And Here's the Kicker: Conversations with 21 Top Humor Writers on Their Craft

Plain and simple, this is just a really, really enjoyable read. It's smart and it's well-executed and it's compulsively readable. The thing is, there's something so refreshing to a book that's about real comedians. Real writers. Real people. That's it. And you have this great author there with you the entire time, guiding you through these peoples' heads. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the biggest fan of everyone interviewed here (see: David Sedaris), but even then I was charmed by his thoughts and the interplay between he and Sacks. As an aside, generally speaking I stick to straight-up fiction, and as an aspiring writer (by which I mean I've published absolutely nothing) the last thing I want to read on the weekends/at night after a terrible day at a soul-sucking job is something I feel like was written to instruct me on how to write. Please, don't instruct me. I may suck at it, but please, don't patronize me with your thoughts "On Writing." That means you, Stephen King. In "And Here's the Kicker," though, Sacks completely steers clear of that pratfall and has composed what is at its heart a wonderfully understated paean to the humor and comedians we all love. By book's end you've encountered the leading comedic minds of recent memory (God Bless Harold Ramis) and will simply feel warm and fuzzy about humor writing as craftwork. None of the usual drivel about how underneath the jokes funny people are actually sad, sad, emotionally-stunted people. Oh the irony! We're all sad people, Judd Apatow. No, here Sacks provides you with far more than just cliches and platitudes and musings on the difficulties faced by the likes of Chris Farley, John Belushi, and Richard Pryor. Here we learn who the real comedians are. How they operate. Who they are beyond just words on a page. I was pleasantly surprised by this.

After devouring this book, I realized that it's not just for people who like comedy or writing or even show business, but it's great for anyone interested in being interested. What Mike Sacks has been able to do by inviting us as flies-on-the-wall to his conversations with these creative people, is give us some incredible insights into the creative process, but in a fun and lively way. You can tell that because he knows his subject so well, they seem to appreciate that they're not just being interviewed, but engaged, and Mike ends up getting them to talk about their lives in ways I bet they haven't before. Lots of people above me have written great and wonderful reviews about how great and wonderful the book is and I couldn't agree more (but I won't babble on repeating too much). If you're the type of person who reads these reviews in order to figure out what books to spend your hard-earned tip money on, then I'm guessing you're also the kind of person who is interested in being interested. This book is for you. I couldn't put it down. I physically couldn't put it down.

This book is great, one of the most inspiring books on writing I've ever read, and certainly the best one on comedy. It was like sitting around a bar with the best comedy writers around and getting their friendly advice and encouragement. I don't know about other people, but to me comedy writing can be a tough, intimidating task, and most of the time I'd rather just open up another bag of potato chips and turn on CNN. (Popchips are my new favorite!) But these interviews took the fear out of it and made we want to get back to work. How reassuring to learn the origin of great movies and TV shows, and to see how the best ones came from a writer's everyday, personal experiences. If I had to recommend one thing to someone looking to pursue comedy writing, it would definitely be this book. (OK, that and a bag of Popchips.)

I guess its a little weird for me to be writing a review of this, because I'm in it. But its a great book. Its one of those books that is hard to put down. I just keep reading and re-reading my interview over and over and over. I am just that interesting. No, no. That's a joke. Its the other interviews that I really get caught up in. Summing up: If you want to read a lot of contemporary funny writers talking about writing comedy, I can't imagine a better book than this one.

I'm not sure how Mike Sacks corralled all these writers into talking about their craft, but I'm so glad he did. To hear them tell their tales from the trenches is invaluable for someone like me who is both interested in writing, and also just a huge fan of comedy. The anecdotes are both humorous and informative, and Sacks dry wit and gentle prodding is the perfect accompaniment to each interview subject. He doesn't overshadow them, or try to insert himself into their perspective, but draws them out and does what any GOOD interviewer should do: listen. The questions he asks are the questions I would ask if I got the chance to talk to these writers, which excited me a great deal. I almost felt a part of the conversations sometimes, I got that into it (okay, maybe I'm a little weird, but it was a great read). I would recommend this to aspiring comedy writers, but also just to anyone who is interested in the lives and processes of some these great writing talents. A thoroughly enjoyable read!