I got the opportunity to review the book “We Be Big: The Mostly True Story of How Two Kids from Calhoun County Alabama Became Rick and Bubba
Overall, I found this book to be an enjoyable read and a good story. All too often these days we read about and see popular entertainers who seem to be sold out to the marketing machine. They are driven by ratings and sponsorships instead of by their beliefs and by what their fans truly want to hear. It was refreshing to read about a couple of successful guys who ignored all of that and just did their own thing and were rewarded for it. I also enjoyed their openness and honesty in the book about both their successes and their struggles.
One of the more unique things about the book was the way it was structured. The chapters alternated authorship between Rick Burgess and Bill Bussey. To me, this was also the draw back of the book. I found that there was not enough of a smooth transition between the chapters. It seemed awkward and sudden when the chapters switched between Rick and Bill. It was interesting to see the different perspectives on the same topic though.
Another plus of the book was the look into the personal lives of the authors. They were open and honest about some of the mistakes that they made as well as some of the trials that they went through. I was not familiar with their story, so I found the final story about a tragic incident in Rick Burgess’ life to be particularly impactful. I won’t disclose that here however. You’ll just have to read the book if you aren’t familiar with the story.
Overall, I did enjoy the story about two regular guys just doing what they felt was right and best. We see far too few examples of this around us. I’m thankful that they were successful at this, and that they shared the often difficult process with us. The writing style probably could have been better, but the story is enough to carry this book.