastime read and should be considered as simple entertainment (it's the journey, not the destination). I mostly liked the many joking references to movies and other celebrities.
In the book he kept talking about a life-transforming event which was a car accident when his friend crashed his 1970 Plymouth Barracuda with reckless driving while Hart himself also did not have seat belt on. This happened in september 2019 when Hart was in the middle of promoting Jumaji movie and left him with severe injuries.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say, I admire Kevin Hart, but I found myself at the end of the book without actually remembering anything in it. This is not a criticism on the book, maybe it speaks more about my state of mind when I listened to it, but Kevin's voice has the same tonality all throughout narrating, which means you have to pay extra attention and cannot leave the book to play while you're doing other tasks.
As mentioned, I think he is great, but this was not really the book for me. Maybe I'll come back and re-listen and change my view someday.

[Karay2k · Rating 2 out of 5]

We can all relate to these Monsters. But I didn’t feel like it was helpful in any way. I love Kevin Hart the comedian, not so much on a self improvement author. His narrative is definitely reading a script he had no involvement in and just adding his own funny tidbits here and there into it. Boring really. And why can’t he stay focused my goodness the audible would of be closer to 2 hours if he had.

[Muralie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: Probably Hart's best audiobook.

What I got from it: I think his message of the 'do it all' monster was particularly resonating. Hart describes his desire to accept every offer he got after he became a celebrity in Hollywood, out of fear of missing out on the opportunity to solidify his celebrity. Ultimately he realized that he wasn't able to do it all well, often sleeping through meetings and being constantly tired, and that it wasn't serving his ultimate purpose. He describes how he felt that this constant working was in service of his family, but in actuality his family just wanted more time with him, not more money from him.

[Joel Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book. Although the self-help and self-awareness concepts were not necessarily new, groundbreaking, or different from similar books, the personal stories helped me connect with the realities and similarities in my life. I especially appreciated the connection with how he learned to better value his connection to family over striving for success. The description of the lions who are chasing the flag (or success) and the importance of not chasing the flag at the expense of those you treasure was very impacted personally.
And of course, the combination of Kevin Hart's humor with life experiences and growth made this an entertaining and engaging personal development book.

[Elisa Jauregui · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really easy digestible book which i think is important because it talks about prominent issues about our own self destructive patterns and demons in a way that is tailored towards his own audience. It’s very easy to receive and it doesn’t feel like a typical self help book but more of a conversation with a life coach. I think I like the more deep philosophical literature which is why I give it a 4 but I can recognize how important this book is and the topics it’s brining to a bigger audience.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kevin Hart as a life coach, who knew?? Haha! In his latest book Kevin shares practical wisdom he has gained thru his own life experiences as a guide for how to live your best life by taming the monsters many of us face within ourselves such as The control monster, the do-it-all myself monster, the me-first monster and several others. Written and told with his brilliant sense of humor, hilarious voice and captivating story telling this book is both helpful and extremely entertaining. (And once again, as with all his books, not for the easily offended)

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kevin Hart does it again! What an amazing motivational speaker that keeps me engaged. Way entertaining than those cookie cutter self help books. Kevin Hart drives deep into his life and shares personal anecdotes of his experiences and how he reflects back on them to improve. I like how he uses humility to show the audience how much he has grown versus telling people what they should do. Kevin Hart is raw and honest with his life letting listeners go deep into his feelings. I truly learned a lot and I’m more knowledgeable now with how I look at life versus before. Thank you Kevin Hart!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Monsters, Kevin Hart discusses not the monsters that we encounter, but the monsters within us. Those monsters keep us from becoming our best selves. We our own worst critics, but we can’t recognize them without examining our own lives. There made be language too crude for many readers, but he’s real, honest, and vulnerable in overcoming those things we come to realize we can change and the tools he’s used in his own life.

[Nerdy Biblio · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars!
I would have rated this book higher if not for the unnecessary language.

I really liked most of the points he had and he nailed some of the monsters for me.

However all of his swearing and using the Lord's name in vain over and over was not needed at all. Way too much and really distracting. It totally turned me off from everything he was saying.

I really wish this was a book so I could go through and highlight the good parts and skip over all the swearing.

[Laetitia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kevin Hart strikes again with this audiobook that was such a pleasure to listen to. He put words on demons that have been chasing me for so long and gave really good tips on how to manage them. His audiobook always feel like he’s really engaging with the audience and speaking directly to us. Thanks for this audiobook that I feel like I’ll need to listen every few months to imprint as much of it as possible.

[Kaylynn Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve listened to by Kevin Hart and I really enjoyed it. I’ve always admired him as a comedian and actor but had no idea of the wisdom he had to share. And how he put words into demons that have been chasing me for a long time. It really spoke to me and I felt like I could relate to some of the monsters and look forward to taming them! Thank you Kevin Hart, master monster hunter!

[S.M. Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve listened to by Kevin Hart and I really enjoyed it. He gives multiple, real life examples covering each “monster” that I found insightful, and I really like how he acknowledges the positive uses of each monster too. Highly entertaining and insightful.

After hearing this, I added The Decision to my list.

[Misty’s Corner Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kevin Hart’s audiobooks are an auto buy for me, no questions asked! I love his delivery and comedic approach at life lessons, sprinkled with his own life experiences. I will no doubt listen to this again and again! He’s the #1 monster hunter! I relate to a few of these ‘monsters’ as well and look forward to training them! Thank you Kevin Hart!

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting title and after hearing the audiobook I now understand what these monsters are and have quite a few monsters of my own. This was a great book and I loved how he described each monster and how he broke it down on how you can’t FIX the monster but how you can tame the monster for your own well-being.

[Jamie Fairchild · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kevin Hart is incredibly smart and insightful. I’ve always liked him as a comedian, but I had no idea he had this much wisdom to share. It is remarkable how much he has learned from his own life lessons. He distills this learning into his key “monsters” to make it easier to understand and apply his techniques. I highly recommend - even though I could do with fewer F bombs.

[Tia Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks for being true to yourself while offering reality in doses. Sometimes, the diagnostic workup is just as painful as the treatment. Thanks for sugar lumps (humor) that never negated the potency of all the nuggets. Knowing that the medicine in the needle will help you heal makes the pain of it bearable.

[Rhonda B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Mr. Hart. Kevin. Master monster hunter.

Thank you for this book. While I know your quest was not to gain my accolades, I appreciate that you provided humour and insight into much of what drives us all. I pulled some great gems out of your words!

Have a wonderful day and all the very best on the field.

R

[Kristin Norton · Rating 4 out of 5]

He offers great advice and funny stories. The profanity takes over in the middle of the book and I was tempted to stop reading, but glad I did.not miss the end. At the end of the book he suggests ways to “tame the monsters,” in other words, use them for your good instead of to bring you down. He loses the profanity and gets his points across without it. I learned a lot!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent Audible read. Kevin Hart is extremely engaging and relatable. He breaks down the theory of what others have called Parts work in a way that is easy to understand and apply in order to achieve greater fulfillment and happiness in life. If you are looking to turn inward this year and work on yourself, this is a must read.

[Quanita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a modern take on the 10 commandments. Greed, envy.......and how you get sucked into them controlling your life. Hart gives common sense ways to control and use your desires to achieve proper balance in your life. His language is a little salty, but this is Kevin Hart.