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A review by nedreadsbooks
The Answer Is . . .: Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
The answer is... four stars!
Who hasn't heard of Alex Trebek? America's good ol' Uncle Alex - the host (not star!) of Jeopardy. Trebek uses this memoir to discuss many topics - from his home life, to life on the set of Jeopardy, and everything in between. The chapters are short and sweet, and all start with a Jeopardy reference title: ie. "What is... a mentor?" "The answer is... riding a stationary pony."
This book was written by Alex Trebek... need I say more? I loved hearing more about Trebek's wisdom, humour and experiences. He definitely comes across as an all-around good guy with very little drama to expose and discuss - though what more would you expect from the host of Jeopardy? I listened to the audiobook of this novel, and though it is short, it packs a punch. His reflections had me crying, laughing and gasping all in the span of 4.5 hours.
The one complaint I have - and it's really not a complaint, just a statement - was that it was strange hearing much of Alex's story told by Ken Jennings. I understand it - Alex was not in the best of health while writing this novel, and I'm sure he did not want to record the audiobook - and don't get me wrong, Ken did a great job of narrating. It was a little disconcerting, however, hearing someone OTHER than Alex saying "When I started hosting Jeopardy...".
Overall, this collection of reflections was insightful and left the reader understanding more about Alex Trebek and his experiences, with a sprinkle of life advice and lessons learned along the way. This read was an easy four stars from me!
Who hasn't heard of Alex Trebek? America's good ol' Uncle Alex - the host (not star!) of Jeopardy. Trebek uses this memoir to discuss many topics - from his home life, to life on the set of Jeopardy, and everything in between. The chapters are short and sweet, and all start with a Jeopardy reference title: ie. "What is... a mentor?" "The answer is... riding a stationary pony."
This book was written by Alex Trebek... need I say more? I loved hearing more about Trebek's wisdom, humour and experiences. He definitely comes across as an all-around good guy with very little drama to expose and discuss - though what more would you expect from the host of Jeopardy? I listened to the audiobook of this novel, and though it is short, it packs a punch. His reflections had me crying, laughing and gasping all in the span of 4.5 hours.
The one complaint I have - and it's really not a complaint, just a statement - was that it was strange hearing much of Alex's story told by Ken Jennings. I understand it - Alex was not in the best of health while writing this novel, and I'm sure he did not want to record the audiobook - and don't get me wrong, Ken did a great job of narrating. It was a little disconcerting, however, hearing someone OTHER than Alex saying "When I started hosting Jeopardy...".
Overall, this collection of reflections was insightful and left the reader understanding more about Alex Trebek and his experiences, with a sprinkle of life advice and lessons learned along the way. This read was an easy four stars from me!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer