Dear Sly: What a near-Death Experience-And 42 Stallone Films-Taught Me about Life

At 17, Chuck Malatesta flatlined during an experimental cancer treatment and died. His story should have ended there. Instead, with an unlikely assist from his late grandmother, he came back.

Not just alive, but changed.

Dear Sly is Chuck's one-of-a-kind resurrection story, told through 42 heartfelt letters to Sylvester Stallone - the unlikely mentor whose films became a blueprint for survival. With the pulse of "Gonna Fly Now" echoing in his spirit, Chuck reframes Rocky, Rambo, and even Stallone's most popcorn-fueled roles into powerful lessons on resilience, purpose, and grit.

Each letter marks a step in his journey-from near-death to state champion swimmer, from cancer patient to founder of one of Florida's largest charter school networks. Along the way, Chuck uncovers wisdom in unexpected places, proving that even the most cinematic fights can teach us how to endure our own.

But this isn't just a memoir-it's a call to rise.

Blending humor, heart, and hard-won insight, Dear Sly is a survival guide in disguise for anyone facing adversity. Because sometimes, the greatest victory isn't winning the fight-

It's refusing to stay down.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: St. Petersburg Press
Published: 09/29/2026
ISBN: 9781964239521
Pages: 310
Weight: 1.25lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.75d