Remember Me When I'm Gone: The Rich and Famous Write Their Own Epitaphs and Obituaries

I was among the saddest to hear of Larry King's passing in 1987. I had long been a fan of his nonsensical ramblings in USA Today and knew that I might miss those columns unless they replaced it with something superior like a Jumble or a Suduko puzzle. Imagine my surprise to see him on CNN almost 20 years later. Alive ... well sort of alive. Was he cryogenically thawed out? Let this be a warning to all of you in frozen states ... it does NOT always work out. And this book is just fabulous, a collection of self-serving, inane babblings by the assistants of famous people. Because famous people most certainly do not have the time to write such heartfelt and sincere passages ... they're just not capable of it. It's outside their skill set. So don't be angry with them, just accept them for who they are ... famous friends of Larry King, columnist, talk show host, suspenders-wearer.

This book is built on an interesting idea. Larry King asks three- hundred people, most of them American celebrities from the worlds of sports, entertainment, business, journalism, music, comedy, writing ,acting, politics, science and education what message they would leave behind and wish to be remembered by. Some take this lightly and answer in a quick one- liner or even a word- some seem overly burdened by their own importance, but many hit ' right notes' and quite a few have a real humor. This is the kind of work which one skims, jumps back and forth in, looking for something interesting. Most are misses, but some are scores, and it is the scores that make the book worthwhile. A few examples follow which I found of some value. " For years I've been claiming ,"I'm only human. I'm only human." Maybe now you'll believe me." SHELLY BERMAN " I hope I see you later." MAUREEN STAPLETON "He did his best when no one was watching." BOB COUSY "Jim who?' JIM BOUTON " I want to be remember as a good guy one who always helped others in need. JOE FRAZIER " The best is yet to come." BEVERLY SILLS " He was never boring. He said out loud what others whispered. He challenged authority; the higher the authority, the stronger the challenge. He made the legal system more acceptable to the public He taught thousands of students and educated even more readers and viewers.He listened best with his mouth open. He was fun to be with. He was never boring.All this without knowing how to use a computer. ALAN DERSHOWITZ

Well, this is definitely a page turner and a flip through and a go back and read again and share and tell people they just have to read it. Imagine, so many wrote their last words poetically. Some wrote pages while others wrote short. "I demand a recount." "Mispronounced dead on arrival." And perhaps you'll guess who wrote one word "Imagine!" My absolute favorite, laugh out loud epitath-- When my time on earth is done And I have breathed my last I want them to bury me upside down So my critics can kiss my ass

This is definately one of the most entertaining reads all year. The telling, moving, and sometimes hilarious reflections kept me turning the page. It was tough for me to put down! This book is a real treasure. Debbie Farmer, author of 'Don't Put Lipstick on the Cat'

When you pass on from this life, what would you want people to say about you? Larry King asked that question of over 300 celebrities, and the result is "Remember Me When I'm Gone," a fascinating compendium of epitaphs and obituaries penned by the still living about themselves. The celebrities include actors, authors, business people, journalists, artists, musicians, politicians, and scientists. The contributions run the gamut: funny, spiritual, laudatory, biographical, comforting, witty, and philosphical. Appropriately enough, there are some song lyrics from songwriters, cartoons from cartoonists, comic epitaphs from comedians, and poetry from writers. Fred Rogers composed his contribution before his death, when he knew he was seriously ill. Larry King provided his own epitaph as well. It was tough for me to select a few examples from so many interesting contributions, but here goes:Joanna Barnes: At Last - A Parking Space!Arnold Schwarzenegger: I had fun.Ted Turner: I have nothing more to say.Beverly Sills: The best is yet to come.Robin Leach: Hi, this is Robin Leach standing outside the pearly gates!Jim Davis: I would like to be remembered as someone who was extremely old.Dr. Laura Schlessinger: How arrogant to write your own epitaph.This book displays a lot of wit and wisdom on a sobering topic, and I recommend it as an entertaining and enlightening read.Eileen Rieback