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Be a Work in Progress

And Other Things I'd Like to Tell My Younger Self

Author John Cena

Illustrated by Valeria Petrone

Hardcover

$24.00 US

Ballantine Group | Ballantine Books

5.19"W x 7.76"H x 0.74"D | 10 oz | 24 per carton

On sale Apr 06, 2021 | 192 Pages | 9780593356418

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A beautifully illustrated book of encouragement from the beloved entertainer and #1 New York Times bestselling author John Cena

“Each day, try to become a little less perfect and a little more brave.”

For years, John Cena has been using his popular Twitter feed to uplift his followers with his unique brand of positivity. Now, he collects his favorite words of wisdom on the benefits of being bold and open-minded, embracing discomfort, and making the most of every opportunity.

Heartfelt and hopeful, Be a Work in Progress is the pick-me-up readers will turn to again and again.

John Cena is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, multifaceted entertainer, and dedicated philanthropist. He is a longtime WWE superstar, and his films include Ferdinand; F9, the next installment of the Fast and the Furious series; and The Suicide Squad and its spinoff TV show, Peacemaker. Inspired by Richard Scarry—one of his favorite children’s book creators—Cena is the author of the Elbow Grease series of picture books and Do Your Best Every Day to Do Your Best Every Day. View titles by John Cena

Valeria Petrone is an award-winning illustrator. Her numerous picture books include Red Truck, Blue Boat, and Yellow Copter (all by Kersten Hamilton) and a series by Gianni Rodari (Edizioni El). She does editorial illustration for newspapers and magazines as well as advertising and anima- tion. She also pursues a career as a painter, and her artworks have been exhibited in Italy and abroad. She lives in Milan, Italy. View titles by Valeria Petrone

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Introduction

I’m grateful to have a public platform; I consider it a privilege, so a couple of years ago I decided that I would try to use Twitter to connect directly with people. . . . I know that social media is often a difficult, argumentative, and negative place. It’s easy to be critical and pessimistic when there is a low sense of accountability. There’s not much that any of us can do about that. But what I can do is send out good stuff, be honest with everybody, and then follow people who relate to the good stuff. I hope to provoke conversation about important things we might shy away from talking about. That’s who I strive to be as a human: I generate these thoughts from self-reflection and self-exploration. If the experiment fails, so be it. I’m just trying to use my presence to tip the balance toward the positive. We all have a lot on our minds, especially now, given the current state of the world. My hope is that words of encouragement can help us stay motivated and focused on what’s really important: being authentic and open-minded, constantly challenging ourselves to be better, embracing discomfort, making the most of the opportunities we’re presented with, and never, never giving up.

John Cena, January 2021

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