Badass: The Birth of a Legend: Spine-Crushing Tales of the Most Merciless Gods, Monsters, Heroes, Villains, and Mythical Creatures Ever Envisioned (Badass Series)

Ben Thompson is a rather unique author. He doesn't play with words in the common way authors do, he plays with them in the way common people do. And he uses his collection of words to tell the tales of beings, fictional and nonfictional alike, as the should be -- in your face, slapping any vestige of fail and wussiness out of your brain, and with a dash of very direct low-brow humor to go along with it. There is no subtlety here -- Ben gives you the story straight up, with a sidecar of mini-myths mixed in with some high-octane trivia that may or may not be pertinent to the article but is always related (somehow). If you intend to read this, you had best be ready for it.Birth of a Legend, Ben's second book, is all about the fictional badasses to roam Existence and punch faces. You have a good array of things to read about in this one -- divine beings, good guys, bad guys, and even a smorgasbord of mythical creatures. I have been reading it at the rate of one article at a time, and since I purchased it I have not yet finished, but I am pretty sure I'll loop back on this book again after I do Badass Ultimate Deathmatch (his third book).Recommended to anyone who has stomach for direct action, no-nonsense storytelling, and the kind of humor that college kids wish they could pull off.

As a student of awesomely hilarious accounts of historical and mythological hijinks, I was one of the first in line when Badass: The Birth of a Legend was released. I immediately skipped out on work to read it. Unfortunately, right at that moment I was attacked by ninjas. Shurikens to the left of me, katanas to the right, I jumped up and ran like the wind. The ninjas pursued, but I turned a corner and was face to face with a clan of Norwegian berserkers! Before I could pray to Krom for help, I was caught in an epic showdown between these legendary warrior classes. I thought to myself, "what would author, Ben Thompson, do in this situation?" I thus sat down and started taking notes on the expletives uttered by the various battlers when they were kicked in the sternums, the ribcage, the stomach and the buttocks. Suddenly, a maurading band of pygmy warriors appeared in the melee. I shielded myself from their poison blow-darts with the book. I was the sole survivor of that terrifying ordeal.With my life newly saved, I returned home with my treasured book, Badass: The Birth of a Legend, and despite the pinhole from the darts and the stains from the poison, that book sits in a place of honor upon the tank of my toilet. I read selections from it every time I poop.

Thompson doesn't disappoint! I absolutely loved the first collection (which features tales of actual historical figures, vs the mythical ones here), and was very excited to see he had come out with another! I can see some people's criticisms of the book and series over-all; if you are looking for a straight-up or even just slightly comical set of biographies for some of the greatest people, creatures, legends and deities who ever lived, this may not be for you. If you're in the mood to read a funny book, featuring aforementioned beings, that uses hyperbole as well as time-defying phrases and scenarios (along the lines of Gengis Khan raiding a 7-Eleven -- not actual excerpt, just an example)than this is for you! It had me laughing out loud several times throughout the book! And of course the artwork by awesome contemporary illustrators like Steve Belledin adds a whole other level Badass-itude!

I purchased this book and the "Badass Ultimate Deathmatch" book as a gift for my husband because he enjoyed Ben Thompson's 1st book so much. He was so excited to receive it and I have to admit I started reading it before he could even get a chance. After he is finished he already has two of his brothers asking to borrow it. I don't think I have every seen a book, let alone three (Badass/Birth of a Legend/Ulitmate Deathmatch), that has so many grown men chomping at the bit to read. Great for boys of all ages and us fearless girls too. Ben Thompson's style of writing is what I like to call "guy language". It combines facts with a fun and witty style of delivery that speaks to the smarty-pants in all of us. Fun and educational!

Do you like history. Do you like mythology. Do you like listening to a guy talk about it as if it's the most kickass thing ever to exist. This might be the book for you. Ben Thompson creators of the "Badass of the Week" website defiantly loves his history....maybe a little to much. The research that has went into this book and his other Badass book is astounding and as far as I was able to find accurate. His writing is defiantly a little jarring at first but it is refreshing when compared to those standard dry dusty history and mythology books of old.I recommend this book to anyone who likes history, mythology, or is trying to teach unwilling high school kids the fore mentioned topics.Warning: the words Kickass, balls, and Awesome are used quite often and frequently.

the "super- cool" language was distracting. i couldn't get the gist of each figure. i would have preferred regular language.

Ben Thompson has been running one of my favorite websites for a long time, and I was super pumped to see him tackle some of the more mythical Badasses. He has yet to disappoint and in reading this book I discovered some badasses I hadn't heard about before, which then in turn caused me to go get the books on them. LEARNING IS BADASS. BEN THOMPSON IS BADASS. THIS BOOK IS BADASS. GET IT.

Great book. It is very funny and hits mythology I'm not all that familiar with and I like that. Thompson is gifted by turning out humorous phrases constantly. I would say it is probably best geared to an age group in the teens through thirties or maybe forties. Obviously with the word "Badass" prominent in the title the younger children "Rated PG for language and suggestive themes" and the language may not suit some of the older generation.

Sure, it's not the kind of high-literature book you want to expand your horizons or an 100% accurate historical/cultural overview of humanity's myths, legends and modern flights of imagination.But it's a great tribute to the collective human conscious and subconscious desire to one-up everyone else's mythology and imagination with your own. The over-the-top writing is great fun when you just want something funny to read that'll put a smile on your face. I also find that this a book that'll get younger people interested in old folklore and myths, just like its counterpart will interest them in history.That's a win-win situation as far as I'm concerned and this book is a really fun addition to any personal library.

Brilliant book. Loved it so much I bought the authors other two books. Really well written and bigger books than you think. Definitely recommend

If you dont know about Badass of the week, then your missing out, if you know about Badass of the week, this book is an absolute necessity. Its knowledge coated in honey. Brilliant.

Fun!

Thompson's style is refreshingly politically incorrect and colorful in our maddening world. I couldn't help by smile (and even laugh out loud) at Thompson's descriptions of various characters.