Growing Up Laughing : My Story and the Story of Funny

"Growing Up Laughing: My Story and the Story of Funny is a book that only Marlo Thomas could write -- a smart and gracious, witty and confident autobiographical journey. For as long as Marlo Thomas can remember, she's lived with laughter. Born to comedy royalty--TV and nightclub star Danny Thomas--she grew up among legendary funny men, carved much of her career in comedy and, to this day, surrounds herself with people who love and live to make others laugh. In this long-awaited memoir, Thomas takes us on a funny and heartwarming adventure, from her Beverly Hills childhood, to her groundbreaking creation of That Girl and Free to Be . . . You and Me, to her rise as one of America's most beloved actress-comediennes, to her marriage to talk-show king Phil Donahue. Her youth was star-studded--Milton Berle performed magic tricks (badly) at her backyard birthday parties. George Burns, Bob Hope, Sid Caesar, Bob Newhart and other great comics passed countless hours gathered around her family's dinner table. And behind it all was the rich laughter nurtured by a close and loving family.Growing Up Laughing is not just the story of an iconic entertainer, but also the story of comedy. In a voice that is curious, generous and often gleeful, Thomas not only opens the doors on the funny in her own life, but also explores the comic roots of today's most celebrated comedians, in personal interviews with: Alan Alda, Joy Behar, Stephen Colbert, Billy Crystal, Tina Fey, Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Griffin, Jay Leno, George Lopez, Elaine May, Conan O'Brien, Don Rickles, Joan Rivers, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, Ben and Jerry Stiller, Lily Tomlin, Robin Williams and Steven Wright. The Award-winning Actress Shares Her Funny And Heartwarming Stories Of A Life Filled With Laughter. Woven Throughout The Book Are Her Interviews With Many Beloved American Comedians About How They, Too, Found The Funny In Their Lives. Celebrations -- A Kid At The Studio -- The Boys -- Socks And Moxie-jerry Seinfeld -- The Wives -- Stirring The Sauce With Joy Behar -- Hotels -- Comedy Begins At Home-billy Crystal -- On The Road -- The First Laugh-robin Williams -- The Funny Barber -- He Said/he Said-ben & Jerry Stiller -- Aka Orson -- Testifying With Chris Rock -- Beverly Hills, My Neighborhood -- My Dad -- Harry And The Parakeet -- Angelo's Boy-jay Leno -- Miss Independence -- My Big Brown Eyes -- Killing And Dying-alan Alda -- Comedians In Their Dressing Rooms -- A Phone Call With Mr. Warmth-don Rickles -- The Two Dannys -- Turn-ons With Conan O'brien -- The Bow -- Twenty Questions For Stephen Colbert -- Dinner At The Goldbergs -- The Survivor-joan Rivers -- Obsession -- Fall-down Funny-george Lopez -- Tony's Pilot -- Oh, Donald -- Lew Parker -- The Comedian's Comedian -- Growing Up Free -- One-girl-show-lily Tomlin -- Rose Marie -- The Book On Kathy Griffin -- Capra, Orson (the Other One), And Me -- The Wright Stuff-steven Wright -- Growing A Feminist -- The Joke On Me -- The Making Of A Wisenheimer-tina Fey -- The Reluctant Interview : An Improv -- The Storyteller-whoopi Goldberg -- Against The Odds -- Legends Of Comedy -- The Elm House -- Mother And Marge -- The Only Jew In The Neighborhood-jon Stewart -- St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Marlo Thomas. With Guest Appearances By Alan Alda, Joy Behar, Sid Caesar, Stephen Colbert, Billy Crystal, Tina Fey, Larry Gelbart, Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Griffin, Jay Leno, George Lopez, Elaine May, Conan O'brien, Don Rickles, Joan Rivers, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, Ben & Jerry Stiller, Lily Tomlin, Robin Williams, Steven Wright.-- T.p. Growing Up Laughing: My Story and the Story of Funny is a book that only Marlo Thomas could write--a smart and gracious, witty and confident autobiographical journey. For as long as Marlo Thomas can remember, she's lived with laughter. Born to comedy royalty--TV and nightclub star Danny Thomas--she grew up among legendary funny men, carved much of her career in comedy and, to this day, surrounds herself with people who love and live to make others laugh. In this long-awaited memoir, Thomas takes us on a funny and heartwarming adventure, from her Beverly Hills childhood, to her groundbreaking creation of That Girl and Free to Be . . . You and Me, to her rise as one of America's most beloved actress-comediennes, to her marriage to talk-show king Phil Donahue. Her youth was star-studded--Milton Berle performed magic tricks (badly) at her backyard birthday parties. George Burns, Bob Hope, Sid Caesar, Bob Newhart and other great comics passed countless hours gathered around her family's dinner table. And behind it all was the rich laughter nurtured by a close and loving family. Growing Up Laughing is not just the story of an iconic entertainer, but also the story of comedy. In a voice that is curious, generous and often gleeful, Thomas not only opens the doors on the funny in her own life, but also explores the comic roots of today's most celebrated comedians, in personal interviews with: Alan Alda, Joy Behar, Stephen Colbert, Billy Crystal, Tina Fey, Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Griffin, Jay Leno, George Lopez, Elaine May, Conan O'Brien, Don Rickles, Joan Rivers, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, Ben and Jerry Stiller, Lily Tomlin, Robin Williams and Steven Wright. The actress and daughter of comedian Danny Thomas shares her stories of growing up surrounded by funny people and laughter, and includes conversations with contemporary comedians sharing childhood memories of what made them laugh.