Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
190th out of 1,957 books
—
6,607 voters
If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't)
by
Betty White
It-girl Betty White delivers a hilarious, slyly profound take on love, life, celebrity, and everything in between.
Drawing from a lifetime of lessons learned, seven-time Emmy winner Betty White's wit and wisdom take center stage as she tackles topics like friendship, romantic love, aging, television, fans, love for animals, and the brave new world of celebrity. If You Ask...more
Drawing from a lifetime of lessons learned, seven-time Emmy winner Betty White's wit and wisdom take center stage as she tackles topics like friendship, romantic love, aging, television, fans, love for animals, and the brave new world of celebrity. If You Ask...more
Hardcover, 258 pages
Published
May 3rd 2011
by Putnam Adult
(first published January 1st 2011)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
Back in the sixties, there was a man on our block who worked at a television studio as a stage hand. He once told me that there was a lot of dead time during the shootings while he waited to change the sets. The guys would go over to the studio where they were filming the TV game show Password. The attraction: watching Betty White cuss and swear between takes. He told me, "She really has a mouth on her but she is so sweet and funny it's hilarious."
When a friend loaned me this book, I thought it...more
When a friend loaned me this book, I thought it...more
A well written memoir of Betty White's 70 years in TV. I loved reading it and it reminded me of a conversation with a Grandmother who is telling stories (of her life) to her grandchildren. I did become bugged by the tendency to underline words all the time, though.
First off, is there anyone who doesn't love Betty White? You show me that person and I will...I will beat them up! There's no room on this planet for haters of lovely old ladies!
Her latest autobiography If You Ask Me, is a slim volume that relates a few enjoyable anecdotes about the showbiz business, gives advice on acting, and talks about her love of animals. There's nothing earth-shattering here and you'll probably only find yourself chuckling at a few of the passages, but regardless it's stil...more
Her latest autobiography If You Ask Me, is a slim volume that relates a few enjoyable anecdotes about the showbiz business, gives advice on acting, and talks about her love of animals. There's nothing earth-shattering here and you'll probably only find yourself chuckling at a few of the passages, but regardless it's stil...more
10 likes · like · see review
view all 4 comments
Awwwww, Betty White. I haven't had grandparents in years and I want her! She loves animals possibly more than I do and she has a room full of stuffed ones (not taxidermied!). She tells them that she loves them. Out loud.
Then again, Cloris Leachman would be a good grandma too. She might have a room full of liquor that she talks to.
Then again, Cloris Leachman would be a good grandma too. She might have a room full of liquor that she talks to.
I was expecting something else, some "i'm old and i say vulgar stuff" gig, something like Cloris Leachman at Comedy central roasts.
And it was. There are lot of mild parts about her animals, hobbies, the time she locked herself outside her house... About how old age affects her work, or, better, what safety net of people allow her to work, but in the end it's some sort of update about her life for long time fans i guess, with something to appeal first time readers. She has this couple of pages ab...more
And it was. There are lot of mild parts about her animals, hobbies, the time she locked herself outside her house... About how old age affects her work, or, better, what safety net of people allow her to work, but in the end it's some sort of update about her life for long time fans i guess, with something to appeal first time readers. She has this couple of pages ab...more
I was pretty disappointed with this book, since I love Betty White's work and find her hilarious. I listened to the audiobook so it would seem more storylike and authentic, and then skimmed through the book after. I expected this book to be personal and somewhat funny, but it wasn't really either. She described most of her anecdotes with words as if she was trying to convince us to buy something in an advert. I don't know anyone who talks that way when telling someone a story, it seemed fake. Sh...more
“Writing is my favorite thing,” says actress, comedian, and animal activist Betty White in the Preface to this, her 6th book. This collection of short and sweet autobiographical stories, pithy quips, and insightful observations reveals Ms. White as friendly and bright, skilled in comic timing, and amused by life’s ironies. She’s also the quintessential optimist.
It’s true that some of the chapters are ultra-short. Considering that Ms. White penned this book at age 89, after writing other more c...more
It’s true that some of the chapters are ultra-short. Considering that Ms. White penned this book at age 89, after writing other more c...more
Lyn is a judge for the Aurealis Awards. This review is the personal opinion of Lyn herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.
I will be rating this once the AAs are announced...
Oh, wait, I don't have to do that here. I'm currently judging the YA section of the Aurealis Awards AND I'm the mother of three adult teens and a tweenie. As you can imagine, sometimes I need a break from all that hormonal an...more
I will be rating this once the AAs are announced...
Oh, wait, I don't have to do that here. I'm currently judging the YA section of the Aurealis Awards AND I'm the mother of three adult teens and a tweenie. As you can imagine, sometimes I need a break from all that hormonal an...more
Simple, straight off-the-cuff narrative, enjoyable read from a gifted actress with old-world charm and modern-day wit.
QUOTES:
You are never calm. But your job is to deliver.
You don't just luck into integrity. You work at it.
If you live without passion, you can go through life without leaving any footprints.
At the 2010 SAG Awards, after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award:
"I look out here and everybody is famous. And I've had the privilege of knowing many of you and working with some of you -...more
QUOTES:
You are never calm. But your job is to deliver.
You don't just luck into integrity. You work at it.
If you live without passion, you can go through life without leaving any footprints.
At the 2010 SAG Awards, after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award:
"I look out here and everybody is famous. And I've had the privilege of knowing many of you and working with some of you -...more
A perfectly good book if you care about Betty White. But I just tried it out because it was one of the kindle titles available through my library ;P
Some quotes:
So I said to the audience ... “I look out here and everybody is famous. And I’ve had the privilege of knowing many of you and working with some of you—I’ve even had a few of you! You know who you are.” Afterward, as I was led back to my table, George Clooney was at the podium. He saw me walking across the room and said, “And while I’m her...more
Some quotes:
So I said to the audience ... “I look out here and everybody is famous. And I’ve had the privilege of knowing many of you and working with some of you—I’ve even had a few of you! You know who you are.” Afterward, as I was led back to my table, George Clooney was at the podium. He saw me walking across the room and said, “And while I’m her...more
I read this on audiobook after listening to Tina Fey's book Bossy Pants because Tina mentions Betty White in her book. This audiobook is read by Betty White just like Tina Fey's and weirdly enough, Betty talks about Tina in this book. The audiobook is short, only 2 discs. The chapters are pretty short as well, she hits a lot of topics in a short period of time. I felt the book started a little slow but picked up pace and got interesting after a short period of time. I am not a person who follows...more
I think I first noticed this book as a Goodreads choice awards' nominee in the comedy category. Of course, I remember Betty White from the Golden Girls and I absolutely loved her in Saturday Night Live, but I can't say I've sought out any of her other work.
When this audiobook, read by Betty herself revealed itself as an option available at the library, I thought, "Why not? If it's half as funny as Bossypants, one of the other other books nominated in the same category on Goodreads or her SNL ap...more
When this audiobook, read by Betty herself revealed itself as an option available at the library, I thought, "Why not? If it's half as funny as Bossypants, one of the other other books nominated in the same category on Goodreads or her SNL ap...more
I read it this a couple of hours yesterday. It's a super easy read, but I have to say I was slightly disappointed. I haven't read any of Betty's previous books so I don't know what they contain, but this one gave very little insight into her or her life. It seems to have been written more for people who are already fans of Betty; there's the assumption that you already know her story, her career, her love of animals, and this is just a series of anecdotes about what's been going on with her late...more
2 likes · like · see review
Betty White is a funny lady! I liked her in the old Mary Tyler Moore show, loved her in the Golden Girls, and while I have only caught her new show, Hot in Cleveland, once, it would seem that she has not lost her knack for making us laugh. Every now and again I catch her on talk shows and she is always enjoyable to watch. I don't think she has to work too terribly hard at being funny, I think she just IS funny. I also admire her for her activism on behalf of animal rights. There are actually ver...more
*I started this book last night about 12:10am and did not stop until it was finished (around 3am). For the girl who gets 100 pages into a book and moves on to another one a lot, that says a lot!
Ah, what to say about Betty White that hasn't already been said? Anyone who knows me knows that I love this lady. I grew up watching her, as most of us have, but I especially loved her in "Golden Girls" and "Mama's Family." "Golden Girls" is one of my favorite shows of all time and I watch it almost ever...more
Ah, what to say about Betty White that hasn't already been said? Anyone who knows me knows that I love this lady. I grew up watching her, as most of us have, but I especially loved her in "Golden Girls" and "Mama's Family." "Golden Girls" is one of my favorite shows of all time and I watch it almost ever...more
Would recommend: Sure
This is my fourth book of this ilk that I've read this year (others: Bossypants, My Lucky Life in and Out of Show Business, and Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?), and I enjoyed it. Betty White read the audio version I listened to, and I recommend that edition. She's just so darn adorable. At first, the segments were too short for my liking, and I considered stopping altogether because the pace was too jarring. But then things sort of opened up, and I enjoyed the longer pi...more
This is my fourth book of this ilk that I've read this year (others: Bossypants, My Lucky Life in and Out of Show Business, and Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?), and I enjoyed it. Betty White read the audio version I listened to, and I recommend that edition. She's just so darn adorable. At first, the segments were too short for my liking, and I considered stopping altogether because the pace was too jarring. But then things sort of opened up, and I enjoyed the longer pi...more
1 like · like · see review
This is a quick, fun, light read about Betty White. What impressed me most is that she is 89 years old when she wrote it! She is in good health and still has passion and enthusiasm. I enjoyed reading about her career, her pets, and her love for life and felt like old age doesn't have to be bad after reading this. It's uplifting. She has a great attitude as this quote from the first page indicates:
"However, if one is lucky enough to be blessed with good health, growing older shouldn't be somethi...more
"However, if one is lucky enough to be blessed with good health, growing older shouldn't be somethi...more
Two words come to mind after reading this book. Short and sweet. There is really not much substance to this book. Betty is a phenomenal woman. To be as busy as she is and have her wits about her at 89 is amazing. This book, however, does not say much about her life. She talks a bit about her parents and their summer camping trips, however, I would have liked to know more about her family. Who were her parents? Where did they come from? What was her life like as a child? She mentions her husband...more
2 likes · like · see review
I truly enjoyed this book. I grew up watching The Golden Girls - admittedly, reruns, as I am relatively young - and fell in love with her then.
This book was not Earth-shattering or revolutionary, but it was a refreshing glimpse into the mind of the wonderful Betty White. We've all heard the ideas behind each chapter (which would probably average about 2 pages each), but reading these words in this context and supplemented by her anecdotes made for a very enjoyable read. I did feel as if I learne...more
This book was not Earth-shattering or revolutionary, but it was a refreshing glimpse into the mind of the wonderful Betty White. We've all heard the ideas behind each chapter (which would probably average about 2 pages each), but reading these words in this context and supplemented by her anecdotes made for a very enjoyable read. I did feel as if I learne...more
To say that Betty White's latest book—I suppose we should call it that, as it's tough to deny that it got printed and appears on bookstore and library shelves—is a bit random and scattered, is an understatement. To imply it's a lot like listening to your aged grandmother ramble about the good old days when she's in a talkative mood, would be unkind. To suggest that it's not great literature, or even really readable. . . well, that's kind of missing the point.
I was able to complete this slight l...more
I was able to complete this slight l...more
This book constantly reminded me of my grandmother, and I think my grandmother would have enjoyed listening to it very much.
I am a fan of Betty White, which is why I picked this one up. I listened to it in my car. It did have some interesting tidbits, but there was a lot of repetition, which makes me believe she wrote down ideas as they came to her and then put all the ideas into an order but did not go back through and remove the information which was repeated in the text. There is nothing juic...more
I am a fan of Betty White, which is why I picked this one up. I listened to it in my car. It did have some interesting tidbits, but there was a lot of repetition, which makes me believe she wrote down ideas as they came to her and then put all the ideas into an order but did not go back through and remove the information which was repeated in the text. There is nothing juic...more
My God, I love Betty White.
I already finished one book today, cracked into this one and found that I could not go to bed until I finished it.
Not so much a memoir (she's already written 5 of those), but more like little topics that she reviews. She's adorable.
A couple of things made me sad. A) In talking about age and how it shouldn't bother you, she says that Estelle Getty was TERRIFIED of getting old and sick, to the point that the writers of Golden Girls had to be careful of the kind of jokes...more
I already finished one book today, cracked into this one and found that I could not go to bed until I finished it.
Not so much a memoir (she's already written 5 of those), but more like little topics that she reviews. She's adorable.
A couple of things made me sad. A) In talking about age and how it shouldn't bother you, she says that Estelle Getty was TERRIFIED of getting old and sick, to the point that the writers of Golden Girls had to be careful of the kind of jokes...more
7 likes · like · see review
Betty White seems kind, professional and modest in this book. She credits others and luck for her success. She writes about being so touched by being awarded an honorary forest ranger certificate. She is very funny even though she stresses that she is not a standup comedienne. She says it is too difficult to do that job especially as a talk show host night after night.
Betty tells how lucky she is to get along with her co-stars in Hot In Cleveland as well as she did with the gals on The Golden G...more
Betty tells how lucky she is to get along with her co-stars in Hot In Cleveland as well as she did with the gals on The Golden G...more
Oh don't you wish Betty White was your grandmother, I know that I sure do. I am thoroughly convienced that she will live forever.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I think if it was anyone other than her I would have given it a lower rating, Just that it was her book made me want to keep reading it.
It was a very quick read which was nice and I really enjoyed the pictures of her especially of her and Allen, they looked so happy together.
Some of the stories were interesting and fun to read. Bu...more
I have mixed feelings about this book. I think if it was anyone other than her I would have given it a lower rating, Just that it was her book made me want to keep reading it.
It was a very quick read which was nice and I really enjoyed the pictures of her especially of her and Allen, they looked so happy together.
Some of the stories were interesting and fun to read. Bu...more
This is a great relaxed read! Betty's style seemed at first a little disjointed, but it's simply a way of telling her story-- very stream-of-consciousness, I suppose. Betty tells us her thoughts as they come to her, and they are extremely endearing. We're having a conversation, not listening to a lecture, when Betty White is in the room. And while she might forget all our names and can't recognize our faces, she is very much concerned with including us. She takes us through fond childhood memori...more
This is a really short book! I got the audio version, and when I saw there were only two CDs, I had to double check to make sure it wasn't abridged. Nope. Just a short book. Once I started listening and realized White had written several memoirs already, it made more sense.
Some of the stories feel disjointed, as though she wrote individual chapters separately, so they end up repeating themselves, sometimes in the very next chapter. The library audio book edition had a scratch on the second CD,...more
Some of the stories feel disjointed, as though she wrote individual chapters separately, so they end up repeating themselves, sometimes in the very next chapter. The library audio book edition had a scratch on the second CD,...more
Sep 19, 2012
Michelle Despres
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audio,
biography-memoir
I like Betty White, and I think she's genuinely funny and talented. Her stamina is impressive. I am not a super fan, and that might matter. I haven't read any of her other books and picked this up because I needed an audio book for my commute. Loved that she read the book herself.
This is not an autobiography, although it's autobiographical. It's not hilarious, although you may smile and perhaps chuckle a bit. This collection of anecdotes wasn't really cohesive (or at least not expected to be rea...more
This is not an autobiography, although it's autobiographical. It's not hilarious, although you may smile and perhaps chuckle a bit. This collection of anecdotes wasn't really cohesive (or at least not expected to be rea...more
Although many of you don't know me, I love Betty White. I don't know what it is about her, but she is so amazing. I don't know what it is about her, but I just adore her. So when I went to the library this week and saw that she had written a book, I jumped at the chance to read it. If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't) by Betty White is an amazing read. It is really her writing about what ever she wants, it doesn't have a story pattern. But its Betty White. She can write about what ever she wa...more
I hope this doesn't constitute cheating, but I didn't actually read this book. It is in audio book format and I listened to it on a trip last weekend. What makes it super-awesome though, is that it was read by the author herself, Betty White!
"If You Ask Me" is a collection of the author's thoughts on many different subjects. She talks about Hollywood, health, and my favorite subject, pets. You really get to understand what a down to earth person Betty White is. She discusses the Mary Tyler Moore...more
"If You Ask Me" is a collection of the author's thoughts on many different subjects. She talks about Hollywood, health, and my favorite subject, pets. You really get to understand what a down to earth person Betty White is. She discusses the Mary Tyler Moore...more
3 likes · like · see review
Mom happened to bring this one home with her one day, and I couldn't wait to read it. I honestly expected it to take longer to read, but the short chapters and Betty's easy, conversational tone made it go much faster. This is probably the next best thing to actually sitting down and talking to Betty White (ah, if only!). She tells her stories in her typical fashion: funny, direct, and sweet as can be. Her personality just oozes off the pages! I think my favorite bits were her talking about her v...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bookworm Bitches : October 2011: If You Ask Me | 60 | 205 | May 16, 2013 10:24pm |
Betty White is an American five-time Emmy Award-winning film and television actress with a career spanning sixty years. She also appeared in radio programs, movies, theater, commercials, and was also a talk show and game show host. White is perhaps best known for her roles in the sitcoms The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Golden Girls.
More about Betty White...
Share This Book
2 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“If one has no sense of humor, one is in trouble.”
—
100 people liked it
“Friendship takes time and energy if it's going to work. You can luck into something great, but it doesn't last if you don't give it proper appreciation. Friendship can be so comfortable, but nurture it-don't take it for granted.”
—
78 people liked it
More quotes…
