One of the Boys

Rating:
Summary: Good, but uneven.
Review: This is a book for the Professional Wrestling Historian. Jack Laskin wrestled from the late-forties to the late sixties.
His is a book of the territorial, kayfabe days of Profesional Wrestling.

Laskin tells many road stories and locker room stories. Most are entertaining. The book is patchy and it is often hard to find a timeline of events. Laskin comes off as a bit "preachy".
This is not surprising considering
that Laskin is now employed as a lay rabbi.

My biggest complaint with the book is that Laskin falls in and out of Kayfabe (Kayfabe is a language and an honor code that
wrestlers used for decades to hide the more "theatrical" aspects of their business). At times, Laskin gives you a true inside look at the business-especially in his opinions about San Francisco wrestler/promoter Roy Shire. Other times, Laskin tries to convince the reader that everyuthing done in his professional was completely legit, and not pre-determined.

The book is inconsistent, but entertaining. I reccomend the book only to the long-time fan or historian. The passive fan,
or WWE fan would not enjoy this book.