How to Get to Carnegie Hall
Reiser recalls his memorable encounters with legendary Hollywood greats whose advice, friendship and example showed him how to be a better artist and better man. Both touching and funny, Reiser shares the intimate details of inspiring backstage moments with comedy greats such as Johnny Carson, Carl Reiner, Neil Simon, Carol Burnett, and Peter Falk, and what they taught him about life, work, and creativity. Finding himself at a loss for advice as his own children come of age, Reiser invokes an age-old joke – “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” – to remind us that some things never change, especially the eternal value of hard work and practice.
Familyhood
“For the longest time, based on no evidence other than our own insecurity and sense of incompetence, my wife and I were convinced that we were the flat-out, no-question-about-it, least-skilled parents in the country. Furthermore, we were convinced that every other set of parents we knew was perfect. They were more thorough in going over their kids’ homework, they set better boundaries than we do, didn’t let their kids watch as many hours of TV as we do, raised kids who are unfailingly polite in public and have a far greater sense of community and public service than our underachieving offspring over there on the couch watching SpongeBob. We were certain everybody else’s kids willingly and joyfully eat nothing but healthy foods, shunning all candy and candy-based products, they all sensibly and automatically put on weather-appropriate clothing, and voluntarily call their grandparents with clockwork regularity, giving fully detailed accounts of their numerous accomplishments, ending with testimonials to their wonderful and perfect parents.
In the number one New York Times bestseller Couplehood, Paul Reiser writes about the highs and lows of falling in love and getting married-and the heart-break and hilarity that comes with it. In Babyhood, he turned his sharply observant eye to the experiences of having a brand-new family. And now in Familyhood, Reiser shares his observations on parenting, marriage, and mid-life with the wit, warmth, and humor that he’s so well-known for.
From the first experience of sending his two boys off to summer camp-the early feeling of gleeful freedom in an empty house, to realizing how empty the house actually was-to maneuvering the minefield of bad words learned at school, this hilarious new book captures the spirit of familyhood, the logical next frontier for Reiser’s trademark perspective on the universal truths of life, love, and relationships.
Babyhood
“I’m going to be totally honest. This is not the kind of book that can help you. It’s not a “how-to”, “when-to”, a “what-to-expect” book. It’s not even endorsed by anyone remotely connected to the medical profession. (Although a cousin of mine who sells carpeting to doctors’ offices not only found it “insightful” and “informative,” but felt that, “if properly vacuumed, it should last a lifetime.”)
“A fine endorsement,” you say. “But if I have only one book to buy, shouldn’t I go for the helpful one?”
So really, it’s up to you. If you want to be prepared and well-informed, I understand. But if you enjoy seeing the words “pterodactyl” and “uterus” in the same book, you’ve got to the right place.
Couplehood
Reiser brings his trademark wit to the page in a book that will delight his eagerly-awaiting audience, and anyone else who has ever fallen in love-or tried not to. In Couplehood, a New York Times bestseller for more than 40 weeks, Reiser reflects on what it means to be half of a couple-everything from the science of hand holding, to the technique of tag-team storytelling, to the politics of food and why it always seems to come down to chicken or fish.
Unusual Suspects
Actor/comedian Paul Reiser of MAD ABOUT YOU and DINER fame has teamed up with British singer-songwriter for UNUSUAL SUSPECTS, an album of original songs featuring Fordham’s vocals and Reiser’s piano playing. Fordham contributed the lyrics, while Reiser, a composition major in college, wrote the music.
The comedian describes the collaborations on UNUSUAL SUSPECTS as “bittersweet songs about loves that have died, loves that are dying, loves that you wish would hitch app do you a favor and die… surprisingly heavy stuff for two pretty contented people. (Paul wanted to call the album “Why So Sad?” but was thankfully dissuaded.)”