Can the story of one's life, of one's brightest revalations and darkest hours be enlightening and instructional? After reading Ryan Jaunzemis Soaping Tricktionary vol.1, I have to reconsider that quandry.

The book sets it's scene in Ryans youth at the moment that inspired him to delve into rollerblading. From there were taken on a wild ride through his feuds with skateboarders, his time with Soap Shoes and their inventer Chris Morris and his pilgrimage to Vegas where broke into the music industry and pickup artistry.

We're given a deeply flawed and un compromising protagonist who refuses to walk any path but his own, despite the fact that it often leads him into darkness. Through all the shitsorms he does come out with a sense of how the world around him works and how to take advantage of the situation he finds himself in.

After the autobiography, we get into the tricktionary itself. The more I read the more I came to realize how much was adapted from other disciplines. In spite of that though, soaping, much like the man himself retains an identity all its own. Ryan also shares 10 steps to success he covers in another of his books.

At the end of it all what we're given is a look into a man who found his fire in what he loved and carried the banner long after its collapse, and there's something to be said for that kind of dedication. Give it a read yourself and draw your own conclusions.

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