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meginsanity's review against another edition
2.0
This book is just confusing. Just plain confusing.
Is it about Howie's OCD? No, not really. It starts off with a little bit about it. He attributes his germaphobia to his upbringing and talks just a bit about his other problems with OCD. I could actually identify with a lot about what he was saying. I "check" things a lot. I don't think I have OCD, but I can identify with his helpless need to go back and make sure the door is locked over and over while realizing that it's silly. I do the same thing with my car door, the car lights, the headlights, the house door, the refrigerator door, the bathroom door, etc. There are other things I check, but doors are my main thing. So I could identify with how ridiculous he felt doing it, and how loathe he was to admit it.
Unfortunately that's about where I stopped identifying with Howie.
He says over and over that people do not take him seriously, that they think he's joking because he's a comedian. He seems to be frustrated by this, yet it really is impossible to understand when he is being serious or not. Does he really regret the loss of one of his best friendships due to a cruel practical joke? He says he does but then he follows that chapter with practical joke after joke. As he says, he can't stop himself. His impulse control is nonexistent. He desperately needs attention (something else he contributes to his childhood). It made him a good comedian but not somebody you can take seriously. It's really kind of creepy, because he just keeps doing these things to people and admitting he has no control over it.
The book jumps around in time, with some chapters that feel as though they were written in a stream of consciousness fashion, with him melodramatically saying he thinks he might be dead before the book is published (he had some heart trouble - and he's also a hypochondriac), and others that go back in time. He only shares a little bit of information about his decades in show business. Enough to make that aspect kind of interesting, and the way he rose as a comedian clear, but not enough for any real depth.
The whole book is utterly lacking in depth, actually. I hope Marc Summers' book about his trials with OCD - Everything In Its Place - is better.
Is it about Howie's OCD? No, not really. It starts off with a little bit about it. He attributes his germaphobia to his upbringing and talks just a bit about his other problems with OCD. I could actually identify with a lot about what he was saying. I "check" things a lot. I don't think I have OCD, but I can identify with his helpless need to go back and make sure the door is locked over and over while realizing that it's silly. I do the same thing with my car door, the car lights, the headlights, the house door, the refrigerator door, the bathroom door, etc. There are other things I check, but doors are my main thing. So I could identify with how ridiculous he felt doing it, and how loathe he was to admit it.
Unfortunately that's about where I stopped identifying with Howie.
He says over and over that people do not take him seriously, that they think he's joking because he's a comedian. He seems to be frustrated by this, yet it really is impossible to understand when he is being serious or not. Does he really regret the loss of one of his best friendships due to a cruel practical joke? He says he does but then he follows that chapter with practical joke after joke. As he says, he can't stop himself. His impulse control is nonexistent. He desperately needs attention (something else he contributes to his childhood). It made him a good comedian but not somebody you can take seriously. It's really kind of creepy, because he just keeps doing these things to people and admitting he has no control over it.
The book jumps around in time, with some chapters that feel as though they were written in a stream of consciousness fashion, with him melodramatically saying he thinks he might be dead before the book is published (he had some heart trouble - and he's also a hypochondriac), and others that go back in time. He only shares a little bit of information about his decades in show business. Enough to make that aspect kind of interesting, and the way he rose as a comedian clear, but not enough for any real depth.
The whole book is utterly lacking in depth, actually. I hope Marc Summers' book about his trials with OCD - Everything In Its Place - is better.
artslyz's review against another edition
3.0
I can't fairly say I'm really a
Howie Mandel fan, however I found this entertaining enough.
Howie Mandel fan, however I found this entertaining enough.
sillygoosereads's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my word this book was fantastic!!! I have no problem with recommending this book to everyone I know and the people I pass on the street.
It's laugh-out-loud funny and sometimes sad, but mostly just really honest.
Loved this book, 5 stars all the way )
It's laugh-out-loud funny and sometimes sad, but mostly just really honest.
Loved this book, 5 stars all the way )
eva_dj's review against another edition
2.0
This book was all over the place and the only thing you learn about Howie is that he can be a very mean spirited person with the pranks/jokes he tends to play on others. To him they're funny and he had no intend of hurting people's feelings, but that was the usual outcome of them. I thought it would give us more of an insight into his life.
thecurseofchris's review against another edition
5.0
I've become obsessed with Deal or No Deal reruns over the last few months (thanks Pluto TV), so I've had some time to "get to know" Howie Mandel. I noticed that he would do fist bumps to contestants, so I looked him up to see why. That is when I learned of his germaphobia, OCD, and ADHD. It's also when I found out he had written a book.
I was immediately interested in reading it, and I'm so glad I did because I loved every minute of this book. Howie describes some of his upbringing and foray into comedy (which tbh is something that I didn't know much about from him, I've only known him as the host of Deal or No Deal and a judge on America's Got Talent). Learning about this was interesting because some of Howie's humor and behavior during his earlier years seem so out of place from what I've seen of him today. But it made for captivating reading.
The best parts of the book are when he talks about his struggles with mental health. It's so refreshing to see someone, especially a celebrity, speak about their problems, and how it impacts their daily life. I fully believe that more people, especially those who are in the public eye, should do that. There would be less of a negative perception of mental health if we did.
As other reviews have said, the book does jump around a lot between time periods and topics, but honestly that just feels like a representation of who Howie is, so it didn't bother me. I also listened to the audiobook as I read, and let me tell you, that is the definitive way to do it. Howie is a great narrator and keeps you engaged throughout.
Even if you don't know a lot about Howie Mandel or aren't a fan or whatever, I still think this book is worth reading for the discussion on mental health alone. It certainly deserves more than the 3.76 average it currently has on Goodreads.
I was immediately interested in reading it, and I'm so glad I did because I loved every minute of this book. Howie describes some of his upbringing and foray into comedy (which tbh is something that I didn't know much about from him, I've only known him as the host of Deal or No Deal and a judge on America's Got Talent). Learning about this was interesting because some of Howie's humor and behavior during his earlier years seem so out of place from what I've seen of him today. But it made for captivating reading.
The best parts of the book are when he talks about his struggles with mental health. It's so refreshing to see someone, especially a celebrity, speak about their problems, and how it impacts their daily life. I fully believe that more people, especially those who are in the public eye, should do that. There would be less of a negative perception of mental health if we did.
As other reviews have said, the book does jump around a lot between time periods and topics, but honestly that just feels like a representation of who Howie is, so it didn't bother me. I also listened to the audiobook as I read, and let me tell you, that is the definitive way to do it. Howie is a great narrator and keeps you engaged throughout.
Even if you don't know a lot about Howie Mandel or aren't a fan or whatever, I still think this book is worth reading for the discussion on mental health alone. It certainly deserves more than the 3.76 average it currently has on Goodreads.
donplata's review
2.0
Lots of inaccuracies in his version compared to actual video events. Shows memory can be relative to the person.
migimon2002's review against another edition
3.0
I'm a Howie fan - from current Deal or No Deal & America's Got Talent work, all the way back to the Little Monsters of my childhood. I found this memoir a light read, with plenty of good laughs. I learned a lot about his background/childhood, as well as more about his ongoing mental-health struggles. I couldn't believe some of the jokes he played on people...boy, oh, boy did he push the boundaries (sometimes a bit too far)! I must also add that I listened to the audio version, which was narrated by Howie himself. I'm so happy to have done this because he's a natural narrator, and was able to demonstrate many of his "voices." The narrative of this book was a bit all over the map at times, but that just seemed to reflect Mandel's true nature. I'd love to hear him discuss AGT stories, as this book was published before he became a judge on the show.