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Tough

My Journey to True Power

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Tough

By: Terry Crews
Narrated by: Terry Crews
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About this listen

From Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Terry Crews, the deeply personal story of his lifelong obsession with strength—and how, after looking for it in all the wrong places, he finally found it

Terry Crews spent decades cultivating his bodybuilder physique and bravado. On the outside, he seemed invincible: he escaped his abusive father, went pro in the NFL, and broke into the glamorous world of Hollywood. But his fixation with appearing outwardly tough eventually turned into an exhausting performance in which repressing his emotions let them get the better of him—leading him into addiction and threatening the most important relationships in his life.

Now Crews is sharing the raw, never-before-told story of his quest to find the true meaning of toughness. In Tough, he examines arenas of life where he desperately sought control—masculinity, shame, sex, experiences with racism, and relationships—and recounts the setbacks and victories he faced while uprooting deeply ingrained toxic masculinity and finally confronting his insecurities, painful memories, and limiting beliefs. The result is not only the gripping story of a man's struggle against himself and how he finally got his mind right, but a bold indictment of the cultural norms and taboos that ask men to be outwardly tough while leaving them inwardly weak.

With Tough, Crews's journey of transformation offers a model for anyone who considers themselves a “tough guy” but feels unfulfilled; anyone struggling with procrastination or self-sabotage; and anyone ready to achieve true, lasting self-mastery.

©2022 Terry Crews (P)2022 Penguin Audio
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Critic Reviews

“There isn’t a man more qualified to prove that vulnerability is strength than Terry Crews. In this raw, revealing memoir, he chronicles his journey through abuse, anger, insecurity, and misogyny—and shows how he found a better path. If his words don’t move you to tears, you might be a robot.”
—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife

“From the fields of Flint, Michigan, to the packed arenas of the NFL and Hollywood, Terry Crews’s life is a testament to the power of physical and mental toughness. But there’s a deeper journey at work here that goes beyond one man’s story of overcoming painful challenges and long odds. The roots of Terry’s resiliency run deep and connect him to a history he carries inside.”
—Henry Louis Gates Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research, Harvard University

“Terry is an extraordinary storyteller. This memoir is powerful, profoundly human, and a behind-the-scenes look at an incredible life.”
—Amanda Nguyen, civil rights activist and Time Woman of the Year 2022

What listeners say about Tough

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Confronting and challenging

I don't know if Terry intentionally set out to show how poorly some people are treated, especially the defenceless, but that's what shook me most. I admire his vulnerability and willingness to share his own mistakes and success. Great work.

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Beautiful redemption for Anger Managers

If you are someone who has coped with Anger Management or still is currently finding your mechanisms to cope, Terry Crews' memoir is a beautifully written and empathicly performed telling of how Anger can be over come amongst so much more.
Additional appreciation as it details how through his own personal life intrusive thoughts can be, seen and understood, aswell as learnt from.

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Humble and Insightful

Read by Terry Crews with complete sincerity and enthusiasm, this was such a great audiobook! I was already a fan of TC, but I’ve got another level of respect for the man after hearing the honest reflection on his life and the lessons he’s learned along the way. Great book by a great and humble guy.

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Enjoyable

I really enjoyed it. It was deep and insightful, interesting and entertaining. I have an even greater admiration for Terry Crews now.

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Brilliant, Beautiful, and heart warming

What a fantastic book! The raw and honest expression of experiences Terry lived through and how he grew to be able to meet them all with compassion and love was a true testimony to just how powerful we all are, how our stories that we cling to can be just that.. Stories. Having the courage to seek help to understand your own feelings and experiences is incredible. Terry sharing what part of what he has learnt on his journey is so special, I am sure it will change the lives of many who read/listen to it

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Understanding how to behave and deal with situations.

I liked how it was relatable, how he approached his tough situations and explained how to handle them. Makes me rethink myself, my life and how I behave. Love this book.

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really enjoyed this book

This book was really enjoyable to "read". I left with a lot of respect and insite into Terry

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True and insightful

You can really see Terry has done a lot of work on himself to get to a stage where he understands his history.

Terry proves to have a perspective that is void of self indulgence. He see things from everyone’s perspective and has a deep realisation for why everything happened in his life.

I appreciate all the honest truths.

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Thank you Terry

Thank you for being genuine and vulnerable. Thank you for sharing your story. Highly recommend this book.

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Powerful yet pleasurable

I never truly appreciated how much Terry has endured in his life to make him who he is today. The raw and open nature of this book is superb and the best autobiography I have read for a very long time.

So many lessons, for me the resilience and transparency he provides is a great reminder of appreciating what we can and can’t control in our lives.

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