nbhatta's review against another edition
4.0
I have a fondness for the autobiographies of comedians.
lakecake's review
4.0
I love Craig Ferguson. I love his sense of humor, and his lack of taking himself seriously. Reading his life story and the things he's been through and knowing that he can manage to keep a smile on his face about all of it is just amazing to me. Great read, and a quick one too.
offbalance80's review against another edition
4.0
This was a delightful (and laugh-out-loud funny) look back on Ferguson's misadventures along his circuitous route to fame and his current late-night hosting gig. I was completely engrossed as I read all about his battle with addiction, his relationships, and his love for his family; it was like having coffee or dinner with a good friend. If you're a fan of his show, or a fan of the film Saving Grace (which he wrote and co-starred in!), this is definitely worth reading.
kricketa's review against another edition
4.0
if possible, do listen to the audio version of this book. ferguson reads it himself with perfection in his glorious scottish accent. as a result, the book's themes, which might normally strike me as cheesy, become rallying cries of absolute truth:
"between safety and adventure, i choose adventure."
"fear might be god's way of telling you, 'hey! pay attention- this could be good.'"
did you read those and groan? try reading them in your head using a scottish accent.
craig tells the story of his years as an alcholic/drug addict with humor and brutal honesty. instead of feeling sorry for himself & whining about his rough life (cough cough NIC SHEFF cough) he admits that he was a giant tool and let lots of people down (and he does it in a scottish accent!) this makes me love him. then rebekah sent me that clip of him lip-syncing britney spears with a bunch of puppets. this makes me love him more.
at the end, after ferguson has sobered up and met the right woman and gotten the gig on "the late late show" he becomes an american citizen. i enjoyed what he had to say about patriotism. disagreeing with the government (or select decisions of the government) doesn't mean you don't love your country. it means you're taking advantage of the freedom provided by that country. again, this is a little sappy so please switch your scottish accent back on. doesn't it sound noble now?
in conclusion, i love craig ferguson and his accent.
"between safety and adventure, i choose adventure."
"fear might be god's way of telling you, 'hey! pay attention- this could be good.'"
did you read those and groan? try reading them in your head using a scottish accent.
craig tells the story of his years as an alcholic/drug addict with humor and brutal honesty. instead of feeling sorry for himself & whining about his rough life (cough cough NIC SHEFF cough) he admits that he was a giant tool and let lots of people down (and he does it in a scottish accent!) this makes me love him. then rebekah sent me that clip of him lip-syncing britney spears with a bunch of puppets. this makes me love him more.
at the end, after ferguson has sobered up and met the right woman and gotten the gig on "the late late show" he becomes an american citizen. i enjoyed what he had to say about patriotism. disagreeing with the government (or select decisions of the government) doesn't mean you don't love your country. it means you're taking advantage of the freedom provided by that country. again, this is a little sappy so please switch your scottish accent back on. doesn't it sound noble now?
in conclusion, i love craig ferguson and his accent.
dixiet's review against another edition
5.0
What a well-written and fascinating life story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading his novel - and seeing him live next weekend.
thelauramay's review against another edition
4.0
Not necessarily admirable, but certainly interesting.
nila's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Drug abuse
bookmarked_north734's review
5.0
As I found while watching The Late Late Show, Craig Ferguson proves his great sense of timing over and over again in the book. Often, I find that comedians push the line with serious topics and throw in unnecessary jokes, but Ferguson seems to understand when a topic needs full sincerity. His writing style is very fluent and unwavering. I have now read this book twice; once, borrowing my sister's hardcover after it first came out, and second more recently listening to the audio version narrated by Ferguson himself, in which his performance is spectacular. Defiantly would recommend either medium to any fan who is looking to know more.
judyward's review against another edition
3.0
Craig Ferguson has certainly has had an eventful life. He was raised in Glasgow, Scotland where he dropped out of school at 16, worked as an apprentice electrician, was a dummer for a punk bank call Bastards From Hell, and performed comedy routines under the name Bing Hitler. Along the way, he developed a life-threatening drug and alcohol addiction. Evenually his alcoholism became so severe that he decided to commit suicide one Christmas morning in London by jumping into the Thames and being swept away with the rest of the garbage. Luckily, he was distracted when a friend offered him a hefty serving of sherry in honor of Christmas. After going to rehab, Ferguson eventually moved to the U.S., landed a role on The Drew Carey Show, and eventually became the host of the Late, Late Show on CBS. In 2008, Craig Ferguson became a citizen of the United States and he strongly feels that "Scotland made me what I am and America let me be it." An entertaining and honest memoir that leaves the reader rooting for the author.