The Recommended Reading Order
For the best experience, Chris Jericho's books should be read in chronological publication order. Because each of his main memoirs picks up precisely where the previous book left off, reading them in sequence provides a continuous, detailed autobiography of his wrestling and entertainment career.
Here is the recommended reading order for Chris Jericho's books:
- A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex (2007)
- Undisputed: How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps (2011)
- The Best in the World: At What I Have No Idea (2014)
- No Is a Four-Letter Word: How I Failed Spelling but Succeeded in Life (2017)
- The Complete List of Jericho: 30 Years of Smashes, Matches & Hits (2021)
Detailed Breakdown of the Memoirs
A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex (2007)
This is where it all begins. A Lion's Tale details Jericho's childhood, his early wrestling training at the legendary Hart Brothers School in Calgary, and the hard grind of working on the independent circuits in Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Germany. It covers his stints in ECW and WCW, culminating in his historic, show-stopping WWF debut in August 1999 when the Millennium clock hit zero.
Undisputed: How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps (2011)
Picking up directly after his WWF debut, Undisputed follows Jericho's rise to the top of the sports entertainment world. The book highlights the struggles of adapting to the WWE locker room, becoming the first-ever Undisputed WWF Champion in 2001 by defeating both The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin in the same night, and his initial departure from the company in 2005. It also documents the formation and early days of his heavy metal band, Fozzy.
The Best in the World: At What I Have No Idea (2014)
The third volume covering his chronological life story starts with Jericho's WWE return in 2007. It delves into his classic, award-winning feud with Shawn Michaels, his subsequent championship runs, and his balancing act between professional wrestling and touring the world with Fozzy. The narrative runs up through his appearances on Dancing with the Stars and his creative career changes up to 2013.
No Is a Four-Letter Word: How I Failed Spelling but Succeeded in Life (2017)
Rather than a traditional step-by-step memoir, No Is a Four-Letter Word serves as a hybrid self-help and motivational book. Jericho shares 20 crucial life lessons and personal rules that helped him achieve success across multiple industries (wrestling, music, writing, and podcasting). Each rule is illustrated with humorous and wild stories from his life, making it a natural extension of his biographical series.
The Complete List of Jericho: 30 Years of Smashes, Matches & Hits (2021)
Co-authored with Peter Thomas Fornatale and Alex Marvez, this unique release acts as the ultimate companion volume for hard-core fans. It is a comprehensive, annotated catalog of all 2,722 professional matches Jericho wrestled during his first 30 years in the business. Filled with behind-the-scenes stories, rare photographs, and match trivia, it is designed to be browsed rather than read strictly cover-to-cover.
What to Know Before You Start
Unlike many celebrity biographies, Chris Jericho writes his books himself without using a ghostwriter. This gives the series a highly distinct, conversational, and authentic voice. Readers should expect an unfiltered look inside the wrestling industry, filled with humor, backstage stories, and honest self-reflection.
While his first three memoirs form a single, continuous narrative arc, No Is a Four-Letter Word and The Complete List of Jericho can be enjoyed as standalone reads for fans who are already familiar with his career.