"A personal history of comedy from the 1950s to the present, with interviews conducted by the author." --publisher. Steinberg, a comic instation himself, provide a personal history of comedy from the 1950s to the present. From the historic greats to the greats of right now, Steinberg makes clear why he loves comedy and the comedians who have been by his side in his work, and in his life, for more than sixty years. -- adapted from jacket

"This is a Borzoi book published by Alfred A. Knopf"

Disguised as a normal person -- The apprenticeship of Duddy Steinberg: The most irresponsible student at the University of Chicago sees the best comedian of all time-- Lenny Bruce-- and finds his life's work -- God, whom I'm sure you remember from last week's sermon: My first years at Second City and the other icons who joined -- From Second City to Broadway: Little Murders, Elliott Gould, Lily Tomlin, and other memories from delight to disaster -- The Comedians' comedians: Sid Caesar, Don Rickles, Mel Brooks, Jackie Mason, Carl Reiner, Jack Carter, Shecky Greene, Flip Wilson, Carol Burnett, Tim Conway, Harvey Korman, Jonathan Winters, Robin Williams -- The Hillcrest Country Club: It's Not the Golf, It's the Comedy: Groucho Marx, The Marx Brothers, George Burns, Jack Benny, Danny Kaye, and Danny Thomas, who at least looked Jewish -- Comedy in the age of Nixon . . . What comedy? -- The brave humor of the Smothers Brothers -- The Tonight Shows: Johnny Carson, and hosts before and after -- Behind Some of the Best Comedy on Television: The Danny Thomas Show, Newhart, Designing Women, Golden Girls, Friends, Mad About You, Garry Shandling, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld, and those in between -- Actors as Comedians, Comedians as Actors: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Steve Martin, Chris Rock, Will Ferrell, Whoopi Goldberg, Lucille Ball, Bette Midler, Mike Myers, Ben Stiller, Albert Brooks, Bob Einstein, Redd Foxx, Wanda Sykes, Tina Fey, Sarah Silverman, Richard Lewis, Bob Saget, Steve Carrell, Jim Carrey, Ellen DeGeneres, John Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, Kevin Nealon, Robert Klein, John Candy, Stephen Colbert, Martin Mull, Eric Idle, Richard Belzer, Drew Carey, Billy Crystal, Marty Short.