SFG75
Well-Known Member
Never Have Your Pet Stuffed
Just finished Alan Alda's book Never Have Your Pet Stuffed. In it, Alda recounts his childhood with his schizophrenic mother and hardworking father. From his father, he learned aspects of show business, such as tailoring your approach to the microphone to the crowd. His father would take a wide banana-like arc to the microphone and carry his arm near his side in such a way that was "classy" and gave him an aura of respect. Alda had a silent competition with his father, whom he viewed as being a lesser actor due to his lack of education. He finally overcame this petty emotion and even had his father in a MASH episode.
One of the more interesting aspects of the book dealt with his nearly life ending illness in Chile. His doctor ordered friends to pick up medicine from the pharmacy as it would be more effective than anything the hospital had and Alda correctly named the medical procedure that he was about to endure as he did them countless times on MASH.
This book is touching in certain parts, mainly in regards to his father, his wife who helped him be the person that he was in terms of finding himself religion wise(she was Jewish and agreed to marry in a Catholic church due to his childhood) and there is even a hint of closure with his mother who engaged him in countless arguments due to her illness and frustrating demeanor.
Three thumbs up!.
Just finished Alan Alda's book Never Have Your Pet Stuffed. In it, Alda recounts his childhood with his schizophrenic mother and hardworking father. From his father, he learned aspects of show business, such as tailoring your approach to the microphone to the crowd. His father would take a wide banana-like arc to the microphone and carry his arm near his side in such a way that was "classy" and gave him an aura of respect. Alda had a silent competition with his father, whom he viewed as being a lesser actor due to his lack of education. He finally overcame this petty emotion and even had his father in a MASH episode.
One of the more interesting aspects of the book dealt with his nearly life ending illness in Chile. His doctor ordered friends to pick up medicine from the pharmacy as it would be more effective than anything the hospital had and Alda correctly named the medical procedure that he was about to endure as he did them countless times on MASH.
This book is touching in certain parts, mainly in regards to his father, his wife who helped him be the person that he was in terms of finding himself religion wise(she was Jewish and agreed to marry in a Catholic church due to his childhood) and there is even a hint of closure with his mother who engaged him in countless arguments due to her illness and frustrating demeanor. Three thumbs up!.