Even This I Get to Experience

Honest. Kind. Generous.

Norman Lear is a genius without question. If he was British, he would be knighted for his services to television comedy. Since he is American, there is only one honor left to bestow upon him, the Kennedy Center Honors. Time is running out since it is only for recipients to travel to Washington D.C. To attend the annual event. To me and millions of others, Norman Lear changed the face of television sitcoms forever. To this day, "All in the Family," is perhaps the best sitcom to air on television. No other sitcom before or after has been influential or so groundbreaking. If it was up to me, there would be the Norman Lear School of Television Studies.Finally we get to read his autobiography. He could easily written volumes of his life and his work. If I have some criticism, I wished he focused on his famous sitcoms behind the scenes. "Good Times" was stellar until James Sr. was killed off after the fourth season. I wished Lear listened to the cast about their concerns. "All in the Family" series takes center stage about coming on television and possible backlash against the new series. To everybody's shock and surprise, the series became a ratings hit and changed television forever. Lear himself became a sensation. The series spun several successful spinoffs like "Maude" and "The Jeffersons." Even the "Maude" spinoff creating another spinoff, "Good Times." He also produced "One Day at a Time."Lear's professional and personal life is covered well here but I would have liked to know more about my favorite sitcoms. He was right about when "All in the Family" series should have ended. It was never the same after Mike, Gloria, and Joey moved to California.Lear has outlived those who became stars like Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Conrad Bain, Sherman Helmsley, Isabel Sanford, Paul Benedict, Zara Cully, Roxie Roker, Franklin Cover, Mike Evans, Esther Rolle, Bonnie Franklin, and more.Norman Lear had an amazing life and he was lucky to experience it all. He casted experienced stage performers from the theatre and that made a huge difference in the series success.

A lot of fun. An easy read and of course self serving. Paper was very cheap and was concerned it would tear. I did enjoy it

Norman Lear is a force of nature. He had a crappy childhood which is a gift to an artistic person. Throughout his life, he's been creative, innovative, driven, and - he freely admits - lucky.I enjoyed, in the first part of the book, reading about the weirdness of his family, and his feelings at the time. He was tenacious and funny in overcoming many obstacles to follow his dreams. I was rooting for that engaging kid.However, at a certain point in the book, after he became successful, my interest flagged a bit, because now it's just a chronology of his continuing successes. He wrote this script, hired these people, bonded with those people, etc. What made this otherwise placid section interesting was his revelations about the personalities of the actors and famous people he worked with, like Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, Carroll O'Connor, Bea Arthur, and Jean Stapleton.One of the most interesting parts was about All in the Family, and Lear's other creations of the time; it was groundbreaking TV and there were so many obstacles. Getting past the purity police, for example; or the way some of the actors began to drink their own Kool-Aid and take on a mission within their fictional role, making it harder to get them to play their parts.What I was less enthralled with was the fact that, for me (although others may disagree), Lear wasn't highly introspective. He says, toward the end of the book, that he lacked emotional intelligence, but even then, he didn't go much of anywhere with it. One reason I bought the book - hardcover, yet! - was to learn what a brilliant 92-year-old might have to say about growing older.Although Norman Lear wasn't sufficiently articulate on this point, everything about this book is inspiring. He makes mistakes and learns from them. He's self-deprecating if unreconstructed. He's tears-rolling-down-the-face patriotic. And by finding another gear at 70, he demonstrates the power of not letting oneself be defined by external forces.So, ultimately, I was able to take away from my reading two things: an enjoyable read and a sense of empowerment. Well worth my money and time. Norman Lear is an American treasure, and I'm glad he took the time to write this book.

I sent a book via Amazon from Billy Budd directly to my sister for her birthday. After she opened the package on her birthday, she texted me to let me know that not only did she appreciate the book, she was very pleased with the care taken by Billy Budd's staff to preserve and protect the out-of-print book and assurance of safe delivery in perfect condition. I'll purchase from Billy Budd again in the future.

interesting

one of the best I ever read

Grew up with Norman Lear shows. Was very interested to read this memoir but the quality of the writing is poor. Ironic you may think for a writer. Lear is an ideas man. He wrote shows not books. This is where it shows. If you are a fan of his work, you will certainly find it interesting. The man's life is interesting. I was disappointed. A biography probably would have read better than this memoir.

This was purchased for a gift for my father; he really found it interesting, especially being a big All In The Family fan.

Even this I get to experience!