Book Review: 'Trejo' by Danny Trejo

✰✰✰✰½ Danny Trejo is a very recognizable man both on screen and off, but his own story is the stuff movies are made of. In this autobiography, Danny shares stories of growing up, surviving prison time, overcoming addiction, and landing roles in movies. He's led a very busy life and is still going strong. From a life of crime to leading man, Trejo's story is motivating and engaging. 

The Bottom Line: This was a quick weekend read. Although not for sensitive readers, I appreciated the author's candidness. Trejo's ability to turn his life around is inspiring. He has faced plenty of adversity, and besides reaching fame, he has reached out and helped many along the way. This autobiography is an interesting read; enthusiastically recommended for anyone who enjoys books about celebrity life.

Book Club Notes: Our group rating averaged around 4.5 on a scale of 1 - 5. This book was readable and engaging. The author tells it like it is and isn't shy. Highly recommended for groups that enjoy celebrity autobiographies. We also took a look at Danny's cookbook, Trejo's Tacos. He's a very busy man, who has ended up doing great work in the area of addiction and recovery. 

At the time of our discussion, there weren't any discussion questions available online. Thus, as the facilitator, I created a list of questions which are available below. You are free to use these questions for your personal use, but please credit this site. Thank you!

Discussion Questions: 

Did you know anything about this person prior to reading this book? 

Family:
Discuss Danny’s relationship with his father? How did his father treat others?

Discuss the family secret. How did that affect his relationships with his parents? And how did the secret affect the way Danny thought of women in his own relationships. 

Was his family a good influence on Danny? Or bad? What was the family legacy?

Danny talks about a culture of destructive machismo. What did it mean to be a Trejo man?

 
Why was Trejo a disappointment to his father?

 
How did the birth of Danny Boy change his life?

 

How does Danny Boy moving to live with his mother affect Danny?

 

What impact did it have on Danny Boy? Did it give him opportunities his siblings didn’t have?

What kind of a father was Trejo to his own children? 

How did his father’s death affect his relationship with his mother?

 
Prison Life:
Discuss Danny’s time in prison. How did he survive?

Talk about fighting fires. How did it make them feel? 

Danny describes San Quentin as the most Right Now place on Earth.

What does he mean by that?

How did boxing benefit Danny? 

Discuss the two types of people in prison: predator & prey. 

How had the world changed while he was in prison?

When he got out, his own parents didn’t want him at home. How did that make him feel? Was he going to be able to handle the outside world? Had too much changed?

Discuss the first time he robbed a store?

How did movies help Danny in prison?

Women:
Discuss his relationship with his wives/partners.

What was his relationship with women/girls like as a child?

How did Danny view marriage? 

Discuss “one in the house, one in the street.” 

How did he finally lose everything to Debbie Shreve? 

How did his daughter Danielle make Danny rethink how he thought about and spoke to women?

Faith:
How did faith help Trejo overcome his addiction? He writes on p. 57, “Faith shoves fear out of the room. There’s no room for fear if you fill your soul with faith.”

Discuss his first attempt at morning prayer/meditation: Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.

Discuss forgiveness. Danny talks about the magic of forgiveness. What makes forgiveness so profound? How does one start?

Addiction:
Discuss trying drugs for the first time. How did Uncle Gilbert influence him? Was Danny influenced by genetics or environment?

 

Discuss the turning point for Danny. What made him want to get sober and stay sober?

Discuss his work in rehabilitation.

Danny writes that the one thing people are surprised about when it comes to recovery is the laughter. How is laughter a great healer? 

Discuss Danny’s work in the field of treatment and recovery. How did it change him? 

Danny writes that he was able to get more done than the average therapist or social worker. Why is that? 

Celebrity:
Discuss his start in movies?

How did he learn to act?

What roles did he play?

Do you think for some of the roles he was hired as an actor? Or as an ex-convict?

What influence has he had in the industry? What influence has he had with Latino actors?

Discuss Machete. How did that film/role affect his celebrity status in children? How did he handle that responsibility?

What do superhero or fantasy movies give the audience? (Hope & strength)

Has Danny been a positive influence overall?

General Questions:
Did your opinions change after reading the book?

Let’s talk about the writing style and language of the book, in particular, the use of profanity.

What are the book’s strengths & weaknesses? 

How thought-provoking did you find this book?

What was the main theme of this book? 

Did you learn anything new from the author? Please share.

Was there a specific story that stood out for you? Or a quote? Something memorable? Impactful? Shocking? Or surprising? 

 

What are some of the social implications of the book? How does it challenge or support your beliefs? 

How did Trejo portray the other people in his life in this book? Who influenced him the most? How did women influence him (childhood, relationships, daughter)?

 

Discuss some of Danny’s poor choices? What were some of his good choices?

 

How did Trejo discuss his relationship with his parents? And how did this change over time?

 

Did this story make you reflect on your own life & experiences at all? How so?

 

Is Trejo a reliable narrator of his own history? 

Discuss the photos included in the book.

Why do you think the author was motivated to share his life story? What was his goal?  Do you think the author was trying to elicit a certain response? Has the book changed how you view the author?

Were there any instances in which you felt the author was not being truthful? Why? How did you react to these sections?

What is the author’s most admirable quality? Is this someone you would want to know?

How does this book compare to other memoirs you have read?

Is there anything you like or dislike about the book that we haven’t discussed yet? 

Trejo talks about the 1950s, 60s, & 70s. What are your thoughts about life during those decades? 

What was the most challenging or difficult part of this book to read. How did you overcome it?

Would this make a good movie? Who would you cast?

If you could ask Danny one question, what would it be?

Danny drops many celebrity names, what did you think about including other celebrities?

How much do you think Donal Logue contributed to this project? 

Ratings 1 - 5. Why did you like this book or not? Would you recommend it to someone? 

NOTE: This list of questions was created by Nana Herron for MiniBookBytes Book Reviews and is available for personal use only. As a courtesy, please credit this site. Thank you! 

Details: Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood by Danny Trejo with Donal Logue. Paperback published by Atria in 2021. 288 p. ISBN: 978-1982150839

Book Review: 'Molly's Game' by Molly Bloom

✰✰✰✰½ Molly Bloom spent her life competing, first with her brothers, then on the ski slopes. She was used to living fast and working hard. Eventually, she moved to L.A. and was groomed to be the perfect personal assistant. Whatever was required, she could figure out how to get it. So when her boss decided to host a poker game at his club, The Viper Room, Molly was intrigued. She knew nothing about playing poker, but when she got thousands in tips, she was hooked.

As the game grew, everyone who was anyone wanted an invite, and as the game’s gatekeeper, Molly soon had access to the contact information of Hollywood’s rich and famous. She quickly learned to cater to Hollywood royalty, athletes, and billionaires, and in turn lived the high life. It was a world of privilege, secrets, glamour, and danger.

Follow Molly on her adventures as she reaches new highs and lows. No matter how many times, Molly loses the game, she always comes back with a bigger game and higher stakes until she meets her downfall, a brush with the Russian mob. Will she be able to rebuild her life? Or will she lose everything to a game? Check out this nonfiction book that reads more like fiction to find out for yourself.

The Bottom Line: This is a fast paced read that lets readers escape their current lives and enter (albeit vicariously) the world of (very) high-stakes, underground poker. With unabashed honesty, the author shares the highs and lows of a world most of us will never see. This story of ambition, power, and escape is highly recommended for just about anyone who enjoys stories of the underdog coming out on top. 

P.S. Molly sprinkled handy tidbits of poker wisdom throughout the book. Enjoy!

Book Club Notes: This was the surprise hit of the summer for our book club. We really enjoyed both the book and the movie. On a scale of 1 – 5, with 5 being the highest, the book rated an average of 4.5 stars, and the movie came in with an average of 4.2 stars. If you are looking for an escape from your everyday life, but can’t get away, pick up a copy of Molly’s Game for an entertaining read. Then watch the movie, it picks up where the book left off. You'll find yourself rooting for Molly even when the chips are down.

Details: Molly’s Game: The True Story of the 26-Year-Old Woman Behind the Most Exclusive, High-Stakes Underground Poker Game in the World by Molly Bloom. Paperback published by First Dey Street in 2015. 262 p. ISBN: 978-0-06-283858-2