Jesse Ventura
Former Minnesota Governor & Professional Wrestler
Prior to 1998, Jesse Ventura was best known by his professional wrestling name, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, or from his numerous film appearances. The tables turned when Ventura was elected the 38th governor of Minnesota in November of 1998. Following 11 years in pro-wrestling, Ventura went on to serve as the Mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota from 1990 – 1995, and went on to win the gubernatorial race in 1998. He is the best-selling author of four books, Don’t Start the Revolution Without Me, I Ain't Got Time to Bleed, Do I Stand Alone? and Jesse Ventura Tells It Like It Is.
Prior to 1998, Jesse Ventura was best known by his professional wrestling name, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, or from his numerous film appearances. The tables turned when Ventura was elected the 38th governor of Minnesota in November of 1998. Shocking the political establishment, Ventura became the first-ever Reform Party candidate to win a state-wide office.
Following 11 years in professional wrestling and a handful of acting gigs, Ventura was prompted to run for Mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota's sixth largest city. He served as Mayor until from 1990 - 1995, championing crime reduction.
In his 1998 gubernatorial run, Ventura promised to keep new voters engaged in the political process by maintaining "common sense policies" that reduce reliance on government. He was also a strong proponent of public education and crime reduction during his term as governor.
Ventura is a member of the Make-A-Wish of Minnesota Board of Advisors and was a volunteer football coach at Champlin Park High School for several years. He is also a long-time member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
Following his term as governor, Ventura headed east to teach at Harvard’s elite John F. Kennedy School of Government as a visiting fellow. He is the best-selling author of four books, Don’t Start the Revolution Without Me, I Ain't Got Time to Bleed: Reworking the Body Politic from the Bottom Up, Do I Stand Alone?: Going to the Mat Against Political Pawns and Media Jackals and Jesse Ventura Tells It Like It Is: America's Most Outspoken Governor Speaks Out About Government.
-
Celebrity Appearances
-
March 2010American Conspiracies: Lies, Lies, and More Dirty Lies that the Government Tells Us
Jesse Ventura tells it like it is, and this time he tackles our government’s biggest secrets. In this explosive account of wrongful acts and on-going cover-ups, Jesse Ventura takes a systematic look at the wide gap between what the American government knows and what it reveals to the American people. For too long, we the people have sat by and let politicians and bureaucrats from both parties obfuscate and lie. And according to this former Navy SEAL, former pro wrestler, and former Minnesota governor, the media is complicit in these acts of deception. For too long, the mainstream press has refused to consider alternate possibilities and to ask the tough questions. Here, Ventura looks closely at the theories that have been presented over the years and separates the fact from the fiction.
-
April 2008Don't Start the Revolution Without Me!
Jesse Ventura has had many lives—as a Navy SEAL, as a star of pro wrestling, as an actor, and as the governor of Minnesota. His previous books, I Ain't Got Time to Bleed and Do I Stand Alone?, were both national bestsellers. Don't Start the Revolution Without Me! is the story of his controversial gubernatorial years and his life since deciding not to seek a second term as governor in 2002. Written with award-winning author Dick Russell at a secluded location on Mexico's Baja Peninsula, Ventura's new book reveals for the first time why he left politics—and why he is now considering reentering the arena with a possible independent run for the presidency in 2008.
-
September 2002Jesse Ventura Tells it Like it is
Jesse Ventura offers his opinions on the inner workings of the American political system. From his rise to political prominence and a brief history of the United States, full-colour photos and real-life examples keep readers fascinated and understand his view of the political system.
-
June 2000I Ain't Got Time to Bleed: Reworking the Body from the Bottom up
In his first controversial New York Times bestseller, I Ain't Got Time to Bleed, ex-Navy SEAL and professional wrestler Jesse Ventura told the remarkable story of his climb up the Reform Party ladder to the governorship of Minnesota.
-
January 2000Do I Stand Alone: Going to the Mat Against Political Pawns and Media Jackals
In Do I Stand Alone? Ventura sternly warns against the danger of expecting too little from our elected officials. He decries the ease with which most Americans surrender their freedoms and apathetically accept a system of governance driven more by pork and patronage than by the best interests of the constituency. He also denounces an irresponsible media, taking them to task for too often confusing fame with notoriety, and for driving the news instead of simply reporting it. And he unabashedly speaks out on today's hot-button issues, including welfare, racism, youth violence, immigration, abortion, campaign finance reform, and gay rights.
Tweet
