Book Review - "Born Standing Up"

 

I'm doing something new on the blog today. A BOOK REVIEW! I usually don't read. It's horrible to say because one day soon (hopefully next year) I want to be teaching Reading and Language Arts or English! I bought Steven Martin's book Born Standing Up for 50 cents at a garage sale. I've always been a fan of his and when I started reading it on Monday while on a substitute teaching assignment (the teacher's part of the day was empty because second graders were on a field trip), I had finished half of it by the time the students actually showed up. By Tuesday night, I was finished with it.

This book is clever, well written and gives you an insight into the stand up comedy world. The first part of his life, starting at age 10, was spent working at Disneyland when it first opened! He worked there until he was 18 and in the book, he goes over all of the experiences he had and people he met while working there that led him to get into the show business. He left Disneyland for Knott's Berry Farm to work at their Bird Cage Theater. Without giving away the whole book and making this a long post, he went through his life experiences, his rough personal life with his family, how his anxiety and depression (gives you a little eye opener that celebrities are human too) effected his life, how he started from the bottom, hit the top and then just stopped. But why would he work for over thirty years to try (and succeed) to achieve his dream and just stop? Well... you have to read the book to find out. This comedic genius is a wonderful writer and it is hard to put down this book and even though you see him in the movies and on screen, you get a deeper look into his life and a world you never really knew existed.

There's a quote from the book that gave me a "Wow... that could not be more true!" and it applies to creativity. He was talking about how the sixties were a time of flower power and how it brought out creativity in people in regards to music, art and way of thinking.

"But any new social philosophy is good for creativity."

How amazing is that?!  Such a small sentence with so much meaning behind it. With everything going on the United States right now, there is another social philosophy shift happening. It's nothing new honest but new, more meaningful music is coming out, art is shifting again and I love seeing it happen.

This review probably did nothing to convince you read it but I highly recommend it. As a non-reader and telling you that this book is worth it, it's worth it. Do yourself a funny favor and enjoy!