A deeply textured and compelling biography of comedy giant Mel Brooks, covering his rags-to-riches life and triumphant career in television, films, and theater.

The author charts Jon Stewart's unlikely rise to political stardom, from his early stand-up days and the short-lived but acclaimed The Jon Stewart Show. Drawing on interviews with current and former colleagues, she reveals how things work behind the scenes at The Daily Show.

A rising comedian describes with humor the absurdity of his troubled youth in Oakland, California, where his mother walked him on a leash until he chewed through it and ran away and started taking drugs at age twelve.

"In her hit Netflix comedy special Baby Cobra, an eight-month pregnant Ali Wong resonated so strongly with viewers that she became a popular Halloween costume. Wong told the world her remarkably unfiltered thoughts on marriage, sex, working women, and why you never see new-mom comics on stage but you sure see plenty of new dads. Wong's sharp insights and humor are even more personal in this completely original collection. She shares the wisdom she's...

In Ginger Kid, popular comedian Steve Hofstetter grapples with life after seventh grade ... when his world fell apart. Formatted as a series of personal essays, Steve walks his readers through awkward early dating, family turbulence, and the revenge of the bullied nerds.

"Brings the man and his comic genius into focus as never before. Drawing upon a mountain of original research--interviews with family and friends, court transcripts, unpublished journals, screenplay drafts--Scott Saul traces Pryor's rough journey to the heights of fame: from his heartbreaking childhood, his trials in the Army, and his apprentice days in Greenwich Village to his soul-searching interlude in Berkeley and his ascent in the New Hollywood...

"If you think Joan Rivers said funny, outrageous, and ridiculous things ONSTAGE, wait 'til you read the funny, outrageous, and ridiculous things she said OFFSTAGE...things that will make you laugh out loud...and keep Melissa in therapy for the foreseeable future. The only thing my mother loved more than making people laugh was lying...or as she'd say, "embellishing." Her motto was: "Why let the truth ruin a good story?" This book contains some of...

The star of "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" collects essays, poems, and other personal creations to explore such subjects as her perceptions of "normal," struggles with depression, and life-shaping female friendships. Bloom has felt abnormal and out of place her whole life. In this collection of personal essays, poems and even amusement park maps, she explores the things she thinks make her "different." In doing so, she comes to realize that a lot of people...

The legendary comedian, actor, and film producer and director traces his rise from a Depression-era kid in Brooklyn to his stellar film career, offering insight into the inspiration for his ideas and the many close friendships and collaborations behind his success. Brooks shares never-before-told, behind-the-scenes anecdotes and remembrances as he charts his rise from a Depression-era kid in Brooklyn to the recipient of the National Medal of Arts....