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There are precious few self-congratulatory moments in this memoir. Why the vest. Better for you to read it in his words. We all know Steve The Actor, Steve The Comedian, and Steve The Writer. He covers a lot of ground in a relatively short book, and not a single line is wasted. Why the white suit. Unlike other superstar memoirs that smack of sounding a bit smug, this book is a delight to read and reveals to us a man who was driven (for various reasons) to take such a unique and odds-defying long, strange trip.
It had a source and Steve gives acknowledgement of it, as he does to several of his "trademark" bits. And I can't write as well as he can, anyway. Read his book and learn the answers.I'd hate to give away too many details of his professional rise to the top. We've seen and heard what his comedic stage persona evolved into, but now we can learn what it evolved FROM, not to mention how and why. Why so much juggling and banjo playing in a comedy act.
Read "Born Standing Up" to learn the When, How, and Why behind Steve's fascinating journey from shy young man to show business superstar. Why the arrow through the head. He also paints an interesting portrait of life on the road when he was touring his stand-up act. Mostly, this is Martin taking a warm trip down Memory Lane and explaining the roots of his professional career, including the chance encounters, incidents, and personal relationships that would influence and shape his comedy act and outlook on life and the business of Show Business.His classic "Well, excuuuuuuuuse meeeeeeeee." line didn't just materialize out of thin air. Steve is upfront about giving credit where credit is due.
We get nothing on his film career, his novels, his later life, except as brief anecdotes tied back to activities in this time of his life (the story about Diane Keaton in the Amazon review is a good example). His answer explains why you've never seen any of my movies or HBO specials.Now I know what Steve Martin went through to become the guy who I wanted to be as good as, and I know why I never could have been him. Martin found his, and slowly constructed an act and a routine based on it. That last sentence makes it sound more artificial than it reads, though.
When I was younger I did some standup. If later-life anecdotes are what you want, don't buy this book. Martin's false starts doing magic tricks bear fruit later by giving him a level of comfort with physical items without becoming Carrot Top in the process.The book ends when he stops doing standup. I must have been halfway good because I got approached by an agent who asked me if I wanted to take it to the next level.
The thing is, you're always looking for your hook. But if you want one man's retelling of how he got to be where he is, you'll never regret this purchase. I told him I wouldn't dedicate my life to this unless he thought I would have it in me to be as good as Steve Martin. This book walks you through the painstaking construction of his public standup persona.
He recalls the highs of his first legit paychecks to the extreme loneliness and personal detachment from his craft at the height of his fame. It makes me wonder why such a private person would even attempt to write an autobiography in the first place. He just gets to the point.He also speaks fondly about alot of names who have greatly affected the course of his career, many friends, acquaintances, and particularly well connected girlfriends. Martin discusses in detail how he created and honed his stage skills and comedic style and pays dues to those who helped him develop his talent. Mildly autobiographical, Steve Martin's memoir mostly covers the humble beginnings of his entertainment career from a teen working at Disneyland, the many mild successes and even more failures in his early years, and the almost overnight and overwhelming madness that was being on top of the comedy circuit, and how he had to walk away from it all.Steve Martin refers to his early years growing up in an aloof household, particularly about the strained relationship between him and his emotionally distant and resentful father.
He also provides plenty of personal (professional) photos archiving his career. He simply explains their purpose in his career. While I found his career ups and downs interesting, I didn't feel any emotional attachment to him, whatsoever. I am not looking for juicy gossip, but he doesn't give you an autobiography's worth of information. He discusses his first anxiety attacks and even divulges his repulsion towards his fans during his superstardom. If you are less interested in him as a person, and more as a comedian, or if you are someone in the comedy circuit yourself, this book is for you.
His father is the reason he pursued an entertainment career, and that's basically why his family was mentioned in this memoir in the first place. In fact, he never mentions any marriages or divorces, anything that wouldn't relate to his stand up career. He makes alot of references to places and people that are significant in the business. He doesn't go into much detail pertaining to them. Once again, these feelings pertain to his work, not from much else. He doesn't really remember specific performances, but can remember his emotional status at each place.
But don't expect Martin to get ultra personal as he doesn't. This book is ALL business.The only details he gets into were his personal feelings at the time of each career period.
As I read this book, I could not help from thinking of it in marketing terms, and thinking of some great lessons that can be culled from Martin's rise to fame: * Hard Work * Perseverance * Always Refining your Product to Make it Better * Create a True Point of Difference, "A Reason to Be" * Every Single Day, Do What Needs to be Done to Be the BestIt is a quick read, and you should be done with the book in a few hours. He studied his competition, and through this research knew what he didn't want to be, and what he wanted to accomplish to set himself apart. There are some great insights into his troubled family life, his struggle to gain fame, and then his ultimate struggle to handle the fame for which he had always strived, once it was thrust upon him. I highly recommend the book for pleasure, as well for the lessons that can be learned from his quest for success. Great question. I normally would not include a biography on this review page, unless it was a business biography.
If you are a fan of Martin's early work (I am), or a fan of his work as an actor or a writer (again, I am), you will certainly enjoy this book that focuses on his early days as a writer and performer. He performed for 15 years before he really became successful, and he achieved this success despite many people telling him to do it differently. So you might ask yourself why Steve Martin's autobiography of his stand-up comedy days has ended up as a recommended business and marketing book. Steve Martin explains in detail how he had a goal to be a performer, but he wanted to be a performer that had a unique act. Enjoy. First, it is a great read.
So why recommend this book on a marketing site.
Embarrasing condition to pass on even to family. This is a great book and I enjoyed it so much I bought a copy for my brother in law to read. I don't appreciate companies selling used products in this kind of condition online. The cover was all follded up and bent, the pages stained. It was a cheapo splurge at $5 or so bucks but there's a lot to choose from in sellers of this book at that price. This seller claimed it was in good condition but it was quite the opposite.
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