Book review: Rudy - Rudy Ruettiger, Mark Dagostino

Like most people, I was introduced to Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger through the movie "Rudy" with Sean Astin. So when I first encountered this book, I thought what can it tell me that the movie did not. I then remembered reading about Rudy and his financial troubles and this book does still have a story to tell that was left off from the movie, which is very much feel good and inspiring for young people. Where the movie is good for kids to teach them never to give up and has a nice happy end, the book is more the adult version of Rudy.
Of course the book goes into his childhood and his dream of making to into Notre Dame, not just as a student, but also a football player. But then the book goes on to talk about his troubles following the climactic game with Rudy being carried off the field as a hero. Because those perfect moments are just that "moments - they do not last and reality is not glamorous and you will not walk on water.
This book in four parts describes each loss and follow up success in the life of Rudy, so the reader gets involved not in the life of Rudy the football player with a nice ending, but in the life Rudy the Average Joe that has success, but also gets dealt some fairly significant blows. The important lesson for the reader is to get up and keep on trying. Will Rudy's life from now on be successful, in its own way - certainly, even though there still will be the blows just like for everyone and this book teaches up to just keep going and trying harder. And maybe also to accept success to come in different forms, smaller forms and to find satisfaction in the little wins that happen along the way.

book is available at amazon.com here

I received a free copy of the book through booksneeze.com in exchange for an honest review. The opinion expressed in this review are my own and have not been influenced by either booksneeze or the author.