It’s no secret that Alan Alda is great. If you don’t know who he is… then… man. Google it. It’s a sin that you don’t know already/I’m not about to waste time in here educating you. That man is wonderful. And these books of his are gems. GEMS! And keep in mind - I was only lukewarm on the ol’ Alda train before I read these, but after? Well, let’s not delve into the dreams I’ve had about him.

Here are some of my favorite parts from the two books:

“It seems hard to believe you grew from that little baby… into a friend of mine.”
“I went out for a beer after class one evening with a fellow student. He looked down in his beer and said, “You know, if we really want to be first-class artists, we’ll have to give up everything. Everything. We’ll have to give up friends and movies and reading the Sunday Times.” I nodded and grunted in agreement. But inwardly I was thinking, “What the hell is he talking about? What kind of romantic bullshit is this?”
“And then he gave me, apart from not drifting while I talked, the only advice he ever gave me about acting. “Always find a place to sit down,” he said. “Your legs will get tired. Look for places to sit down. Whenever you can.” I nodded as if I understood. This is really strange advice, I thought. What could he possibly mean? Is he so empty that he thinks this is the secret of a life on the stage? I wish I could go back now and touch his hand. Touch his hand and thank him for sharing a speck of the reality of his life with me. Not the vague generality of most people’s advice, but a little bite of life: the ache in his leg on a long day. Anesthetized by youth, I missed it.”

These are just a few parts, but both books are definitely worth reading. Even if you miraculously DON’T love this man already.