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aizataffendi's review against another edition
5.0
I only got to know of Alan Alda after watching him play the antagonist in the 2011 movie "Tower Heist", so much of the hoo-haa about his hit TV series, M*A*S*H was lost on me. That said, I didn't dislike this autobiography as it is witty, ruminative and gets its resders to appreciate that there's so much more to showbiz than just having a pretty face.
hannah_ananab's review against another edition
5.0
This was a fascinating look into the life of actor Alan Alda, especially his younger years into the M*A*S*H* years. His honesty about how and what he thought at different times, plus the vulnerability he shared about himself, all came through in his writing. It was well written and easy to read. I enjoyed it very much.
lpcowling's review against another edition
3.0
This book is much darker than I had anticipated, but Alda's humour is present throughout. It can be a bit heavy at times, and not something I could read in long sittings, but it is high quality.
theonionboy's review against another edition
4.0
Wow, Alan Alda certainly had a unique childhood. It was really interesting to hear him tell it.
I was a huge fan of MASH growing up, and it had a big impact on me. I personally believe that Alan and the other writers had a huge impact on a generation's view of war through what they did. He gives MASH his due here, and it was interesting to hear him say what a challenge it was to portray a character who was so different from himself. Any time I see an actor pull of a character so well, I tend to believe that there is a lot of themselves in the character. But the womanizing arrogant alcholic moralizing genius doctor, as well rounded as he was in 11 seasons, was not Alan Alda.
This was a good length and covered his life well. I was surprised to see so little about his wife and daughters here. It always strikes me as odd when that happens in a autobiography.
There were a few times where I felt he was trying too hard to be a good writer and it showed. But he was also brutally honest about his relationship with his father, which seems to be a key factor in a man's life.
Overall I recommend this as an enjoyable listen that will give you insight into the life of an actor who was more influential than his resume would imply.
I was a huge fan of MASH growing up, and it had a big impact on me. I personally believe that Alan and the other writers had a huge impact on a generation's view of war through what they did. He gives MASH his due here, and it was interesting to hear him say what a challenge it was to portray a character who was so different from himself. Any time I see an actor pull of a character so well, I tend to believe that there is a lot of themselves in the character. But the womanizing arrogant alcholic moralizing genius doctor, as well rounded as he was in 11 seasons, was not Alan Alda.
This was a good length and covered his life well. I was surprised to see so little about his wife and daughters here. It always strikes me as odd when that happens in a autobiography.
There were a few times where I felt he was trying too hard to be a good writer and it showed. But he was also brutally honest about his relationship with his father, which seems to be a key factor in a man's life.
Overall I recommend this as an enjoyable listen that will give you insight into the life of an actor who was more influential than his resume would imply.
spinnerroweok's review against another edition
4.0
A fun book that just goes to show you that you never know what other people go through.
camscornerbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Read this book. Just do it.
I was worried I’d be bored or worse, disappointed, by this autobiography of an actor who played a character I have loved with all my heart basically my entire life. Instead I found that I love the actor even more than the character he played.
I can’t even describe this book really. It was so simple but never boring. It was entertaining but never shallow. It was real but never crushing. I read it in a single night and have never forgotten it. And the title? What a message to impart to his readers. It seems so ridiculous a title, only a comedian could dare to use that for their autobiography. But it was real. Listen to him tell you about his dog that was stuffed after it died and what that taught him about life and value and time and loss and regret and holding on and letting go.
It makes no sense on the cover, but by the end it’s the most profound thing you could know.
I was worried I’d be bored or worse, disappointed, by this autobiography of an actor who played a character I have loved with all my heart basically my entire life. Instead I found that I love the actor even more than the character he played.
I can’t even describe this book really. It was so simple but never boring. It was entertaining but never shallow. It was real but never crushing. I read it in a single night and have never forgotten it. And the title? What a message to impart to his readers. It seems so ridiculous a title, only a comedian could dare to use that for their autobiography. But it was real. Listen to him tell you about his dog that was stuffed after it died and what that taught him about life and value and time and loss and regret and holding on and letting go.
It makes no sense on the cover, but by the end it’s the most profound thing you could know.
ferrisscottr's review against another edition
2.0
A little disappointed with this one. I'm a big Alan Alda fan so I was looking forward to this. The writing was ok (not good, not bad) but with a life as storied as his I guess my problem was with the content that he chose to write about. A lot about the actual craft of acting but not a lot about him - I finished the book and still don't know how many kids he has. He briefly talked about MASH and West Wing but really that was it in terms of his actual work. He was nominated for an Oscar and he devoted about two lines. He spent almost no time talking about his wife or his friends or his accomplishments. I know he's written other books so maybe he gets into it more but this book just didn't click for me.
pattieod's review against another edition
4.0
Born in a trunk, as the saying goes, Alda has always been around the stage, and has a trunk-full of stories about life [b:on the road|6288|The Road|Cormac McCarthy|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21E8H3D1JSL._SL75_.jpg|3355573]. A very funny book, but he doesn't avoid the darkness of his mother's mental illness. He's an enjoyable and amusing person to spend time with.