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Hello and welcome to Book Look.
My name is Megan Linder and I am here in Los Angeles today
with writer May May Ali.
She is among other things a standup comedian,
an actress, and she is the oldest daughter to Muhammad Ali.
Today she is going to speak with us about her book,
"I Shook Up the World: The Incredible Life of Muhammad Ali".
Thanks for being with us today. -Thank you. Nice being here.
When did you first get the idea to write this book about your dad's boxing life?
I saw a lot of books about my dad and I never thought any of them really
showed his full personality in a really interesting like his life was.
Did your dad ever give you guys rhymes? -He actually did. It's so funny,
I do standup and I have this joke about him and his rhymes and I say,
you know, my dad, you know, he wasn't a regular guy.
He didn't know how to do the parent thing all that great.
So what's the normal thing you do when your kids can't get to sleep at night?
You tell 'em a nursery rhyme, a bedtime story.
I said, my father never did that. He made up his own rhymes.
He'd lay me in bed and try to rub my head and scare me to sleep.
[laughter]
[singing] Hush up May May go to bed, before I get a Frazier flash bat
and knock you in the head. [laughter]
The poem he used to do to us when we were little was kind of silly,
but, you know, he lived in a different state than we did, most of the time.
And he was like, don't be a fool, go to school, follow the rules.
I'm like, alright daddy, you're not Dr. Seuss.
Yeah, aww...
But, you know, he was just a fun loving guy, and we... I loved the rhymes
he recited before fights. And I, like, those are the ones I feature in the book.
What age range would you say that this book is geared to?
It's really an all-ages book. And a lot of adults buy it because
they reminisce on a lot of things that I have in this book.
They remember the poems and the sayings, and you know, when he lost his title.
And, so, a lot of adults have bought it as a collector's item.
What main message did you want? -Believe in yourself, follow your heart
and practice makes perfect. My father excelled because he really trained harder
than any other kid at the gym.
I even have a picture of him you know, doing his work at the gym
as a kid, as a 12 year old, and he's by himself.
So, I just wanted kids to learn that a lot... In his life he had a lot of dark moments
where the whole world said he cannot beat Sunny Liston, and he did it.
The whole world said he couldn't beat George Foreman, and he did.
You've probably been asked this before, but what was it like growing up with
a father who really was the greatest?
You know it was interesting being Muhammad Ali's child.
You know, my dad is such a humble person.
I mean, his persona was boasting and bragging.
And I think, when the world saw that he was gonna give up his wealth,
his title and everything for his beliefs, they realized at that point in is career,
that this man is genuine and he's not superficial.
The bragging and the boasting and the rhymes were just a marketing tool for boxing.
And that was a turning point in his career.
And he really exemplifies that at home, as well.
He's not the greatest to me because he was the greatest boxer.
He's a really great human being.
To me it's beautiful that the greatest image is really true.
He's always told us, you know, I may be famous, people love me,
but God gave this to us. It's a blessing.
And never feel like you're above anybody.
You're Ali but you're just like everybody else.
Thank you May May for being with us today, and joining us.
Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Thank you.
"I Shook Up the World", by May May Ali,
tells us the inspiring story of her father, Muhammad Ali
and his amazing life.
Kids and adults should get this book and see that any of their goals
are within reach.
I'm Megan Linder, and thanks for joining us.
I'll never forget the poem my dad said before he fought George Foreman.
I wrestled with an alligator, tussled with a whale,
handcuffed lightening and put thunder in jail.
Injured a stone, hospitalized a brick,
I'm so mean I make medicine sick.
I can run through a hurricane and don't get wet.
When Foreman meets me, he'll pay his debt.
And the little kid left the theatre and thought about this poem
and goes, "May May, your dad wrestled with an alligator?"
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