A Hard Kick in the Nuts: What I've Learned from a Lifetime of Terrible Decisions

by Stephen "Steve-O" Glover

Stephen "Steve-O" Glover—social media icon, comedy-touring stalwart, and star of Jackass—delivers a hilarious and practical guide to recovery, relationships, career, and how to keep thriving long after you should be dead.
 
Steve-O is best known for his wildly dangerous, foolish, painful, embarrassing, and sometimes death-defying stunts. At age 48, however, he faces his greatest challenge yet: getting older. A Hard Kick in the Nuts: What I’ve Learned from a Lifetime of Terrible Decisions is a captivating exploration of life and how to live it by an individual who has already lived way more than a lifetime’s worth of extreme experiences. Steve-O grapples with the right balance between maturity and staying true to yourself, not repeating your “greatest hits,” maintaining sobriety and a healthy regimen, avoiding selfishness, and finding the right partner for life.
 
Having built a gargantuan and loyal social media following while establishing a successful stand-up career—all after a couple of decades of dubious behavior—Steve-O is proof that anyone can find meaning and fulfillment in life, no matter what path they choose. Packed with self-deprecating wit and gruelingly earned wisdom, A Hard Kick in the Nuts will reverberate with readers everywhere who have lived a lot (sometimes too much) and are now wondering how to approach the years to come. Or maybe just need some good motivation to get out of bed tomorrow. One of many tips: Be your own harshest critic, then cut yourself a break, and enjoy this book.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Audiobook, Self Help, Biography Memoir, Celebrity

257 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 27, 2022

About the author

Steve-O is an American stunt performer and television personality. His entertainment career is mostly centered around his performance stunts on the American TV series Jackass and accompanying movies.

Reviews

[Miya (severe pain struggles, slower at the moment) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have liked Steve O for a long time. He has entertained me, disgusted me at times ( we all know he does the nastiest stuff lol), and he has also been inspirational. When you listen to what he has to say, when he isn't doing silly things, he is a pretty deep individual. His love of animals has always gotten to my heart. I love that the jackass generation kind of grew up together, so this book is perfect. The growing up and learning...making some necessary changes side of life. It's interesting and sad on many levels, but it's also very relatable. We might not have all done the stuff he did exactly, but we all did ridiculous things and probably made not so wonderful choices in younger days. The evolution of Steve O. I liked it! I am sure others will absolutely enjoy it as well. Also, adding this is not a long book. You can easily get through it in two days. For those who are Steve O fans, but not huge readers, this is a great one!

[Luigi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather than showing us his life, Steve-O mostly tells us his reflections on events and preaches the lessons we should learn from them. The stories lack dialogue and specific moments, making them generally unengaging. Which is a shame, because Steve-O has lived a wild life full of unique experiences.

Overall, I’m not sure I really learned anything. The lessons were all pretty generic and would’ve carried more weight with better storytelling. Further, I wish the lessons themselves were more interesting? Steve-O has been through intensive rehab programs - for sex, drugs, etc - over several years. Admirably, he’s managed to stay sober for over a decade and now seems to have achieved a very healthy relationship. I would’ve been interested in hearing some of the specific tools and strategies he’s learned over the years through these programs. Clearly they’ve helped him, and this is an area where he’s truly an expert.

I love Steve-O. His life is full of wild stories, and his addictive personality is one I relate to. But this book was just OK. Maybe my expectations were too high given how much I enjoyed his first book - which I’d recommend instead.

[Christian Harfman · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's pretty easy reading, some really cool stories, and surprisingly solid advice from someone I've seen chug beer through their butt.

[✨️ Jessica's Bookshelf ✨️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was just going to be some entertainment. I didn't expect there to be any sort of insight in it. I was wrong. There were little tidbits throughout.

Sometimes you’re going to feel like shit.” He let that all sink in and then he continued. “The one thing you can always do when you’re feeling bad that will make you feel better is to conduct yourself like a gentleman. If you act like a decent human being, you’re giving yourself something to feel good about. You can be proud that no matter how bad you feel, you tried to do the right thing. That’s not nothing.”

[Edwin Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A HARD KICK IN THE NUTS, by Stephen "Steve-O" Glover, is so much more than wild tales of Glover's truly unique and crazy life. Those stories are great and Glover has a quick wit and funny approach in his recounting of those events. Glover ruminates on the good, bad, and insane choices he has made over the years and considers why he made those choices, were they the correct choices, and what did he take away from those choices.
When you pick a book written by a guy known for crazy stunts and a ridiculous zest for life, you know you are going to get some great stories and this book doesn't disappoint. Glover also looks at smaller moments in his life and how they impacted him. It could be a single sentence in an interview or a chance meeting at an event, but Glover really digs deep into moments that changed him and made him grow as a person. He is also very quick to admit that while he is giving out advice based on his life, he still is a perpetual work in progress and not a individual to look up to or admire. He sees his faults and recognizes that often he gets in his own way when trying to grow as a person.
While I read A HARD KICK IN THE NUTS because I am a fan of Stephen "Steve-O" Glover and all of his antics, I came away from the book looking a life just a little bit different knowing that there is deep spirit behind his unstable exterior.
Thank you to Hachette Books, Stephen "Steve-O" Glover, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Jordan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved Steve-O growing up— and I love memoirs.

But there’s only so much hypocritical, narcissistic “but I’m a good person!!” rambling a person can take.

Moments were entertaining. Certain bits held moral value… but that value would be immediately squashed by being followed by selfish and oftentimes harmful narratives.

He claims to appreciate when he is called out for being an *sshole… and yet, when animal rights activists question him regarding his flip from veganism to consuming sentient animals, he claims he eats them out of spite— not realizing that it’s not vegans he’s hurting. It’s animals.

But he wants to open a doomsday animal sanctuary with his to-be-wife who also eats animals.

Haha. Okay.

And the animal stuff is really only the tip of the iceberg.

I don’t know, I wasn’t expecting a work of art, but I was really hoping for something less cringe-inducing.

This book felt like he wanted to air out his dirty laundry, not to reflect or make any kind of strides towards bettering himself or others, but for 1.) attention & money and 2.) to repeatedly pat himself on the back for things he did with selfish intentions. Thankfully he admits that… but at the cost of others. So, not great.

2/5 stars. The hypocrisy is what really got me. But I’m glad he’s sober, and seems to be on an upswing. And at least he’s honest… but maybe not fully with himself.

Edit: actually lowering the rating to 1 star. There’s a portion of the book that depicts him as an older man taking advantage of a young 18 year old girl, and while he admitted it was a bad thing to do, he didn’t reflect on that NEARLY enough, it felt brushed under the rug. Plus there were some cruel stereotypes about LGBT people and HIV/AIDS that he fed into and published. Aaaand he name dropped a lot of people, published their drama, all in the name of attention for himself. Cough, Bam, cough. Yeah, Bam didn’t need a chapter in this book. Steve-O included it because I’m sure he knew people curious about Bam’s situation would read & buy it— and that’s a real crappy thing to do to a so-called ‘friend’. So profiting off of a friend’s addiction crisis? Yeah, not a fan.

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 28 of 2022, A Hard Kick in the Nuts by Stephen “Steve-O” Glover (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars)

Thank you to @HatchetteBooks for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I was so stoked to get this book in the mail this month!

I grew up in the Jackass era, but have never been a disciple of Jackass or it’s cast members. In fact, I’d say I’ve seen the show and movies but I always find myself wincing at the stunts— almost like I’m able to feel the pain (who am I kidding, I have no idea how much those stunts actually hurt!) I don’t think getting hurt is funny. BUT! Having said that, I find the guys entertaining and, at times…when the jokes don’t involve physical pain, funny… so here we are! As a casual observer my knowledge of Steve-O going into this book was: recovered addict, got a tattoo of a smiley face while off roading once (on that note, I think he also has a tattoo of himself on his back), anddddd he had that wildlife show with the guy who likes to wear thongs. As you can see, I didn’t actually know too much about the person behind the persona.

This book is billed as a self-help (kind of) but it really goes through his war stories and the lessons he’s taken from his life. This book is full of great one-liners and I found myself chuckling here and there. It is super entertaining. I loved the behind the scenes details about his career. I appreciated how honest he is about his obsession with seeking approval through the limelight. Behind the loud/brash/impulsive personality is an extremely hard-working, entrepreneurial, self-aware person. The downside to this book? It was somewhat repetitive where it didn’t need to be. Despite that, it was a fast read that I’d recommend. This book comes out in September 2022, and I recommend it if you like: Jackass, Steve-O, celebrity memoir, celebrity behind the scenes, and sociology.

[Linds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always been fond of Steve-O and the Jackass gang in general. I’m college I remember sitting in dorm rooms watching the boys crash shopping carts into each other.

In 2008 Steve-O has just been sober a year or so and wrote a memoir. It was surprisingly touching as he had to watch his Mother slowly and painfully die over five years after her stroke.

I wrote a review about it in the (now defunct) Simply Syndicated website. Steve-O emailed me personally and said mine was his favorite review and he followed me on my (now defunct) Twitter account.

If his first book was about sobriety, this book is about recovery and rebuilding. How he stays healthy professionally, mentally, spiritually, financially, etc. Interesting enough, The self proclaimed “professional idiot” has gained some hard earned wisdom over the years and it’s worth a read for more than Jackass nostalgia.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually was never a big Jackass fan, but I have always found the cast to be interesting people and I was intrigued by this book by Steve-O. I really enjoyed this, it’s of course full of wild and entertaining stories but it also was a very honest look at some of his life choices and the things that changed him and eventually made him grow into a better person. He has definitely been through quite a lot and he doesn’t hold back. There are some funny one liners and I enjoyed hearing more about how his stand up career started. There were a few sections which felt a little repetitive, but all in all it was a really fun read that fans of Jackass and celebrity memoirs will enjoy.

[John Maurer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah dude! I first want to start off by saying that I love Steve-O. And not necessarily the “Jackass” Steve-O he became famous for but the Steve-O that is of today. The sober, insightful, hilarious, still crazy yet extremely admirable public figure who completely re-vamped his life and transformed into someone better. Being sober and in recovery myself, I really enjoy listening to both interviews as well as podcasts featuring Steve-O. It is somewhat relatable and inspiring to hear his view points on the world and the lessons he learned so far in his own life through sobriety.

Now, that all being said, I am quite bummed. I am a bit disappointed with this book. I’m not sure it’s because I was looking forward to reading it for so long or that I built it up in my mind too much, but I could not feel that connection like I wanted and what I feel when I listen to him speak in person. The stories told were funny but each chapter was super repetitive. I also feel that he really belittles himself way too much. I definitely understand and know of his past but he has overcome so much and that triumph is something to pass along. For a book subtitled: “What I learned from a lifetime of terrible decisions”, there isn’t as much wisdom from what he learned as I would have liked.

[India · Rating 4 out of 5]

no surprise this was a ton of fun but i was honestly shocked at some of the profound, earnest passages about mortality, love, and striving to be better. now, i will admit, there were some parts that were a little *gestures vaguely* and felt almost too honest (although im sure steve-o would say there’s no such thing) but overall i find myself once again charmed by his complete lack of artifice and healthy sense of humor about everything under the sun

[Christie Bane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a throughly honest book, and you know how I admire honesty. I am a long-time fan of the stupid and dangerous stunts on Jackass. Steve-O, who staples his balls to his leg, belly flops into kiddie pools of urine, and puts seemingly anything up his nose, does not pass up any opportunity to tell us that he does all of it for the attention. There’s nothing really wrong with that — we all do stuff for attention — and I admire the amount of self-analysis he’s done. Self-reflection is always good. To me, this book felt like it was a little too long, and I would’ve gotten the point in half the time. (It wasn’t that long; it just felt like it.) His stories do have good life lessons in them. Maybe I just got a little tired of hearing them because he openly discussed so many of the things I don’t like about myself?

[Abigael Weller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am such a sucker for a celebrity memoir and Steve-O’s latest memoir was no exception.

I found quite a few nuggets of wisdom in his writing, but my favorite takeaway from A Hard Kick in the Nuts was having a new appreciation for Steve-O. He is so self-aware. You have to admire his continual efforts to improve himself, make amends, and be open about his sobriety journey.

I definitely recommend for celebrity memoir lovers and J*ck*as fans alike.

[Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

candid and measured to kind of a remarkable extent. there are moments where, no disrespect to the man, the presence of the ghostwriter becomes a little too apparent (i just don't feel like steve-o's often using words like glib, transom, or venal in his day-to-day) but it was a comfy little read. learned some interesting behind-the-scenes stuff about jackass as well, and it's always heartening to hear about one of your best buddies from middle school doing well later in life. respect

[Bobbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating is probably a little biased since I was part of the generation that grew up with the jackass franchise. I have very fond memories of going to the movie theaters to watch the jackass movies. My expectations for this book we’re pretty dismal given that out of the entire jackass crew Steve-O was my least favorite. Yet this memoir completely surprised me in a good way. Steve-O’s journey through addiction and into recovery what is really inspiring to hear. While I knew that most of the jackass crew struggled with some form of addiction, most notably Ryan Dunn who died from driving drunk and Bam Margera who is still struggling with his alcoholism, It was really inspiring to hear Stevie-O’s triumphs and setbacks through that process.

I’m not sure People who are not fans of the jackass franchise would necessarily enjoy this memoir, but for those of us who grew up with it it was worth the read.

[Kassy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I grew up watching Steve o and the rest of the crew. I saw his comedy show once and he was pretty rude. I thought the book would be better and maybe redeem him, but no luck. The book beat the same old subject over and over. I took nothing away from this book that I didn't already know. I would have given him 1 star, but I gave him 2 for effort.

[Jesse Snyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve o is a narcissistic asshole, but there's some good nuggets about sobriety and happiness here. A lot of the book hits close to home as a dry alcoholic and an "all or nothing" kind of guy. I think he's onto something with his views on happiness. Nothing new really, but framed differently.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe I just really enjoy Steve-O or am in a place to hear his “self help” insights at the moment, but I really think this book is better than the current 3.77/5 star rating. Loved it and laughed out loud reading so many times!

[marg · Rating 3 out of 5]

only read because i love steve o. all of the stories were pretty repetitive to me because i already know everything there is to know about this man (i was obsessed with him for the majority of my formative years)
got the book for free at his show (:

[Paul Pasion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Through all the celebrity name-dropping, narcissism, and self-flagellation, there are nuggets of wisdom: nuggets buried within recounts of past events, through the lenses of Steve-O's now well-worn sobriety goggles.

Short and sweet, and not a difficult read- unless you're adverse to graphic descriptions of extreme stunts/injuries/overall disgusting acts (though honestly, if you're a Steve-O fan, you're probably welcoming it with open arms).

Personally, I can't believe that out of all the insanity in this book, the one bit that stuck with me the most is that I should floss more.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very untraditional and rated R “self-help book”.

As someone that used to enjoy watching Jackass but definitely wondered what made people do crazy stuff like that… it was interesting to listen to some backstory of Steve-o’s life and what led him there. I wasn’t aware he had another memoir but I lost interest in this title on audio around 60% when it became repetitive.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Believe me, I’m just as surprised as you are that there is some solid advice in a book by Steve-O but there is! He’s worked hard on his sobriety and the lessons that come from that journey.

[Maria Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Of course it's crazy and entertaining in many ways, but it's also an honest look at the failures and faults we all have as humans.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Jacob Ervin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting look on life and what Steve-O have gone through and learned through the years. It’s great advice from someone who’s done so much and recovered from so much. A very enjoyable read.

[Zane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt a little annoyed about how constantly he mentioned his previous memoir in this book. I wish the 2 books were combined into 1. Some of the advice was generic, but I think there are some real hints of gold throughout the book that kept me coming back to read it.

[Hayden Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn that was good

[Josie Wellnitz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Instead of him talking about his life he reflects on how they were bad decisions but also how you can learn from them, which I loved. I got this book because I love Jackass and Steveo is just hilarious. It wasn’t what I expected from Steveo to tell us what not to do. I don’t think the world has ever seen the vulnerable side of Steveo, which he showed in this book. Which I loved and I loved the cover for the book, it was sick!

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love memoirs, and I find celebrity memoirs especially fascinating due to the complex yet seemingly glamorous lives of celebrities. So when I saw Steve-O’s new book I was immediately intrigued. Apparently Steve-O already wrote a memoir detailing his many drug and alcohol induced wild scenarios before he embraced sobriety. This book was supposed to be a Part 2 of his sobriety smashed together with life lessons to classify it as a self-help book as well.

I found this book complicating. Steve-O recounts stories and situations in which he acts very selfishly and due to his intense need for attention, but he is fully self aware of this and tells you this multiple times. This makes things a little better, but ultimately it’s hard to like him. I’m not sure if you would really like this book unless you were already a fan of Steve-O. Of course I know Steve-O from Jackass but I haven’t really followed him or his career at all. It was interesting to hear what I’m sure is at the root of every celebrity, their desire for attention, but it still made it hard to empathize with him. I really do not understand how a grown man set himself on fire just for a publicity stunt.

His stories were interesting, and sure some his advice was applicable, but nothing was earth shattering. I appreciated his insight into addiction and how just because you quit one substance doesn’t mean you don’t attach to another, even if that substance is not as harmful it still represents a harmful pattern of behavior. I can appreciate anyone who is willing to be so vulnerable about their personal struggles, but in my opinion he shared too much regarding his sex addiction. He tells a story of going home with an 18 year old girl and although this may be technically legal it made me feel icky reading about it. Just because Steve-O was addicted to sex doesn’t mean he wasn’t a creep.

Also, I’m all for being open and honest but I felt like Steve-O shared a lot of personal stories about his relationships or business partnerships that I’m not sure would be appreciated now that it is for all to read in a book. I guess that’s not for me to judge but it seemed like he wanted to get more attention from his book by name dropping and airing dirty laundry. And based on his own self assessment this is probably the case.

Overall this was definitely interesting to read as I have never read a book by a stunts person but in my opinion unless you are a huge fan of Steve-O I wouldn’t recommend getting your self-help advice here.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Books for an ARC of this book.

Read my full review here: https://www.between-bookends.com/2022...

[Olivia Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this - Steve-o is super candid and real, and does some very raw self reflection. As a long time Jackass fan, it’s fun to listen to his stories but also to see his growth.

He has also convinced me I need to be very diligent about flossing, so mission accomplished there.