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Nothing's Sacred
Comedian Lewis Black unleashes his trademark subversive wit while recounting his own life story in his New York Times bestselling memoir.
You've seen him on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart offering up his trademark angry observational humor on everything from politics to pop culture. You've seen his energetic stand-up performances on HBO, Comedy Central, and in venues across the globe. Now, for the first time, Lewis Black translates his volcanic eruptions into book form in Nothing's Sacred, a collection of rants against stupidity and authority, which oftentimes go hand in hand.
With subversive wit and intellectual honesty, Lewis examines the events of his life that shaped his antiauthoritarian point of view and developed his comedic perspective. Growing up in 1950s suburbia when father knew best and there was a sitcom to prove it, he began to regard authority with a jaundiced eye at an early age. And as that sentiment grew stronger with each passing year, so did his ability to hone in on the absurd.
True to form, he puts common sense above ideology and distills hilarious, biting commentary on all things politically and culturally relevant. "No one is safe from Lewis Black's comic missiles." ( New York Times )
You have been warned....
You've seen him on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart offering up his trademark angry observational humor on everything from politics to pop culture. You've seen his energetic stand-up performances on HBO, Comedy Central, and in venues across the globe. Now, for the first time, Lewis Black translates his volcanic eruptions into book form in Nothing's Sacred, a collection of rants against stupidity and authority, which oftentimes go hand in hand.
With subversive wit and intellectual honesty, Lewis examines the events of his life that shaped his antiauthoritarian point of view and developed his comedic perspective. Growing up in 1950s suburbia when father knew best and there was a sitcom to prove it, he began to regard authority with a jaundiced eye at an early age. And as that sentiment grew stronger with each passing year, so did his ability to hone in on the absurd.
True to form, he puts common sense above ideology and distills hilarious, biting commentary on all things politically and culturally relevant. "No one is safe from Lewis Black's comic missiles." ( New York Times )
You have been warned....
250 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
27 people are currently reading
1823 people want to read
About the author
Lewis Black
40 books183 followersLewis Niles Black is an American stand-up comedian, author, playwright and actor. He is known for his comedy style which often includes simulating a mental breakdown or an increasingly angry rant, ridiculing history, politics, religion, trends and cultural phenomena. He hosted Comedy Central's The Root of All Evil and makes regular appearances on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart delivering his "Back in Black" commentary segment. When not on the road performing, he resides in Manhattan and also maintains a residence in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Black was born in Silver Spring, Maryland. He is the son of Jeannette, a teacher, and Sam Black, an artist and mechanical engineer. He was raised in a middle-class Jewish family in Silver Spring, Maryland, graduating from Springbrook High School in 1966, summa cum laude having the highest average of all males in high school. Black claims in his book that he scored highly on the math section of his SAT exam and later applied to Princeton University among others. Black matriculated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he studied playwriting and was a brother of Pi Lambda Phi International fraternity and a member of Student Congress. He earned a Masters in Fine Arts at the Yale School of Drama in 1977.
Originally, his career was in the theater as a playwright. He served as the playwright in residence and associate artistic director of Steve Olsen's West Bank Cafe Downstairs Theatre Bar in Hell's Kitchen in New York City, where he collaborated with composer and lyricist Rusty Magee and artistic director Rand Foerster on hundreds of one-act plays from 1981 to 1989. Also with Rusty Magee, Lewis wrote the musical The Czar Of Rock and Roll, which premiered at Houston's Alley Theatre in 1990.
Black's stand-up comedy began as an opening act for the plays as he was also the master of ceremonies. After a management change at the theater, Black left and began working as a comedian as well as finding bit parts in television and films.
Lewis Black's style of comedy is that of a man who, in dealing with the absurdities of life and contemporary politics, is approaching his personal limits of sanity. Sarcasm, hyperbole, profanity, shouting and trademark angry finger-shaking bring emphasis to his topics of discussion. He once described his humor as "being on the Titanic every single day and being the only person who knows what is going to happen." He claims that he doesn't write his jokes down, he merely starts talking about something that makes him angry until he has to move on before he has a stroke.
Black describes his political affiliation as such: "I'm a socialist, so that puts me totally outside any concept...the Canadians get it. But seriously, most people don't get it. The idea of capping people's income just scares people. 'Oh, you're taking money from the rich.' Ooh, what a horrifying thing. These people really need $200 million".
Black lists his comedic influences as George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Lily Tomlin, Bob Newhart and Shelley Berman.
In 1998, he starred in his first comedy special on the series Comedy Central Presents. He starred in two additional episodes of the series in 2000 and 2002. He starred in another special for the network in 2002 titled Taxed Beyond Belief.
In 2000, Black and fellow comedian Jim Norton were arrested for their involvement with "The Naked Teen Voyeur Bus", a specially designed bus with acrylic glass walls containing numerous (18 and 19 year old) "teen girls." This bus rode around Manhattan while being broadcast on the "Opie and Anthony" radio show. Unfortunately, radio station management did not inform the O&A show that the bus' route was also the route that President Clinton was taking that same day. Twenty-eight hours after the arrest, Black and Norton were released. Black appeared on The Daily Show the following night where he stated he was exercising his constitutional rights. He then joked that the location of
Black was born in Silver Spring, Maryland. He is the son of Jeannette, a teacher, and Sam Black, an artist and mechanical engineer. He was raised in a middle-class Jewish family in Silver Spring, Maryland, graduating from Springbrook High School in 1966, summa cum laude having the highest average of all males in high school. Black claims in his book that he scored highly on the math section of his SAT exam and later applied to Princeton University among others. Black matriculated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he studied playwriting and was a brother of Pi Lambda Phi International fraternity and a member of Student Congress. He earned a Masters in Fine Arts at the Yale School of Drama in 1977.
Originally, his career was in the theater as a playwright. He served as the playwright in residence and associate artistic director of Steve Olsen's West Bank Cafe Downstairs Theatre Bar in Hell's Kitchen in New York City, where he collaborated with composer and lyricist Rusty Magee and artistic director Rand Foerster on hundreds of one-act plays from 1981 to 1989. Also with Rusty Magee, Lewis wrote the musical The Czar Of Rock and Roll, which premiered at Houston's Alley Theatre in 1990.
Black's stand-up comedy began as an opening act for the plays as he was also the master of ceremonies. After a management change at the theater, Black left and began working as a comedian as well as finding bit parts in television and films.
Lewis Black's style of comedy is that of a man who, in dealing with the absurdities of life and contemporary politics, is approaching his personal limits of sanity. Sarcasm, hyperbole, profanity, shouting and trademark angry finger-shaking bring emphasis to his topics of discussion. He once described his humor as "being on the Titanic every single day and being the only person who knows what is going to happen." He claims that he doesn't write his jokes down, he merely starts talking about something that makes him angry until he has to move on before he has a stroke.
Black describes his political affiliation as such: "I'm a socialist, so that puts me totally outside any concept...the Canadians get it. But seriously, most people don't get it. The idea of capping people's income just scares people. 'Oh, you're taking money from the rich.' Ooh, what a horrifying thing. These people really need $200 million".
Black lists his comedic influences as George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Lily Tomlin, Bob Newhart and Shelley Berman.
In 1998, he starred in his first comedy special on the series Comedy Central Presents. He starred in two additional episodes of the series in 2000 and 2002. He starred in another special for the network in 2002 titled Taxed Beyond Belief.
In 2000, Black and fellow comedian Jim Norton were arrested for their involvement with "The Naked Teen Voyeur Bus", a specially designed bus with acrylic glass walls containing numerous (18 and 19 year old) "teen girls." This bus rode around Manhattan while being broadcast on the "Opie and Anthony" radio show. Unfortunately, radio station management did not inform the O&A show that the bus' route was also the route that President Clinton was taking that same day. Twenty-eight hours after the arrest, Black and Norton were released. Black appeared on The Daily Show the following night where he stated he was exercising his constitutional rights. He then joked that the location of
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 258 reviews
March 1, 2008
This book is much better than I expected. I thought it would be cheap shots on conservatives throughout (and that does exist). But mainly it's just funny.
"All suburbs are identical. The houses may vary in size and design, but the game is the same. Everyone has the feeling that they are living in a special place, when in fact there is nothing unique about it. Being brought up in Suburbia is, therefore, like being born and raised nowhere. It is an oxygenated void. As a result, it prepares you for either depression or space travel."
"For my generation, the path to enlightenment started with drugs and ended with Guru's. I didn't quite understand how one followed the other, but meditation was becoming the next big thing. Still, I figure you can close your eyes and listen to your own breath, or you can close your eyes and touch yourself--Either way, you're going to end up in the same blissful state."
"Arnold Schwarzenegger is the governor of California and we're not even on LSD. I dont see why people bother to take drugs anymore. When reality has become a hallucination, what do you need to hallucinate for? I was walking through LAX three months after seeing Arnold in Terminator 3, and he was being sworn in as the governor on all the television sets. I had a nervous breakdown. I fell to my knees and I pissed and shit my pants. I was weeping and screaming for help. 'What is real?' I cried out. 'Can anyone tell me what is real?'"
"All suburbs are identical. The houses may vary in size and design, but the game is the same. Everyone has the feeling that they are living in a special place, when in fact there is nothing unique about it. Being brought up in Suburbia is, therefore, like being born and raised nowhere. It is an oxygenated void. As a result, it prepares you for either depression or space travel."
"For my generation, the path to enlightenment started with drugs and ended with Guru's. I didn't quite understand how one followed the other, but meditation was becoming the next big thing. Still, I figure you can close your eyes and listen to your own breath, or you can close your eyes and touch yourself--Either way, you're going to end up in the same blissful state."
"Arnold Schwarzenegger is the governor of California and we're not even on LSD. I dont see why people bother to take drugs anymore. When reality has become a hallucination, what do you need to hallucinate for? I was walking through LAX three months after seeing Arnold in Terminator 3, and he was being sworn in as the governor on all the television sets. I had a nervous breakdown. I fell to my knees and I pissed and shit my pants. I was weeping and screaming for help. 'What is real?' I cried out. 'Can anyone tell me what is real?'"
December 24, 2019
The "bonus material added" is largely a play written by Black at the start of his career. I think he is a better comedian than playwright, as I am sure he would agree. This is basically a memoir of growing up in the turbulent '60s, becoming disillusioned with government, college, drama, and well ... becoming Lewis Black as we know him. We basically know him for trademark, sputtering apoplectic fits of incoherent rage at the inanities of life and society. Here tapping away on the tour bus he is calmer and more collected and we have greater insight into this unique view and what made him, starting from a hapless, would-be provocateur invisible to women.
My life has not been as colorful and ambitious as his. I think I feel more at the point his father was:
(His father nobly withdrew from military engineering due to his conscience -- something I hope I would have the nobility and creativity to do.)
My life has not been as colorful and ambitious as his. I think I feel more at the point his father was:
When I asked my father what he really liked to do, he said, "Sit on a bench in Paris,
France, and watch people walk by."
(His father nobly withdrew from military engineering due to his conscience -- something I hope I would have the nobility and creativity to do.)
October 26, 2012
Lewis Black is one of my favorite comics, although I worry about his blood pressure. If you like his comedy, then this is probably worth a read.
May 13, 2009
I've had this sitting around for a few years, as it was a present from my daughter (I think). I finally got around to reading it. Consider it a book equivalent of a summer "popcorn" movie: entertaining at best, but not very substantial.
And that's a shame. I think he's the best stand up comic currently practicing, or at least in the top five. There's a lot to be said for his delivery. Anyone familiar with his act over the past five years or so will doubtlessly recognize several routines contained in this book.
My biggest frustration here is that there is a really good book here potentially. This is largely about his formative years, from his youthful days in suburbia through college and a bit beyond. Far too often, he wrote a short passage about a particular time in his life, it lasts a page or two, and it's over. It's simply lacking in richer details.
Now maybe a full-out autobiography would have been too egomaniacal even for Mr. Black, but this could have been a much more satisfying presentation of his life and his viewpoint. I will admit, I got a good laugh every few pages at least, so this book is not without its merits. I'd say, check it out from the library, take it on vacation, you could do worse.
And that's a shame. I think he's the best stand up comic currently practicing, or at least in the top five. There's a lot to be said for his delivery. Anyone familiar with his act over the past five years or so will doubtlessly recognize several routines contained in this book.
My biggest frustration here is that there is a really good book here potentially. This is largely about his formative years, from his youthful days in suburbia through college and a bit beyond. Far too often, he wrote a short passage about a particular time in his life, it lasts a page or two, and it's over. It's simply lacking in richer details.
Now maybe a full-out autobiography would have been too egomaniacal even for Mr. Black, but this could have been a much more satisfying presentation of his life and his viewpoint. I will admit, I got a good laugh every few pages at least, so this book is not without its merits. I'd say, check it out from the library, take it on vacation, you could do worse.
January 8, 2012
Amazingly thought provoking and amusing while also bitter sweet at times, this book was a strange choice as I don't usually look into the biographical section, but I've found Lewis Black's comedy to be to my taste, so I figured why not? Well, the book is insightful. It encourages you to look at the things we take for granted from a less than ordinary standpoint, with Lewis's less than ordinary sense of humour added to the mix. For fans, this is an absolute must, and for people who want something strange and new, I recommend it.
The downside of it being so uniquely Lewis Black is that it loses his cadence and inflection, which might confuse people who are unaccustomed to his humour. This is definitely a book that works better read aloud, preferably by the author, especially if you're new to Lewis Black. Fortunately, audible do sell it as such, and I'd definitely recommend it for anyone's commute who want's to expand their minds a little. It is a book that lives on my iPod, and one I constantly go back to listen/read again and again.
The downside of it being so uniquely Lewis Black is that it loses his cadence and inflection, which might confuse people who are unaccustomed to his humour. This is definitely a book that works better read aloud, preferably by the author, especially if you're new to Lewis Black. Fortunately, audible do sell it as such, and I'd definitely recommend it for anyone's commute who want's to expand their minds a little. It is a book that lives on my iPod, and one I constantly go back to listen/read again and again.
March 16, 2021
The essays in this book were pretty standard Lewis Black. In fact, the first quarter of the book has the problem that most books by stand up comics have. They take a part of their routine, usually a popular bit they are prepping for the retired jokes bin, turns them into chapters and calls it a day. Which is why the book lost one star.
I read the second half of this book in a little over two days. I'm not sure if it was a matter of the second half being a great book or more or right book at the right time. Sometimes, when you life turns to shit, especially when it is 100% your fault, you need someone to remind you that the only thing you can ever be in this world is yourself even if that means being an asshole. And that sometimes, given time and distance, you can even find a way to laugh at how much of ass you were...
... and I think that's something I really needed right now.
I read the second half of this book in a little over two days. I'm not sure if it was a matter of the second half being a great book or more or right book at the right time. Sometimes, when you life turns to shit, especially when it is 100% your fault, you need someone to remind you that the only thing you can ever be in this world is yourself even if that means being an asshole. And that sometimes, given time and distance, you can even find a way to laugh at how much of ass you were...
... and I think that's something I really needed right now.
September 20, 2012
I had the pleasure of seeing Lewis Black live (and the privilege of meeting him after the show) and he is one of the smartest, wittiest, sharpest comics around. I love his no-holds-barred attitude and his candor.
July 7, 2015
I'd listen to Lewis Black read the phone book. His rants are legendary and in fine form here. What I didn't expect, and was pleasantly surprised to find, was a sweet, almost sugary, heart at the center of his cynicism. Nothing is sacred indeed.
December 1, 2015
I love Lewis Black! He's one of my favorite comedians. This book is hilarious.
October 29, 2012
I never realized he was such a well read nerd in addition to the anger.
June 26, 2018
A very funny, insightful audiobook perfect for a road trip.
July 9, 2016
So, this is a lesson for me: check my goodreads bookshelf before picking up a book to read. Apparently, I read Lewis Black’s Nothing’s Sacred ten years ago. Bad news for him—I completely forget everything about it so when I came across a copy on my bookshelf, I thought, ah, I need something quick to read so I’ll read this. I’m irritated I spent time re-reading this dumb book. Lewis, I like your stand-up comedy, but this book is mediocre.
I’ve read a number of books by comedians now and aside from Sarah Silverman’s The Bedwetter: Stories of Redemption, Courage and Pee, none of them were very funny or well-written. Their humor is more in their delivery and relevance to current events and they do not translate into print. I have yet to read any George Carlin, so maybe he will be an exception to this rule. So far, however, comedians can’t write humor (Sarah excepted). Lewis Black’s memoir (ish) book is not any worse than Tina Fey’s or Samantha Bee’s books; it’s as mediocre and (mostly) humorless as those were. What kills me about comedians who write memoirs (or books that are memoir-like) is the colorless, emotionless personal stories they tell. Lewis discusses his family and it’s clear that he loved them, but he’s not a good enough writer to convey any significant emotion. It’s like reading a facts-only profile in a newspaper.
While Lewis gives a loose account of his younger years and start in stand-up comedy, he intersperses it with not-funny rants about the government, politics, cellphones and the popularity of Starbucks. These rants are disappointing because they seem to be full of fake rage and the some of the text is almost word-for-word from his comedy routines. I think the routines came first. It’s clear Lewis didn’t have as much to say as his publishers hoped he would (as he does admit to this at the beginning of the book) so he padded the book with chapters of recycled comedy routines. Which, again, aren’t funny. When I heard them, I laughed my ass off. Reading them, not so much.
It’s odd that so far, almost every comedian (except Sarah Silverman) whose books I’ve read is mediocre and only vaguely amusing. I guess they should stick to their comedy routines and leave writing to the professionals.
My review from reading it in November 2006:
Part memoir, part his comedy routines. I do love Lewis, but a lot of his humor is in the delivery, not so much the lines. The humor doesn't translate as well into print. I miss his trademark yelling and gesturing.
I’ve read a number of books by comedians now and aside from Sarah Silverman’s The Bedwetter: Stories of Redemption, Courage and Pee, none of them were very funny or well-written. Their humor is more in their delivery and relevance to current events and they do not translate into print. I have yet to read any George Carlin, so maybe he will be an exception to this rule. So far, however, comedians can’t write humor (Sarah excepted). Lewis Black’s memoir (ish) book is not any worse than Tina Fey’s or Samantha Bee’s books; it’s as mediocre and (mostly) humorless as those were. What kills me about comedians who write memoirs (or books that are memoir-like) is the colorless, emotionless personal stories they tell. Lewis discusses his family and it’s clear that he loved them, but he’s not a good enough writer to convey any significant emotion. It’s like reading a facts-only profile in a newspaper.
While Lewis gives a loose account of his younger years and start in stand-up comedy, he intersperses it with not-funny rants about the government, politics, cellphones and the popularity of Starbucks. These rants are disappointing because they seem to be full of fake rage and the some of the text is almost word-for-word from his comedy routines. I think the routines came first. It’s clear Lewis didn’t have as much to say as his publishers hoped he would (as he does admit to this at the beginning of the book) so he padded the book with chapters of recycled comedy routines. Which, again, aren’t funny. When I heard them, I laughed my ass off. Reading them, not so much.
It’s odd that so far, almost every comedian (except Sarah Silverman) whose books I’ve read is mediocre and only vaguely amusing. I guess they should stick to their comedy routines and leave writing to the professionals.
My review from reading it in November 2006:
Part memoir, part his comedy routines. I do love Lewis, but a lot of his humor is in the delivery, not so much the lines. The humor doesn't translate as well into print. I miss his trademark yelling and gesturing.
January 22, 2019
If you have been lucky enough to see any of Lew's live shows, a lot of what is in the book is also in his act, but, that's ok! Lewis Black is a lone voice screaming at us, telling us what is wrong, and how to laugh at it. I am a BIG Fan, and he fills the void caused by Bill Hicks' death.
Lew tells us about growing up, gives us stories and images of his father, mother, brother and friends who helped him mold into the observational humorist he is. Great stories, I was peeing in my pants reading the introduction!
Lew tells us about growing up, gives us stories and images of his father, mother, brother and friends who helped him mold into the observational humorist he is. Great stories, I was peeing in my pants reading the introduction!
September 25, 2007
I'm a big fan of this comic's acerbic material so when I saw this autobio on the dollar rack, I thought what the heck. Black's telling of his own history is mildly interesting and he does work a lot of his show material into the book. The problem is none of it is as funny in print as it is performed. "It was Okay" rating because I was mildly engaged and I only spent a dollar for it.
January 5, 2018
217 Reading pages.
Lewis Black is the only person who can scream in written form. "Oh Eric lots of people yell when they write, it's called exclamation..." nonononononono. Lewis Black yells in writing. If you like Lewis Black, you'll enjoy this. If you don't, you won't. What more could you conceivably expect me to tell you.
Lewis Black is the only person who can scream in written form. "Oh Eric lots of people yell when they write, it's called exclamation..." nonononononono. Lewis Black yells in writing. If you like Lewis Black, you'll enjoy this. If you don't, you won't. What more could you conceivably expect me to tell you.
August 23, 2014
I love Lewis Black! He is a nerdy funny guy & has a sense of writing that makes you crack up. And crack up I did!
I laughed while reading every page. I couldn't put it down it.
Black has a unique smart funny storytelling way & it comes alive in this book.
Great read.
I laughed while reading every page. I couldn't put it down it.
Black has a unique smart funny storytelling way & it comes alive in this book.
Great read.
September 11, 2017
Lewis is a great storyteller and like his comedy it's unapologetic. Listen to his story of JFK, Johnson and Jackie O...keep listening after that....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2017
A fun read about how his thinking originated.
December 2, 2023
Picked this up at a Little Free Library. I certainly have enjoyed Mr. Black’s loud tirades, mostly against fools of all species and at all levels, delivered in that gravelly voice, in the persona of the lovable curmudgeon with the 70’s double-knit sport jacket and wide tie, loosened just so. Well, this memoir gives us some insight into how this fellow came to be who he is, and a circuitous route it is. One can sense the public bombast in many of the sentences of this book, but, really, most of it is a more soft-spoken meditation on his life.
First off, Mr. Black is the son of a Jewish government worker whose parents emigrated from Russia during the Cold War, and who inculcated in the young lad a love for the theater; and a Catholic mother whose sarcasm Mr. Black admired greatly. He was brought up in the 1950’s, under the Communist Scare, the Space Race, and other aspects of the times, and has comments on all of it. He has a lot to say about religion, which can be briefly summarized in the chapter headings of two successive chapters: “Judaism: We created the concept of Guilt” and “Catholics; These are the people who codified guilt.” Notably, he addresses the somewhat controversial addition of the words “Under God” into the Pledge of Allegiance. His comment:
“…Yet I’ve known a lot of atheists in my life, and none of them has ever been interested in this ongoing debate. Where does the atheist get the energy for this kind of activity, anyway? They don’t even have the energy to have faith, for God’s sake.”
And, of course, growing up in a Washington, D.C. suburb, he was exposed to politics from an early age. He dates his sarcasm from the death of President Kennedy, which turned his life, security, and expectations upside down (“Nothing develops one’s sense of the funny more than the hard reality of trauma”). In high school (“The real world is just like high school, only there are more places to eat”), he became interested in subservice literature and indeed collaborated with friends (all of whom, Mr. Black indicates were funny) to fashion very sarcastic and at times very dark cartoons. He also was involved in student government, at least in writing campaign speeches for those running for student government; “I was writing for people running against each other and nobody seemed to mind.” His trip to the 1964 Democratic Convention left him “profoundly depressed about the state of our democracy.”
With this background, Mr. Black had a variety of jobs, including a depressing Civil Service position helping the people of Appalachia; playwright; co-owner of a theater in Colorado Springs; and at as club called the Cat’s Cradle, where because he liked public speaking he was invited to do stand-up comedy between band sets. He describes his development as a comedian as torturous and fraught with many instances of “bombing” and questioning whether this had been a good decision (not an uncommon challenge for those facing an audience). He also managed to obtain an MA from the Yale Drama School and, as a break from all the craziness, moved to a cabin in Michigan, where he and some friends got drunk and watched the Watergate hearings.
Certainly a more complex background for sarcastically spouting political criticism than one might imagine. I greatly enjoyed this book and would recommend it, certainly for fans of Mr. Black, but really, for fans of any political pundit and/or comedian. Five stars.
First off, Mr. Black is the son of a Jewish government worker whose parents emigrated from Russia during the Cold War, and who inculcated in the young lad a love for the theater; and a Catholic mother whose sarcasm Mr. Black admired greatly. He was brought up in the 1950’s, under the Communist Scare, the Space Race, and other aspects of the times, and has comments on all of it. He has a lot to say about religion, which can be briefly summarized in the chapter headings of two successive chapters: “Judaism: We created the concept of Guilt” and “Catholics; These are the people who codified guilt.” Notably, he addresses the somewhat controversial addition of the words “Under God” into the Pledge of Allegiance. His comment:
“…Yet I’ve known a lot of atheists in my life, and none of them has ever been interested in this ongoing debate. Where does the atheist get the energy for this kind of activity, anyway? They don’t even have the energy to have faith, for God’s sake.”
And, of course, growing up in a Washington, D.C. suburb, he was exposed to politics from an early age. He dates his sarcasm from the death of President Kennedy, which turned his life, security, and expectations upside down (“Nothing develops one’s sense of the funny more than the hard reality of trauma”). In high school (“The real world is just like high school, only there are more places to eat”), he became interested in subservice literature and indeed collaborated with friends (all of whom, Mr. Black indicates were funny) to fashion very sarcastic and at times very dark cartoons. He also was involved in student government, at least in writing campaign speeches for those running for student government; “I was writing for people running against each other and nobody seemed to mind.” His trip to the 1964 Democratic Convention left him “profoundly depressed about the state of our democracy.”
With this background, Mr. Black had a variety of jobs, including a depressing Civil Service position helping the people of Appalachia; playwright; co-owner of a theater in Colorado Springs; and at as club called the Cat’s Cradle, where because he liked public speaking he was invited to do stand-up comedy between band sets. He describes his development as a comedian as torturous and fraught with many instances of “bombing” and questioning whether this had been a good decision (not an uncommon challenge for those facing an audience). He also managed to obtain an MA from the Yale Drama School and, as a break from all the craziness, moved to a cabin in Michigan, where he and some friends got drunk and watched the Watergate hearings.
Certainly a more complex background for sarcastically spouting political criticism than one might imagine. I greatly enjoyed this book and would recommend it, certainly for fans of Mr. Black, but really, for fans of any political pundit and/or comedian. Five stars.
February 2, 2022
While I found parts of this memoir absorbing, there’s really not much to distinguish it from other life stories of the sort. We get a comedian/comedienne who outlines the various paths that led to a career in stand-up comedy. Such paths are usually peripatetic because a lot of children really don’t know what they want to be as adults and Mr. Black was no exception.
Moving from academia (where you go to waste your time enjoying yourself while holding off the reality of the outside world), laboring at the post office and understanding how it is that mailroom workers lose their minds and take a shotgun to their co-workers to amateur theater, he stumbled sideways into the comedy world. He was hilariously bad at it, flailing away and dying onstage.
All right, I’ll admit those passages were funny. But I was rather hoping to see more of his trenchant and incisive views against religion. I’ve seen his standup routines about the ridiculous nature of religious screeds. He’s also firm in his contempt towards inept authority figures and who’s more of an authority figure except god?
After all, the cover shows him sprawled across a statue of the Virgin Mary. Heck, the very title of this book is Nothing Sacred. So where’s the atheist stuff? There are a couple of chapters ribbing Judaism and Catholicism. But they’re rather short and don’t dig into the subject as much as you would expect from a man who once stated that he wanted to believe in the world was created in seven days...but he had thoughts and that can really screw up the faith thing (except he didn’t use the word “screw”).
So this isn’t quite the book that I was hoping it would be. It’s good enough introduction to a man termed the “angry comic”. But don’t be fooled by the image in front. God and his minions are fairly untouched within its covers.
Moving from academia (where you go to waste your time enjoying yourself while holding off the reality of the outside world), laboring at the post office and understanding how it is that mailroom workers lose their minds and take a shotgun to their co-workers to amateur theater, he stumbled sideways into the comedy world. He was hilariously bad at it, flailing away and dying onstage.
All right, I’ll admit those passages were funny. But I was rather hoping to see more of his trenchant and incisive views against religion. I’ve seen his standup routines about the ridiculous nature of religious screeds. He’s also firm in his contempt towards inept authority figures and who’s more of an authority figure except god?
After all, the cover shows him sprawled across a statue of the Virgin Mary. Heck, the very title of this book is Nothing Sacred. So where’s the atheist stuff? There are a couple of chapters ribbing Judaism and Catholicism. But they’re rather short and don’t dig into the subject as much as you would expect from a man who once stated that he wanted to believe in the world was created in seven days...but he had thoughts and that can really screw up the faith thing (except he didn’t use the word “screw”).
So this isn’t quite the book that I was hoping it would be. It’s good enough introduction to a man termed the “angry comic”. But don’t be fooled by the image in front. God and his minions are fairly untouched within its covers.
June 3, 2021
Why I keep reading these sort-of autobiographies of stand-up comics, I don't know. I hope that I will find more jokes and funny comments on life than they end up delivering. This was especially disappointing, given the irascible persona Black assumes in performance. Here, he is just another wanna be telling his not very interesting show biz story. Few jokes, few diatribes, little of anything to remember.
Read as bedtime reading, for which it was good, being so dull. A flop I will try to give away to a Little Library, to disappoint someone else.
I will remember that it failed to convey the never-satisfied aggravation of his stage persona/ Published in 2005, before he got into the career mold that he refined: mad as hell guy, who can only bluster hilariously at the stupidity of others.
Read as bedtime reading, for which it was good, being so dull. A flop I will try to give away to a Little Library, to disappoint someone else.
I will remember that it failed to convey the never-satisfied aggravation of his stage persona/ Published in 2005, before he got into the career mold that he refined: mad as hell guy, who can only bluster hilariously at the stupidity of others.
January 29, 2023
I love Lewis Black's apoplectic rants about politics and culture. I just wish there was more of that here! It was more of a straight memoir than I expected. I did find it interesting and there were definitely funny parts, so don't let this discourage you from reading the book; just know what to expect.
Since he is so well-known for skewering organized religion in his comedy, I was curious about his upbringing. (While he was raised in a mostly non-practicing Jewish family, he did attend Hebrew school until his bar mitzvah). My favorite part was his stories from when he was in college in the 60s. It's such a crazy time period, so it's always interesting to hear people's memories from that era.
Overall, it's interesting enough if you like Lewis Black, but I wasn't blown away.
Since he is so well-known for skewering organized religion in his comedy, I was curious about his upbringing. (While he was raised in a mostly non-practicing Jewish family, he did attend Hebrew school until his bar mitzvah). My favorite part was his stories from when he was in college in the 60s. It's such a crazy time period, so it's always interesting to hear people's memories from that era.
Overall, it's interesting enough if you like Lewis Black, but I wasn't blown away.
June 8, 2018
Cash-grab memoirs by stand-up comedians are usually pretty half-baked, and this one is even shoddier and more forgettable than most.
The one saving grace is the full text of Lewis’ favorite one-act theater piece, The Deal (he attended the Yale School of Drama in the 1970s, wrote dozens of plays over twenty years, and honed his comedy chops as the “opening act” of his own dramatic works).
As of this writing, the delightful 1998 film version of The Deal, starring Joe Grifasi and the great Larry Pine, is up on YouTube (runtime 19:27).
The one saving grace is the full text of Lewis’ favorite one-act theater piece, The Deal (he attended the Yale School of Drama in the 1970s, wrote dozens of plays over twenty years, and honed his comedy chops as the “opening act” of his own dramatic works).
As of this writing, the delightful 1998 film version of The Deal, starring Joe Grifasi and the great Larry Pine, is up on YouTube (runtime 19:27).
July 26, 2018
DNF.
I've had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Black live at least once. I really enjoyed his performance. He's like that aggravated uncle who rants about any topic and you find yourself nodding in agreement with his point of view. It can be quite funny.
Nothing Sacred is a loose string of his rants about a wide variety of subjects. The common thread throughout is he's giving you his background and a little bit about the people who shaped who he is today.
I grew bored. Especially during his college years when he experimented with drugs and political activism. Foolish shenanigans.
I may finish this one someday.
I've had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Black live at least once. I really enjoyed his performance. He's like that aggravated uncle who rants about any topic and you find yourself nodding in agreement with his point of view. It can be quite funny.
Nothing Sacred is a loose string of his rants about a wide variety of subjects. The common thread throughout is he's giving you his background and a little bit about the people who shaped who he is today.
I grew bored. Especially during his college years when he experimented with drugs and political activism. Foolish shenanigans.
I may finish this one someday.
May 26, 2017
It didn't surprise me that Black would not be funny on the page. His humor relies much more on presentation than content, even when he isn't pretending to be a less thoughtful version of George Carlin. Where this book truly fails is that it does nothing to illuminate Black as a person. He chose instead to meander through parts of his life with little insight, save to make multiple references to how cool it was to do drugs. There isn't any depth to what Black reveals, and lacking humor, what else could he have held as a goal?
October 21, 2025
This is okay. I like Lewis Black and reading in his traditional rant voice. It was also enjoyable having to hear his story in how he became a famous stand-up. Except I didn't unfortunately. We are treated to your standard autobiography but I never got to hear how Lewis Black became Lewis Black!
We are treated to his beginning failures as a stand-up comic but what changed? How did he get from doing poorly in open houses to where he is today?
It's frustrating to never get that answer from his point of view. Still interesting to hear him talk about his early life though.
We are treated to his beginning failures as a stand-up comic but what changed? How did he get from doing poorly in open houses to where he is today?
It's frustrating to never get that answer from his point of view. Still interesting to hear him talk about his early life though.
July 29, 2017
A hodgepodge of tangents for jokes and memoir. I've never liked his stand up much so it was pretty dumb on my part to try his book. As I've seen with other comedian's books, they often use material from their standup routines or vice versa. That always strikes me as kind of lazy but I also recognize that's a pretty absurd feeling. I appreciated the sections he devoted to personal reflections on being a comic and his path to get there.
February 12, 2021
I love me some Lewis Black, but this gets a 2 for 'partially meets expectations' on my corporate based review system. I really just wanted to laugh, but this is more of a memoir than a comedy book. So, it gets a 2 because there weren't many laugh out loud moments and right at the beginning he says he's not going to write about politics and then he goes on to write about- can you guess? Politics. We can all use a break from that right now.
January 18, 2023
So i listened to the audiobook (I'm dyslexic) and honestly this is one of those things that almost got me in trouble as I couldn't stop listening to this book and well I didn't get enough sleep also I was on my break and was just laughing so hard that my kinder students heard me and demanded to know why I was laughing.
That is to say Lewis Black makes something that just get it. This is something that resinates with my over worked underpaid self.
That is to say Lewis Black makes something that just get it. This is something that resinates with my over worked underpaid self.
February 9, 2018
Had to read this book by fellow Springbrook High School graduate, although he had graduated before I even started there. Wonder if he would remember my mom, the lunch lady? Probably not...
If you enjoy his comedy, you'll probably like this book. Couldn't help but hear his voice as I read it. If you're not a fan, you should probably skip it.
If you enjoy his comedy, you'll probably like this book. Couldn't help but hear his voice as I read it. If you're not a fan, you should probably skip it.
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