There is a lot of non-fiction survival books out there and there a lot of great ones. This one isn't bad either. The hook is that the survivor in thisThere is a lot of non-fiction survival books out there and there a lot of great ones. This one isn't bad either. The hook is that the survivor in this case is 11 years old. Norman Ollestad recalls his survival tale but also interjects stories of skiing snd surfing with his dad. The survival tale to me comes second. It's drawn out and not particularly thrilling. His dad dies and so does his dad's girlfriend.
The best part to me was the after effects of the event. Norman Ollestad becomes a delinquent youth after his father dies and lashes out at his mother and her boyfriend. This part of the book felt to me like it was fiction, not in a bad way. It's just that Ollestad's story was something out of pretty good fiction and he has a good mind for recalling his angsty years after his father's death. I liked that part. It made perfect sense that this was Ollestad's reaction as an 11 year old who lost his father. It was also a great decision to add this part of his life to the book because the survival story isn't the greatest; he essentially just descends a mountain. ...more
An interesting book about the rise of the Comedy Store stand-up club in Los Angeles and the strike by stand-up comedians which occurred as a result ofAn interesting book about the rise of the Comedy Store stand-up club in Los Angeles and the strike by stand-up comedians which occurred as a result of the comedians not being paid by the owners. This is the main part of the book and it's quite interesting. Comedians organizing a union makes for an interesting labour history lesson.
The detailed history includes the accounts of many famous comedians coming to LA before they made it big. Letterman, Leno, Richard Lewis and Robin Williams among others. There was of course a lot of drugs and a lot of booze and plenty of interesting stories.
The union organizing had me interested though. The conditions at the club were pretty deplorable. The owner claimed the club was a "training ground" and as a result didn't pay the comedians anything. The rest of the staff was paid handsomely and the club expanded many times to the point where there were more than 3 rooms with a total of 900 seats. Patrons were charged a cover charge as well.
A classic union battle ensues but this time it's Letterman and Leno on the front lines. Richard Pryor, Bob Hope and Johnny Carson also come on board with the good guys.
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