How To Get To Carnegie Hall

by Paul Reiser

In this witty, insightful new Kindle Single, Paul Reiser — the #1 New York Times bestselling author and star of TV’s classic sitcom Mad About You — recalls his memorable encounters with legendary Hollywood greats whose advice, friendship and example showed him how to be a better artist and better man. By turns touching and comic, Reiser shares the intimate details of inspiring backstage moments with comedy greats such as Bill Cosby, 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. It’s a lesson consigned with wisdom, humor and an unabashed love of life, by one of America’s most beloved comedians.

As a seasoned actor, writer, and stand-up comedian, Paul Reiser has appeared in many films and television shows, including co-creating and starring in the critically acclaimed NBC series, Mad About You, which garnered him multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild nominations. He is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Couplehood and Babyhood, and most recently, Familyhood. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two kids.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Short Stories

20 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 5, 2014

Reviews

[Sheila Carsins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I First Saw Paul Reiser on "Mad About You"...

And he's still endearingly, sweet, thoughtful, funny, and honest about his thoughts and emotions. They absolutely "rocked" on "Mad About You," with Helen Hunt playing his wife (and I will always admire her for the same reasons that I like Paul.) His book is fabulous! I still enjoy his caring spirit ,his appreciation for the finer details in life, (the ones that are like special, beautiful, presents from God), Paul is a good -hearted man with a great outlook on life, and a genuine appreciation for his fellow actors and life's foibles. You can tell that he's still a great, caring man by his insights in his wonderful book!

Aside from that, I would love to see the networks bring back "Mad About You," without worrying about how their lives have transgressed from the last episode to the present. The baby could be grown up and living anywhere else in the world, and they could pick up the show from there. They could be grandparents - or not- and roll camera from that point. Just a thought...

Thank you, Paul Reiser! I enjoyed your book! Likewise, I loved your tv show. Thanks for sharing some of your thoughts from a few of the highlights from your life. Congratulations on your son's graduation!

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always liked Paul Reiser but this made me love him!

Anyone who ever has laughed at Paul Reiser will like, love or laugh while reading this book. I was a little disappointed at how short it was but it allowed me an hour of fun reading and some wonderful laughs. It also made me remember some of the wonderful talents I was lucky enough to watch in my lifetime. I miss watching Mad About You but this brought back some of the funny memories from the show. Paul's son and his graduating Class was very lucky to have such a wise and funny man give them such sage advice.

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Paul Reiser's comedy and it certainly comes through in this short work. In How To Get To Carnegie Hall, Reiser waxes nostalgic on the legends of comedy that he has worked with over the years and the great lessons he has learned from them about working as a comedian in show business. You can tell he loves his craft and the people that has inspired him along the way.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small story, big insight

Small story, big insight

I bought this after I saw a tweet from Jerry Seinfeld about it. It delivers in a way a graduation commencement speech would. just wish it was longer!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this during a commute to work. It's that fast a read. I found as I was driving that I was just smiling the whole way enjoying this simple wisdom and truth about life. Highly recommend. It would make a great gift for anyone graduating high school or college, too.

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Reiser's books and I was thrilled to be able to read anything new by him. It was fun hearing a bit from behind the scenes of Mad About You, and it was interesting to read his reflections on life and success. I hope he writes another book soon, but if not, I hope he keeps the singles coming!

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great advice

Paul Reiser is so fun. I have enjoyed him since Mad About You and his first two books, Couplehood and Babyhood. This little story is an enjoyable read. Highly recommended.

[Terri Trujillo dunlap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good message, slightly amusing and very short.

[Gregory Rothbard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun short read is like a fun short run, not much work but a lot of pay-off.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good read. Interesting, funny, and a good message. Just wish it was longer.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great advice from Mr. Reiser, can never hear it enough. Wish the book was longer because I loved reading his stories about working with other actors and comedians.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always loved me some Paul Reiser and thought he was so funny. His humor comes through in this short kindle single.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

As kind of an informal commencement address, Paul Reiser tells stories about when he was fortunate enough to work with some comedy greats (think Mel Brooks, Peter Falk, Carl Reiner, Johnny Carson) and the lessons he learned from each of them. I’ve read all of Reiser’s other books and enjoyed “My Two Dads” as a teen. If you are also a fan of “Mad About You” (the 1990s run) as I am, then you will love this short read.

[Jeff Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember Paul Reiser from Mad About You, and he had a turn on Married recently that I was a fan of, so when I was looking for something quick to download for my monthly Prime thing, why not? This is sort of a pseudo-graduation speech type thing as he puts it (in a better way) and it's a good treatise on what constitutes success with some nice little anecdotes along the way. It's fast and simple, and I liked it for what it was. Worth the few minutes.

[Liza · Rating 4 out of 5]

If only it were longer.