Scan barcode
A review by thecurseofchris
Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me by Howie Mandel, Josh Young
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.