True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal--and How Nearly Dying Saved My Life

On television, as the star of the popular Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Kevin Sorbo portrayed an invincible demi god. He relished living the part-putting in 14-hour days on set, doing his own stunts, and relentlessly working out at the gym. Until one day it all came to an abrupt end. Now, for the first time, Sorbo shares what viewers didn't know: he suffered three strokes from an aneurysm in his shoulder that had been radiating blood clots throughout his body, likely for months. He was left partially blind and entirely incapacitated at just thirty-eight years old. Appearances are everything in Hollywood, so Sorbo and the production studio hid the full details of his condition from the media. After all, how could the strongest man in the world be¿fragile? To continue filming Hercules, the number-one worldwide syndicated TV series at the time, they frantically reworked scripts and revamped production to allow for the star's severely limited involvement. But as the effects of the strokes persisted-with painful, mysterious, debilitating symptoms-and physicians could offer few answers, Sorbo grew increasingly despondent. What happens when your entire identity vanishes? True Strength is the story of how one man faced the unimaginable and ultimately found the real measure of success. With tongue-in-cheek humor and an unfailingly candid voice, Sorbo reflects on his childhood in Minnesota, his early modeling and acting days, and his hard-charging charmed life in television. He recounts the onset of his stroke symptoms, the frightening hospitalizations, his battle with depression, and fighting for a recovery that defied medical expectations. And how through it all, love conspired to save him from missing out on what matters. With this refreshingly honest account of celebrity, personal tragedy, and the power of letting go, Sorbo aims to blaze a trail for anyone who may have suffered a serious setback in life and is struggling to find their way forward.

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True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal--and How Nearly Dying Saved My Life

On television, as the star of the popular Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Kevin Sorbo portrayed an invincible demi god. He relished living the part-putting in 14-hour days on set, doing his own stunts, and relentlessly working out at the gym. Until one day it all came to an abrupt end. Now, for the first time, Sorbo shares what viewers didn't know: he suffered three strokes from an aneurysm in his shoulder that had been radiating blood clots throughout his body, likely for months. He was left partially blind and entirely incapacitated at just thirty-eight years old. Appearances are everything in Hollywood, so Sorbo and the production studio hid the full details of his condition from the media. After all, how could the strongest man in the world be¿fragile? To continue filming Hercules, the number-one worldwide syndicated TV series at the time, they frantically reworked scripts and revamped production to allow for the star's severely limited involvement. But as the effects of the strokes persisted-with painful, mysterious, debilitating symptoms-and physicians could offer few answers, Sorbo grew increasingly despondent. What happens when your entire identity vanishes? True Strength is the story of how one man faced the unimaginable and ultimately found the real measure of success. With tongue-in-cheek humor and an unfailingly candid voice, Sorbo reflects on his childhood in Minnesota, his early modeling and acting days, and his hard-charging charmed life in television. He recounts the onset of his stroke symptoms, the frightening hospitalizations, his battle with depression, and fighting for a recovery that defied medical expectations. And how through it all, love conspired to save him from missing out on what matters. With this refreshingly honest account of celebrity, personal tragedy, and the power of letting go, Sorbo aims to blaze a trail for anyone who may have suffered a serious setback in life and is struggling to find their way forward.

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True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal--and How Nearly Dying Saved My Life

True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal--and How Nearly Dying Saved My Life

by Kevin Sorbo

Narrated by Kevin Sorbo, Sam Sorbo

Unabridged — 9 hours, 45 minutes

True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal--and How Nearly Dying Saved My Life

True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal--and How Nearly Dying Saved My Life

by Kevin Sorbo

Narrated by Kevin Sorbo, Sam Sorbo

Unabridged — 9 hours, 45 minutes

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Overview

On television, as the star of the popular Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Kevin Sorbo portrayed an invincible demi god. He relished living the part-putting in 14-hour days on set, doing his own stunts, and relentlessly working out at the gym. Until one day it all came to an abrupt end. Now, for the first time, Sorbo shares what viewers didn't know: he suffered three strokes from an aneurysm in his shoulder that had been radiating blood clots throughout his body, likely for months. He was left partially blind and entirely incapacitated at just thirty-eight years old. Appearances are everything in Hollywood, so Sorbo and the production studio hid the full details of his condition from the media. After all, how could the strongest man in the world be¿fragile? To continue filming Hercules, the number-one worldwide syndicated TV series at the time, they frantically reworked scripts and revamped production to allow for the star's severely limited involvement. But as the effects of the strokes persisted-with painful, mysterious, debilitating symptoms-and physicians could offer few answers, Sorbo grew increasingly despondent. What happens when your entire identity vanishes? True Strength is the story of how one man faced the unimaginable and ultimately found the real measure of success. With tongue-in-cheek humor and an unfailingly candid voice, Sorbo reflects on his childhood in Minnesota, his early modeling and acting days, and his hard-charging charmed life in television. He recounts the onset of his stroke symptoms, the frightening hospitalizations, his battle with depression, and fighting for a recovery that defied medical expectations. And how through it all, love conspired to save him from missing out on what matters. With this refreshingly honest account of celebrity, personal tragedy, and the power of letting go, Sorbo aims to blaze a trail for anyone who may have suffered a serious setback in life and is struggling to find their way forward.


Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

American Profile, December 2011
“A powerful autobiography…An outstanding survey, highly recommended for any film or general lending collection strong in actors' stories and accounts of personal strength and recovery!”

Politics & Patriotism, 2/22/12
“He’s got a conversational writing style that makes it easy to imagine his voice and mannerisms while you turn the pages. His presentation is passionate. His outlook is optimistic. He doesn’t pull his punches…True Strength is more than the story of how Kevin Sorbo beat the odds, banished his demons, and went on to be a better man. It’s a roadmap for others to follow, if they should ever find themselves in a similar situation.” 

Kingman Daily Miner, 3/2/12
“This book is intended to give hope to those who have encountered unforeseen ailments and need encouragement to overcome their frailties. It shows that with the will to go on, following the advice of doctors, and most importantly accepting support from significant others, true strength emerges.”
 
WTBF Radio
“[Sorbo’s] story is honest, inspiring, and cautionary: don’t ignore your body when it warns you.”
 
Westlake Malibu Lifestyle, June 2012
“An inspirational read.”

Kirkus Reviews, 10/1/11
“Sorbo is candid about the hopelessness and resentment that characterized his slow recovery, his frustration with contradictory medical advice and holistic therapies of varying effectiveness and the stress his condition placed on his new marriage.”

Booklist, 10/15/11
“[A] compelling memoir…Throughout his chatty tale, [Sorbo] drops enough Hollywood names to make any Us Weekly reader happy.”
 
Asbury Park Press, 9/25/11
“This actor has a real and really interesting story to tell…This is the story of a man who had taken from him that which made up the entirety of his persona: strength. And how he recovered.”

Huffington Post, 10/19/11
“A gripping account of Sorbo's illness and gradual recovery.”
 
A.V. Club, 10/19/11
“As much an inspirational story as a narrative about the former model’s rise to cable stardom, the often surprisingly candid memoir offers a look at the effects long-term debilitation can have on relationships and careers…A compelling look at a life temporarily derailed.”
 
Shelf Awareness for Readers, 10/21/11
“His story is no mythic journey; it's all too human, and well worth reading.”
 

ThirdOptionMen.org, 10/15/11
“A story of inspiration and hope through the most trying of situations. It should be read by everyone so that they can understand, even if just a little bit, how it feels to live through a stroke or other life altering medical issue, and come out on the other side spiritually renewed.” 

Bookviews.com, November 2011
“Sorbo has written an interesting memoir…[that] will be of interest to his fans and others.”

Mesquite Local News, 11/13/11
“If there’s a Hollywood fan on your list this year, you can’t go wrong with True Strength.”

Pottstown Mercury, 12/6/11“An informative, inspirational memoir…A very personal, realistic account of a devastating event to which we can all relate in some way, having faced adversities of our own. [Sorbo’s] frank, casual narrative draws readers into his story.”

WomanAroundTown.com, 12/15/11
“The story of his harrowing journey is told with humor and honesty. An inspiring book for everyone who’s battled health issues, or watched a loved one suffer debilitating illness.”
 

Kirkus Reviews

A dull, inconsequential account of an affable slab of beefcake's medical troubles. Sorbo, best known for his starring role in the hit TV program Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, recounts the catastrophic effects of an aneurysm and a series of strokes on his life and career. At the height of his stardom, the conspicuously healthy, clean-living actor suffered a bizarre and statistically unlikely health crisis that left the him persistently weak and dizzy, plagued by migraines and vision loss and unable to maintain his muscular physique or even swing a prop sword on the set of the show. Sorbo is candid about the hopelessness and resentment that characterized his slow recovery, his frustration with contradictory medical advice and holistic therapies of varying effectiveness and the stress his condition placed on his new marriage. Unfortunately, the author, at least on the evidence here, is such a resolutely bland personality--a middle-of-the-road guy in temperament, taste and sensibility--that it is difficult to muster much interest in his predicament. His anecdotes about life on the set of Hercules are flavorless and mild, his observations on love, family and the capriciousness of fate banal and his regular-guy persona precludes any surprising, salacious or otherwise interesting revelations about his idyllic upbringing as a healthy young jock or his relatively smooth ascension to cult stardom. Sorbo's medical problems, while clearly devastating to the author and his family and friends, are not the stuff of high drama; he was knocked down, felt lousy for a period and slowly recovered. Readers may feel vaguely gratified that an apparently nice person made it through a difficult period, but it's hardly compelling reading.

Product Details

BN ID: 2940172215407
Publisher: Oasis Audio
Publication date: 05/02/2020
Edition description: Unabridged
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