Last Words

When I was in my teens and early 20s, I read a lot of business books, biographies, and magazines (such as Forbes). I believed - - quite incorrectly - - that by reading the wisdom, lessons, and teachings of various luminaries and success stories, I would learn the rules of business and increase my chances of success.In retrospect, I am pretty sure that 99% of that effort was a waste. Indeed, I got a business degree in college, and that was a waste as well. It would be far better, for those who elect to go to college, to either (a) learn how to think creatively; or (b) learn the mechanics of something concrete that one cannot simply intuit their way through. If you're going to design a bridge or perform heart surgery, yeah, you'd better go to school.So I stopped reading all that stuff a long, long time ago. I did buy and read the Steve Jobs biography (which I pre-ordered long before the man died) just because he's Steve Jobs. But the idea that some people seem to have that they can emulate someone's success by reading about their success is horribly misplaced and unsupported by facts.I was reminded of this because I just finished reading, for the second time, George Carlin's final book called, fittingly, Last Words.I had bought Last Words a couple of years ago and loved it, and I stuck it on a bookshelf. I saw it again a few days ago, and for no particular reason, I decided to read it again........and I couldn't put it down. The book is as sharp, clever, and captivating as any of Carlin's performances from the 1990s or 2000s. He has an amazing career arc, including terrible problems with drug use (as did as his wife and, not surprisingly, his daughter), poverty so severe he was living out of his car, tax woes that took decades to overcome, and more than a couple close calls with death.The most important thread in the whole tale is his development as a creative force. This didn't really begin to take root until the early 1980s, and it picked up pace in the early 1990s and started to make exponential gains. I have long admired both the quality of the material he wrote, some of which borders on genius, as well as his delivery, which was honed by decades of artistry over the course of thousands and thousands of live shows for millions of people.So why do I refer to this as a "business" book? Isn't it just a biography about a really great comedian? Well, in my own opinion, reading this book yielded more for me in terms of business insights than any of the dozens of books I went through from Harvard Business Press. To understand deeply Carlin's challenges, false starts, the dollars-and-cents cost of him watching the accounting side of what he was doing with his life - - it all adds up to a magnificent canvas representing nearly half a century of what was, in the end, not just a marvelous creative gift but a complex venture as well.

Most comedians have a short shelf life. They blaze onto the scene at the right time, and for a while they're molten, seeming to capture the zeitgeist. They say what people want to hear, perhaps validate some prejudices, and then they fade from the scene. Carlin continues to burn bright, even now, because he captured something lasting and true while still managing to be a rebel - a nearly impossible task. He was an intelligent man, perhaps a genius, and spoke to other thinking people. He pointed out hypocrisy, he punctured some sacred cows, and he made us give thought to the words we take for granted and the words we assign too much power.Here now is his life in his words. The mother who taught him the power of language, the father who wasn't present but from whom he inherited an ability to see through the bull, his upbringing in New York, his time in the military, his family, his early career, and how he transitioned into the iconic performer we think of when we hear his name.Last Words is an engrossing read for Carlin fans, people who are interested in one of the major voices of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Some events, some people, are unimaginable to imagine never having existed, and some of Carlin's thoughts are deeply rooted in our iconography. The book carries on in the tradition of making us think, even if there's not always agreement. We are reminded, reading this, that he will be a tough act to follow, but we desperately need people to keep trying.This is a thoughtful book, but Carlin's wit is still very much on display. In the midst of a poignant anecdote he would land a great line, and I would find myself laughing when a moment before I was in complete solidarity with him over whatever sadness he was sharing. After being tortured a few months back by David Cross'sI Drink for a Reason, I was glad to see a book done right, and hoping other comedians are taking note.It's a cliche to say when someone is gone, "his best work was just ahead of him," but Carlin got even better as time went on. He believed that too. That time gave him complexity of thought an understanding -- a way to better tie the world together. It reminds me of Elton John's song about John Lennon:And through their tearsSome say he farmed his best in younger yearsBut he'd have said that roots grow stronger, if only he could hear.The book ends with Carlin discussing his desire to do a Broadway show about his life, and it's as if he's caught off in mid-thought, and as if that storyline is left dangling, and perhaps that's the perfect ending for the story of a man who lived a full life but was still taken from us too soon.My one criticism is that the book deserved to be better edited. There were a number of times I was jarred by an error, and there seemed to be a particular problem with proper names. (This refers to the Kindle edition.)

This book is full of GC-humour style stories and inside views on some of actions and decisions that this man has made during his life. Even though it hasn't been written by George himself it really fits his spoken-style, making you feel like it's him telling those stories. I would recommend it to anyone, who's interested in his ways of thinking, perceiving and development through the years. You will get to know how and why he transformed from suit-dressed, role playing, "user friendly" comedian, through hippie style rebel, up to becoming one of the most influential writer/comedian that've ever lived. He'll also guide You through thoughts, reasons and opinions that he had in the past, and he'll comment on them with more recent point of view. In "Last Words" you'll find his ups and downs, successes and drug problems, friendships, influences and even parts of the scripts from some of his shows.As George Carlin used to describe himself: at the beginning he was a performer, who was writing his own material, through development he became writer, who performed his own material. I think he became more than that - an audience shaping performer, able if not to change people's minds, then - al least - make people start to question things.Good to get to know him a little bit better."But when you're in front of an audience and you make them laugh at a new idea, you're guiding the whole being for the moment. No one is ever more him/herself than when they really laugh. Their defenses are down. It's very Zen-like, that moment. They are completely open, completely themselves when that message hits the brain and the laugh begins. That's when new ideas can be implanted. If a new idea slips in at that moment, it has a chance to grow."[George Carlin]

This autobiography of Carlin starts at the beginning, the very beginning. Carlin starts on the moment where he was conceived. Next to being funny in his own Carlin-way it's very interesting to read about his life growing up in New York.Of course his carreer is put under the microscope and explained by him in great detail. Talking about his first job, his first attempts at comedy, his appearances on television and how his comedy shapes over time. We see how his first show came to be about (and many after that).Mr. Carlin is very open about how he lived his life (including the addictions and violent outbursts) and the life with his family.A very inspirational and entertaining read!

I purchased this for my dad and I to read. We have always been big george carlin fans and have read other books of his, which have made us laugh out loud. This book wasn't the typical george carlin ranting. Some of the bits were good, but if you are looking for a good george carlin book that will actually make you laugh try "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops", "Brain Droppings" or "Napalm & Sillyputty" (I rank them best to least favorite in this order followed by this book)

There's not a great deal about Americans that I like but Bilko, The Marx Brothers, Bill Hicks and Chris Rock are exceptions. Top of the tree though is this guy who died far too soon. A real thinking comedian who told it like it was. Loads of him on youtube of which his Saving the Planet is my personal favourite. This book is a warts and all compelling read ..... enjoy it!

Having recently discovered George Carlin, sadly posthumously..I was intrigued to see what his take would be on his upbringing in New York.His genius with the written word, is clearly evident in this book...funny and poigniant in equal measure.Really enjoyed reading about his experiences in the USAF.Recommended reading to all