Hmm...even as a big fan of stand-up, this book wasn't all that interesting. And if you aren't into stand-up, interested in the way acts are created, copied, and pushed further, forget it.
Martin can write. That's probably a dumb thing to say. What I mean is that he's written a handful of decent books and tons of comedy. But this book, with the exception of the last 20 pages, reads like a long list of jokes, venues, and anecdotes that had all the makings of being incredible, but the pace of the book is so fast that there's no time to enjoy anything.
He really hits a personal, emotional core in the last 20 pages when he talks about the difficulty of fame and the resolution he find with his father. Despite the rest of the book not doing much for me, the last 20 were still effective and emotional. But the work it takes to get there just isn't worth it, and it's ultimately disappointing because it gives you just a little taste of how great the book could have been.
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