In a career spanning more than thirty years, Letterman redefined the modern talk show with an ironic comic style that transcended traditional television. Yet he is a remote, even reclusive, figure whose career is widely misunderstood. Zinoman goes behind the scenes of Letterman's television career to illuminate the origins of his revolutionary comedy, its overlooked influences, and how his work intersects with and reveals his famously eccentric personality....

"The best-selling author of Jim Henson: The Biography traces the story of the man behind such blockbuster franchises as Star Wars and Indiana Jones, offering insight into the challenges he overcame and his influential legacy,"--NoveList. May 25, 1977. A problem-plagued independent science-fiction film opened in a handful of movie theaters-- and became one of the biggest box-office-smashing movie franchises of all time. Lucas went on to develop the...

Gary Sinise shares the never-before-told story of his journey from trouble-making Chicago kid to cofounder of the legendary Steppenwolf Theater Company, world-famous actor, and tireless advocate for America's active duty defenders, veterans, and first responders. --

In December 2016, the world was shaken by the sudden deaths of Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds, occurring less than 24 hours apart. Debbie's only remaining child, Todd Fisher, somehow retained his grace and composure under the glare of the media spotlight as he struggled with his own overwhelming grief. In My girls, Todd shares his heart and his memories of Debbie and Carrie with deeply personal stories from his earliest years to those...

A candid, hilarious, and heartbreaking memoir of resilience and redemption by comedic genius Molly Shannon. At age four, Molly Shannon's world was shattered when she lost her mother, baby sister, and cousin in a car accident with her father at the wheel. Held together by her tender and complicated relationship with her grieving father, Molly was raised in a permissive household where her gift for improvising and role-playing blossomed alongside the...

The longest-serving writer and producer for "The Simpsons" offers a humorous look at the writing and making of the legendary Fox series that has become one of the most revered artistic achievements in television history.

The Harvard-educated comedian, talk-show host, and U.S. Senator chronicles the story of his unlikely senatorial campaign, detailing the ensuing months-long recount and what his service has taught him about America's deeply polarized political culture. "From the #1 bestselling author--a book about an award-winning comedian who decided to run for office and then discovered why award-winning comedians tend not to do that. This is a book about an unlikely...

"We see Bob Fosse's legacy everywhere--from Broadway to "Billy Jean" to Beyonce;'s moves in the "Single Ladies" video. Yet in spite of Fosse's deep cultural significance, no biography has ever brought him fully to life, unveiling the man behind the bowler hat and the swaggering sex appeal. Now, acclaimed cultural historian Sam Wasson traces Fosse's numberless reinventions of himself over a career that would spawn The Pajama Game, Cabaret, Pippin,...

Collecting material from half a century in comedy, a chronologically arranged selection of favorite skits and memories by the iconic funnyman includes selections from his original "Catch a Rising Star" performance. "Since his first performance at the legendary New York nightclub "Catch a Rising Star" as a twenty-one-year-old college student in fall of 1975, Jerry Seinfeld has written his own material and saved everything. "Whenever I came up with...

"With lives, empires, and hearts hanging in the balance, Tella must decide if she's going to trust Legend or a former enemy. After uncovering a secret that upends her life, Scarlett will need to do the impossible. And Legend has a choice to make that will forever change and define him"-- It has been two months since the Fates were set free from a deck of cards, since Legend claimed the throne for his own, and since Tella discovered the boy she fell...