House of Nails

A Memoir of Life on the Edge

By: Lenny Dykstra

Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor

Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

"Tough, straight, upsetting, and strangely beautiful. One of the best sports autobiographies I've ever read. It comes from the heart." (Stephen King)

Eclipsing the traditional sports memoir, House of Nails, by former world champion, multimillionaire entrepreneur, and imprisoned felon Lenny Dykstra, spins a tragicomic tale of Shakespearean proportions - a relentlessly entertaining American epic that careens between the heights and the abyss.

Nicknamed "Nails" for his hustle and grit, Lenny approached the game of baseball - and life - with mythic intensity. During his decade in the majors as a center fielder for the legendary 1980s Mets and the 1990s Phillies, he was named to three All-Star teams and played in two of the most memorable World Series of the modern era. An overachiever known for his clutch hits, high on-base percentage, and aggressive defense, Lenny was later identified by his former minor league roommate, Billy Beane, as the prototypical "Moneyball" player in Michael Lewis' best seller. Tobacco stained, steroid powered, and booze and drug fueled, Nails also defined a notorious era of excess in baseball.

Then came a second act no novelist could plausibly conjure: After retiring, Dykstra became a celebrated business mogul and investment guru. Touted as "one of the great ones" by CNBC's Jim Cramer, he became "baseball's most improbable postcareer success story" (The New Yorker), purchasing a $17.5-million mansion and traveling the world by private jet. But when the economy imploded in 2008, Lenny lost everything. Then the feds moved in: Convicted of bankruptcy fraud (unjustly, he contends), Lenny served two and a half harrowing years in prison, where he was the victim of a savage beating by prison guards that knocked out his front teeth.

The Daily Show's Jon Stewart, channeling the bewildered fascination of many observers, declared that Lenny's outrageous rise and spectacular fall was "the greatest story that I have ever seen in my lifetime". Now, for the first time, Lenny tells all about his tumultuous career, from battling through crippling pain to steroid use and drug addiction to a life of indulgence and excess, then an epic plunge and the long road back to redemption. Was Lenny's hard-charging, risk-it-all nature responsible for his success in baseball and business and his precipitous fall from grace? What lessons, if any, has he learned now that he has had time to think and reflect?

Hilarious, unflinchingly honest, and irresistibly listenable, House of Nails makes no apologies and leaves nothing left unsaid.

©2016 The Third Chapter, LLC (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

Brought me back

Having been a diehard Mets fan throughout Lenny Dykstra's years with the team, this brought me back to the 1986 season. I truly enjoyed hearing about Lenny's escapades, his friendship with Charlie Sheen, and some of his struggles. The book got bogged down a bit with the minutiae of his legal circumstances and investments though. Patrick Lawlor's narration grew on me, as well.

awesome book, subpar reading.

I love the book. It was a great story and I believe most of it to be true. The one gig I have is that the reader was not well invested in the story it seems. He did not emphasize the funny spots or the heavier spots well. I think it would have been much better served had Lenny read it himself.

Wow!

Heard Lenny on the Howard Stern showpromoting this book. I have to admit, I did not know who we was before that. After listening to his book, I am a fan!

Fantastic

Raw and unfiltered. A great listen and amazing story. They should make a film to this book!

Not bad

Better than I thought it would be! I like redemption stories. Author is honest, story is interesting.

Phenomenal story

Compelling tale of tragedy and triumph . Enjoyed it immensely. Parts were a little repetitive but overall amazing.

Nails is right!

Anyone who grew up in the 80s and followed baseball will love this read. Awesome!

Great book for baseball fans

This very entertaining book was Narrated perfectly. The life of Lenny was a great story, & also a lot of fun to follow along. If you are a MLB or Lenny fan, this is a great book!

What a dick, Nails is great.

I've always been a fan Lenny Dykstra's. Great baseball insight both on and off the field. Great business stories that can be viewed as a cautionary tale. Oh my gosh, what tales to tell.

Need to take it in pieces.

It didn't disappoint but it was shocking. Lots of F-bombs and rated R material so I had to break up the listening process to give my ears a rest. It did not however diminish the story, just know what you're getting into.