Always Picked Last

A Guide to Finding Your Way in Life

By: Kevin Kearns

Narrated by: Brandon Foster, Kevin Kearns

Always Picked Last is a guide to finding your way in life and conquering the bullies along the way. More than a memoir, Always Picked Last contains thoughtful, and at times philosophical, reflections on bullying, childhood, parenting, growth, and personal improvement. Coach Kearns has a strong sense of self-awareness but also recognizes the universality of his experience, so he uses his story as a conduit for inspiration and the self-improvement of others.

The message of Always Picked Last is powerful and the narrative is engaging and relatable. Kevin Kearns does an excellent job of bridging the gap between personal reflection and accessible wisdom, making this a worthwhile listen in every way. As someone who literally "sucked" at every sport to being voted in the top five as strength and conditioning in the world of UFC and combat sports, Coach Kearns' real, raw story hits home and gives you many takeaways that can benefit anyone. He pulls no punches and does not sugar coat his struggles or his way out. His mission is simple: "To help anyone realize they can do it, I did it, it was not easy but you are possible not impossible."

©2016 Kevin Kearns Inc (P)2021 Kevin Kearns

The worst - could not finish.

I've never done a book review before, but this book was SO bad, I had to leave my comments. I could only stomach listening up to chapter 6. Up until then, it was a long, drawn out story of his childhood with no "here's what I learned" lesson at any point. The narration is horrible. Whoever is reading the story sounds like a teenage girl, not an ex MMA fighter. There is background noise, like turning pages, and most of the audio book sounds like it was read out loud into a cheap microphone down in an empty basement. The narrator frequently messes up and mispronounces words, and has to go back to correct them - like he has never pre-read the book before making the recording. Maybe there is a lessen to be learned later in the book, but I can't listen to any more of this.