For the first time, the whole true, fascinating and inspiring story of Danny Trejo's journey from crime, prison, addiction and loss to unexpected fame as Hollywood's favorite bad guy with a heart of gold.

On screen, Danny Trejo the actor is an evil one who has been killed at least a hundred times. He has been shot, stabbed, hanged, cut into pieces, squeezed with an elevator, and once, even melted into a slimy and bloody substance. Off-screen, he's a beloved hero by both rehab communities and obsessed fans. But the real Danny Trejo is much more complicated than the legend.

Raised in an abusive home, Danny struggled, from a young age, with a heroin addiction and stints in some of the country's most infamous state prisons, including San Quentin and Folsom, before starring in modern classics like Heat, From Dusk till Dawn and Machete. Now, in this funny, heartbreaking, suspenseful memoir, Danny takes us through the incredible ups and downs of his life, including meeting one of the world's most notorious serial killers in prison and working with legends like Charles Bronson and Robert De Niro.

In honest and undaunted detail, Danny recounts how he managed to handle the horrors of prison, rebuild himself after finding sobriety and spirituality in solitary confinement, and draw inspiration from the adrenaline-infused robberies of his past for the film roles that made him a famous character. He also shares the painful contradictions of his personal life. Although he talks about his past in both prisons and NPR to inspire countless people on their own paths to recovery and redemption, he still struggles to help his children with their own battles with addiction and to build lasting relationships.

Redemptive and lacerating, moving and real, Trejo is the portrait of a magnificent life and an unforgettable and exceptional journey through tragedy, pain and, finally, success that will captivate and inspire you.