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Rickles' Book: A Memoir
Why you need to buy RICKLES' Book immediately: RICKLES' BOOK will help you win friends and influence people.
RICKLES' BOOK will introduce you to all of his famous friends, from Frank Sinatra to Johnny Carson.
RICKLES' BOOK will help you lose weight.
RICKLES' BOOK will help you gain weight.
RICKLES' BOOK will improve your love life.
RICKLES' BOOK will make you cry. (If your love...more
RICKLES' BOOK will introduce you to all of his famous friends, from Frank Sinatra to Johnny Carson.
RICKLES' BOOK will help you lose weight.
RICKLES' BOOK will help you gain weight.
RICKLES' BOOK will improve your love life.
RICKLES' BOOK will make you cry. (If your love...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
May 8th 2007
by Simon & Schuster
(first published January 1st 2007)
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Hey, Hockey Puck! What ya readin’? Can’t you hear him now? For 50 years, Don Rickles has made people laugh, mostly by making fun of them and often venturing into territory no man in his right mind would go. In ‘Rickles’ Book’ (he couldn’t come up with a title), the man chronicles his life from his early days in Brooklyn taking any jobs he could get as an entertainer (bar mitzvahs and weddings were the mainstays back then) to his slow-but-steady rise to fame in the clubs of New York, Miami, Holly...more
Lately, I've been watching a ton of the old Dean Martin celebrity roasts. And whenever Rickles appears, I look forward to his monologue. In these roasts, he is very aggressive with his humor, but when he gets sentimental/sincere, it's flabbergasting! These moments made me curious about his life and I quickly devoured this book in a single sitting.
This books is very short, especially considering the career that Rickles had, and I feel that so much more could have been said. Basically, this is a b...more
This books is very short, especially considering the career that Rickles had, and I feel that so much more could have been said. Basically, this is a b...more
Jul 27, 2011
Shannon
added it
okay, i've been a MODERATE fan of rickles...meaning i saw him guest-star on my beloved childhood favorite tv show "gilligan's island" as a big-mouth kidnapper. rickles is an insult comic. you have to get that in order to get the book. it's a very snappish, honest narrative about the life of a performer back in the days of railroad trains, variety shows, and a skinny frank sinatra, with whom he's rubbed elbows on more than one occassion.
to be honest, i think watching an interview of don rickles p...more
to be honest, i think watching an interview of don rickles p...more
Rickles' memoir was an easy read and quite fascinating. Though the book isn't all that thick it is filled with bits of Rickles' that allow the reader to check under the hood and see what makes this man run. I expected a wise-ass abrasive commentary on life but what I got was an outline of the times and how Rickles' life fed into it all. I also learned bits about Sinatra who was an integral part of Rickles' life, events others would either dare not mention or approach in a trashy tell-all journal...more
Saw Rickles in an Indian casino recently and he KILLED! What an inspiration. In his mid-80s, Rickles stomped the stage and owned the audience, his hair-trigger tongue as agile as it has ever been.
But Rickles was never a traditional stand-up, eschewing the written joke in favor of the in-the-moment, cold-cocking ad-lib. "Rickles' Book" suffers mainly in comparison to the explosive wit of the man in flesh. The anecdotes are pleasant enough, and the old-timey show biz stories about Sinatra and Bob...more
But Rickles was never a traditional stand-up, eschewing the written joke in favor of the in-the-moment, cold-cocking ad-lib. "Rickles' Book" suffers mainly in comparison to the explosive wit of the man in flesh. The anecdotes are pleasant enough, and the old-timey show biz stories about Sinatra and Bob...more
Like all of us, I watched Don Rickles on TV and in movies throughout my life. What impresses me is that although he is an improvisational comedian, who likes to single people out in the audience and joke about them, he does it with a lot of restraint, class, and professionalism. The book shows his deep sense of humility, family and love for his many friends. I was surprised to find out our Apollo 17 astronauts even listened to one of his comedy tapes on the moon. He was a good friend of Sinatra...more
You won't get anything out of this book that you couldn't get by reading or watching an interview with Rickles. Once you remove all the blank pages, this comes out to be about 100 pages long. It's just a series of 2- and 3-page segments that tell stories from his life, but it's not particularly illuminating. If you see it at a dollar store, feel free to pick it up. Otherwise, watch him on Letterman. The old man is still sharp and does a good job when he's on with Dave. If you'd rather watch him...more
One of the first records I owned was "Hello Dummy" by Don Rickles, an acidic attack on every minority to ever walk the earth,and it was devastatingly funny. Rickles' Book is a lot like that, quick, short and funny. I liked the sections dealing with his humble beginnings performing at strip clubs and his wild epsiodes acting in exploitation films like The Man With The X-Ray Eyes and the Beach Party film series. Unfortunately the last third of the vook collapses when he turns the book into his gus...more
Light, zippy, anecdotal read from the "King of the Zing", who proves to be infectiously full of life. Written very conversationally, you can hear his unmistakable voice coming off the page to relate tales of Vegas in the 60's and Miami Beach in the 50's. Rickles really has seen it all and then some, but don't expect a ton of details. This is really 200 pages or so of his memories of his days and longs nights in the biz, and the remarkable run-ins with many a show-biz legend. Maybe his next book...more
Filled with Don Rickles life in stories and humor. Each chapter broken up mostly in anecdotes that also manages to connect all of Rickles professional and personal life. His Sinatra stories will put any Sinatra fan on the floor as well as being poignant about Sinatra's last years. This is a book that is very quick to read but well worth the very good structuring and the understanding of a performers life.
Another self serving book by a show biz B+ lister. Mostly meaningless but the material about his mom and Sinatra is pretty good. I'm old enough to remember the days when Johnny Carson was the big time and if the upcoming promos had Rickles on you knew you were in for some laughs. Worth a read. It's quick a couple of hours and your done.
Don Rickles, King of the Insult Comics and one sweet-heart of a guy. This book captures his authentic voice and shows why he was so loved by millions of people around the world. Too bad he couldn't hold onto a real job ;-) Hey Don, I've got a radiator that needs fixing if that Sinatra gig doesn't work out . . . ?
Rickles' humor is not for everyone; when I was young it seemed a bit harsh. Later I realized that, like some of my drill sergeants, behind the bluster was a sweet and caring person. His willingness to tweak even the biggest stars means he never has a routine - whoever shows up becomes his routine.
Fun and irreverent autobiography by one of the last great comedians of the fifties. Rickles' Book gives a reader a true sense of Don's personal history, from his beginnings to Sinatra to his TV and movie work. Don Rickles is really one of the last living icons of classic comedy. This book is an excellent read for any fan of stand-up comedy or Rickles' himself.
always been a big fan, his book is like his comedy, short and packed full of the good stuff. he traces his career through some familiar venues known from other entertainers from his day which are always amazing. also, his longtime friendship with sinatra. quick read.
This is the book that made me wonder how comedians get book deals for little substance, blank pages (every chapter ends with at least 3 of them to meet quota) and short stories..I confess that I only read it to read about Rickles hanging out with Sinatra...
I really enjoy Don Rickles, his work, his comedy, etc. But this book is just not that good. There are a few stories and some background, but it lacks something, I am not sure what it is, but I just did not care for it. It just lacked substance.
Not bad for what it is. Possibly the fastest read since the Little Prince.
Basically a more or less conversational narrative of Rickles' life, as remembered by Rickles. If you're a fan, you'll enjoy it, if not, you won't.
Basically a more or less conversational narrative of Rickles' life, as remembered by Rickles. If you're a fan, you'll enjoy it, if not, you won't.
This is hands down the most charming biography I have ever read. What smart story choices and clever writing. I can’t imagine anyone coming off as lovable as Don does in this book. It makes me crave part 2,3, 4…
In the bookstore, it was this or Rodney Dangerfield's bio, should gone with Rodney. I didn't learn much about Rickles at all, seemed kind of shallow and empty, no depth at all to this book.
This should've been SO MUCH BETTER. Avoid it! Even if you're a fan of this sardonic windbag. He's still a hero of mine, but the guy who convinced him to chop up his life into attention deficit sized bites should be punched in the nuts. Each chapter is just another clever little one to three page anecdote. Not really a thorough memoir, as such. This guy's life could fill THREE books if done right. Instead, I'm left with tiny snippets that don't quite satisfy my hunger for stories of Rickles. How...more
Rickles tells it all like it is, in clear simple prose. I admire this book because it cuts it all down to the bone and still gives you what you'd want in a celebrity autobiography.
Simply stated, nothing breathtaking, but definitely an enjoyable autobiography of one helluva comedian. Included are plenty of Frank Sinatra antic-dotes to boot.
I think I can best describe this book as feeling like you're on your couch flipping through TV stations and on each one Don Rickles is doing a different talk show telling a different story. It was good quick read, but nothing really resonates. Also I probably would have liked this a lot more if I was from my Dad's generation because there was always at least one person who I never heard of in his stories. Here's me paraphrasing:
"So there we were, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, the great Ralphy Yoon...more
"So there we were, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, the great Ralphy Yoon...more
Feb 04, 2013
Marfita
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
devotees of the Rat Pack
Shelves:
biography
This is merely a collection of anecdotes from Rickles' life. It gives absolutely no insight into his true character or how he developed his comedy. Of course, readers would probably be fans who could hear his delivery when reading or would be more interested in stories about Frank Sinatra and other people of that era than in a story about a performer developing his craft.
I have seen the so-called "private" side of Rickles, in its televised form. It seems to be a caricature of self-effacing humi...more
I have seen the so-called "private" side of Rickles, in its televised form. It seems to be a caricature of self-effacing humi...more
Don't expect too much.
Vignettes. Anecdotes.
Extremely short chapters, essentially.
Light and breezy. Fun and easy.
Vignettes. Anecdotes.
Extremely short chapters, essentially.
Light and breezy. Fun and easy.
FUN FUN FUN! Great fun wading through the mind of a great comedian with such an amazing span of people he knew!
Reading this book was almost exactly like seeing one of Rickles' stand-up routines. He's a unique guy, and I just love his brand of humor!
I laughed out loud at all of the short vignettes about his life. Delightful since his era was similar to my era.
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Great book. Wonderful anecdotes about the old days of Hollywood, Vegas, and the entertainment industry.
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Donald Jay "Don" Rickles is an American stand-up comedian and actor. A frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Rickles has acted in comedic and dramatic roles, but is best known as an insult comic. However, unlike many insult comics who only find short-lived success, Rickles has enjoyed a sustained career, thanks to a distinct sense of humor, a very sharp wit and impeccable timi...more
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