No Guard

Success can hide a lot of pain. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is put your guard down. OVERVIEW Anthony Giannotti looked successful from the outside, but inside he was quietly falling apart. A nationally recognized barber, educator, entrepreneur, and founder of multiple thriving businesses, Giannotti had built the life he'd always wanted. But behind the packed barbershops, sold-out classes, and endless travel lived something darker: anxiety, addiction, broken relationships, crushing self-doubt, and the "black cloud" that followed him everywhere he went. Then came the morning he woke in a hotel room to the news that Anthony Bourdain had died by suicide. That moment became the razor's edge between the life he was living—and the one he still had a chance to save. No Guard is an unflinching memoir about chasing success while losing yourself, growing up in a strict religious household, finding purpose through barbering and punk rock, surviving divorce, addiction, and depression, and discovering that healing isn't found in fame, money, or another drink—it's found in finally facing the parts of yourself you've spent a lifetime trying to outrun. Raw, darkly funny, and deeply compassionate, No Guard offers an unforgettable portrait of masculinity, vulnerability, and second chances. For anyone who has wrestled with anxiety, questioned their worth, or wondered whether it's ever too late to start over, Anthony Giannotti proves that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is put your guard down.