If you're familiar with 1970s comedy, you know about Three's Company and you either loved or hated John Ritter. I thought he was hilarious. I recall my dad being of the opposite opinion. Either way, Ritter was a pop culture icon, along with Suzanne Somers and Joyce DeWitt. Those characters inhabited our household every week; and,come syndication, every day.
Ritter died unexpectedly in 2003 of an aortic aneurism, having been rushed from the set of his latest sitcom, 8 Simple Rules. From Three's Company to movie appearances to Broadway, he'd found his way back into our living rooms. I looked forward to reading this book about a man who seemed to inhale goofiness and exhale laughter. I didn't know who Amy Yasbeck was (other than being John Ritter's widow, of course), nor did I particularly care. Yes, I admit that sounds harsh.
With Love and Laughter, John Ritter is 26 chapters in length. The first 18 are about the life of Amy Yasbeck, which includes her life with John Ritter; the last 7 are about John Ritter. It is a telling story of a life shared, but not the typical "meet the man" biography I anticipated. I did force myself to read through the Amy Yasbeck story in order to arrive at the John Ritter story, and I'm glad I did. The book ends with a synopsis of a man who lived life to the fullest, who loved comedy, joy, and laughter, and who was obviously adored by many. It took a while to arrive at the story I wanted to read, but I wasn't disappointed when I got there.
I must have been in a funny mood lately to read the biographies of Carol Burnett and Steve Martin back-to-back. Burnett is another of my favorite comedians. Remember my mention of disliking Tim Conway and Harvey Korman? Irony of ironies - both were a staple on the Carol Burnett show.
Burnett and Lucille Ball ended up being rather good friends. In fact, Burnett idolized Ball for many years. How funny that I've never been a Lucille Ball fan, but Burnett never fails to make me laugh.
From her humble beginnings to being the first female-led comedy variety show on network TV, Burnett is another rags-to-riches story. She built her own success, but was wise enough to surround herself with smart, funny, trustworthy people upon whom she could rely.
Ever wonder about that tug of her ear at the end of every show? It's in here. Pick up the book and enjoy a feel-good story about a woman who had a dream, who caught a break, and who persevered until that dream became a reality.
Oh, the sweet, sweet sound of laughter. I love humor, and Steve Martin is quite likely my all-time favorite comedian. Ironically, I recall having a serious dislike for him, Tim Conway, Harvey Korman, and Benny Hill growing up.
Martin started out as a punk kid with a magic show and managed to carve out a unique comedy act based largely on visuals and interaction with his audience. In fact, he was known "in the trenches" for leading his audiences outside to end his act. While it became a bit of a trademark of his early stand-up routine, he actually began this prank because he didn't know how to wind things down and close the show.
When Saturday Night Live came along, Martin became a household name. He'd conquered the panic attacks and paid his dues. SNL introduced us to that "wild and crazy guy" our generation knows so well. Martin rode SNL to the height of comedic fame, along with Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, John Belushi ... until he realized stand up comedy wasn't going to provide him the longevity he desired.
From The Man With Two Brains (one of my favorite old Martin movies) to It's Complicated, and everything in between, Martin continues to dazzle us with his nonsense and, yes, even charm.
If you're a fan, you'll enjoy this book, which maintains a respectful boundary with regard to Martin's private life and fills in the gaps of his "overnight" claim to fame.
Roadhouse, Dirty Dancing, Next of Kin, Ghost. All feel-good pop culture flicks of our generations, and all made popular by Patrick Swayze. I can't say I ever considered Swayze a "great" actor, but certainly he had a swagger and bravado all his own.
I followed Swayze's recent battle with pancreatic cancer through the televised soundbites, and must admit to a twinge of sadness upon first hearing the news. I mean, c'mon ... this was Mr. Roadhouse! He starred with my all time favorite actor, Sam Elliott, in a cult-flick that just had what it took to be a hit at the time. Corny? Sure, absolutely. But who cares? I never expected the greatest literary experience when I watched a Swayze movie. I expected the pretty boy to entertain me.
I admired Swayze's commitment to his wife (evidenced by a 30+ year marriage), as well as his ability to avoid the tabloids and lead a relatively private life. Just stroll through a supermarket checkout aisle, and you know how difficult that must be. I always felt he was a little bit cocky, a little arrogant, if you will, and the book only reinforces that at times. But it's hard not to admire someone who faces pancreatic cancer with the attitude of, "I'll just be damned if this son of a bitch is going to beat me. It's trying to kill me, but I'm going to return the favor."
The Time of My Life is a quick and easy read and would make an excellent airplane book.
The daughter of John Phillips (The Mamas and the Papas) and famous for her starring role as Julie on the 80s sitcom One Day At A Time, Mackenzie Phillips is the epitome of the rock and roll lifestyle. Raised by a hippie father in a California party-scene culture, young Mack grew up around rock and roll stars and their opiates of choice. It's no wonder that she chose that same path for herself, especially when her own starring role landed her a steady paycheck to pay for her self-indulgent excesses. The true wonder is that she's alive to tell her tale.
High On Arrival is a journey through her life - the drugs, the men, her acting career, the incestual relationship with her father, the rehabs. For all the justifications in her book, the bottom line remains that her father clearly abused his position of trust and authority, which only caused this young woman to spiral further out of control. A few years after the birth of her son, Shane, Phillips did eventually mark 15 years of sobriety, but found herself at rock bottom once more, culminating in her infamous 2008 arrest at LAX.
Today, this woman is again post-rehab and vows to never again become complacent about her addiction or her past. The book is well-written, with the sad ring of truth of a survivor. I wish Ms. Phillips all the luck in the world maintaining her hard-won sobriety.
House fans will delight in this unauthorized biography of the ever-sarcastic Hugh Laurie. Not only does the author take us back to Laurie's college rowing days and his British stage beginnings, but he also gives us a background peak into the other main characters of the popular TV show.
Overall, this is a very easy and comfortable read, with few surprises. In fact, only the first 100 pages are devoted to the cast bios (including one for creator David Shore), with the remainder of the book being an episode guide for Season One.
After weeks of eyeballing this cover, I finally picked it up just for the title. Not that I had any idea whatsoever who Chelsea Handler was. In fact, I was halfway through the book when a friend told me Chelsea had her own night time talk show. Ironically, a show that my own husband watches. - It made such perfect sense: this gal has spunk.
From her humble childhood to her own talk show, Chelsea Handler has made her own way in life. And, according to her book, there were plenty of bumps along the way. Personally, I'm still trying to figure out her obsession with midgets...
Having just finished The Shack, this was the perfect book. Definitely more humor than biography. Put on your readers and prepare to laugh.
This is Graham's account of his relationships with numerous presidents through the years, beginning with Truman and extending onto G. W. Bush. Certainly, no other spiritual leader had so much interaction with the presidents or such unbridled access to the White House.
I am an avid reader, but admit to taking roughly 4 months to finish this book. Graham's memories and stories were interesting, but were delivered in a documentary fashion that simply did not engage me. In that regard, the book failed to live up to my expectations. Personal religious/political opinions aside, however, Graham is one of the most well known and respected spiritual leaders in this country, if not the world, and I felt Gibbs and Duffy seriously failed to do him justice.
Graham himself admits there were times (particularly in his youth) when he sadly blurred or crossed the lines between spiritual leader and political activist, and this book delves into the dynamics of one role upon the other. He makes no secret that he has moderate to conservative leanings and did not agree with each man who held office, but conveys his unshakable belief that, whether or not we agree with our president, he is still the leader of our free world and, by virtue of that reason alone, worthy of our prayers and spiritual support. I'm betting that's a level of spiritual maturity that few of us ever achieve.
Verdict: Interesting content; weak delivery. I'm glad I finished the book, but admit that I struggled to do so.
Most famous for his portrayals of the quirky (and very Republican) Alex P. Keaton (Family Ties), Marty McFly (Back to the Future), and Michael Flaherty (Spin City), Michael J. Fox is definitely one of the comedic icons of my generation. More recently, Fox is most well known as the celebrity face behind Parkinson's disease and the crusade for stem cell research.
Lucky Man is a memoir of Fox's journey to stardom as well as the discovery of his disease. It chronicles his coming to terms with the Parkinson's diagnosis and the subsequent effects it has upon him, his family, and his career. I think Fox himself would consider it fair to say that Parkinson's is responsible for causing a Hollywood party boy to grow up and place value on the important things in life.
Fox is obviously in favor of stem cell research, but the book is not propaganda for the cause. He states his position, but that is not the underlying theme. I recommend the book for anyone with an interest in Fox, Parkinson's, or stem cell research, with the caveat that you may simply have to agree to disagree.
If you're familiar with 1970s comedy, you know about Three's Company and you either loved or hated John Ritter. I thought he was hilarious. I recall my dad being of the opposite opinion. Either way, Ritter was a pop culture icon, along with Suzanne Somers and Joyce DeWitt. Those characters inhabited our household every week; and,come syndication, every day.
