Maybe one of my favorite reads of the year. Such a unique and honest voice, sad we'll never hear new stories from him again. Thankfully there will always be this and the audiobook is worth multiple listens (when he does his Redd Foxx impression? gold).

Just by reading the synopsis of the book at the bookstore I knew I had to buy it. His story is really captivating. I'd seen his shows on TV and where he'd explain his life, but in the book he goes deeper and you can finally understand why he is the way he is on screen. The book had me laughing and crying at his pain, but most importantly he shares his life lessons in a deeply motivating way (even better than most motivational books). The 'nuggets of wisdom' spread across the story is outstanding.

P.S: I loved the read so much I said it'll be the first book I gave an actual review to

A raw look into what it took to become "the Mac man". I went into this book looking for the comedic personality that Bernie Mac became famous for, and found a much deeper and richer personality. Bernie Mac lays his soul bare, and gives credit for his ability to overcome tremendous adversity to his mother and grandparents. It is a story that might seem well-trod in today's America, but I couldn't help leaving this book with a sense of awe that despite everything, Bernie Mac pursued and succeeded at his dream while remaining a positive role model and father figure for his daughter.

Raw, unorganized, yet full of life lessons and reflection that is good for the soul.

I caught part of a tribute to Bernie Mac in the middle of the night which made me think of his autobiography. I loved the Bernie Mac show, and I enjoyed seeing him get bigger & bigger parts in movies.

I noticed randomly one day that my sister had this book so I asked to borrow it. I was really curious about him and what events in his life had shaped his sense of humor. I loved the fact that he met Rhonda in high school and won her over with his sense of humor. They were married when he was 20 and she was 19. So they grew up together while he worked various jobs until finally one day he realized that he couldn't keep holding down regular jobs while denying his desire to make people laugh for a living.

I'm so glad that he had the support of his wife when he decided to pursue his comedy career late in life. My favorite character he created is Jordan from his stand up routines and The Bernie Mac Show which aired on the Fox network from 2001-2006. The stories that he came up with about his fictitious crack addicted sister and having to raise her 3 kids were so realistic and funny. Those stories about them led to development of The Bernie Mac Show. Jeremy Suarez played Jordan so well in that show that he never fails to crack me when I catch a repeat of it. He drove Bernie crazy, and Bernie talking to his audience breaking the 3rd wall was a genius idea.

Bernie Mac's death at 50 was so surprising (see -http://www.people.com/people/article/...), but his contribution to comedy will NEVER be forgotten by this fan.

The first 80 pages were a lightning fast read. It wasn't as funny as I thought it would be but it was a great eye opener about someone that grew up in the ghetto and how he continued to chase his dream of being a comedian. I loved how he was laid off many times from many blue collar jobs, but just kept plugging away and made it big. That was a great story.

This was a touching autobiography about Bernie Mac's childhood and rise to fame. I especially like his great affection for his mother.

Excellent book read by the very talented author.

LISTEN to this one on audio, Mac is the narrator. It's his life story of overcoming hardships, being determined to succeed, and making it to the top.

I have always been a fan of Bernie Mac, but this book reiterated why I enjoyed him so much. Honest and real, moving and funny. By the middle of part one, he had me crying with his love for his mother and his struggle to find himself. We have truly lost a great man and an amazing comedian.

Reading this book was like sitting down having an in-depth conversation with Bernie Mac. As a Chicagoan, it was also nostalgic as he talked about his life. I could picture certain corners, neighborhoods and clubs that he frequented. This is an account of how he rose to fame and his struggle was long, hard and very real. He lost his mom at an early age, but her words of wisdom led and sustained him throughout his 50 years of life. He worked as a truck driver, hauled refrigerators, worked in a stock yard and fried fish at Docks for years as he climbed his way up the comedy ladder. His grandmother, grandfather and his wife who was his childhood sweetheart and daughter kept him focused as he relentlessly made it to fame. I miss him,but this book made me feel like he is still here encouraging us and giving us rules to live by through Maybe You Never Cry Again!

I loved Bernie Mac; his comedy, his movies, and his sitcom. This book made me love him more. He was a very insightful guy, and I loved how he told more about his life than he did about his career. Most celebrity autobiographies I’ve read don’t do that. If you were a fan of his, you should read this book.

Bernie Mac is a compelling storyteller, this memoir sucked me right in and I read it in 24 hours. His struggles kept coming, but he perservered. It breaks my heart that he died so young. A lot of good thoughts and lessons for a person who desires to follow a dream that others might not believe in.