There's Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say

By: Paula Poundstone

Narrated by: Paula Poundstone

Part memoir, part monologue, with a dash of startling honesty, There’s Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say features biographies of legendary historical figures from which Paula Poundstone can’t help digressing to tell her own story. Mining gold from the lives of Abraham Lincoln, Helen Keller, Joan of Arc, and Beethoven, among others, the eccentric and utterly inimitable mind of Paula Poundstone dissects, observes, and comments on the successes and failures of her own life with surprising candor and spot-on comedic timing in this unique laugh-out-loud book.

If you like Paula Poundstone’s ironic and blindingly intelligent humor, you’ll love this wryly observant, funny, and touching book.

©2006 Paula Poundstone. All rights reserved (P)2006 HighBridge Company; 16 9

Critic reviews

"Paula Poundstone pokes fun at her tabloid woes in wry - and occasionally pointed - tales about life in the comedy trenches as a single mom....[She] has a lively sense of the absurd." (Variety)
"Poundstone makes self-involvement entertaining in her memoir-cum-history." (Publishers Weekly)

refreshing candor from a spiritual titan

Paula would likely object to the title, but i can't say enough about the delight and epiphany she delivers.
Her many fans know this well, so let me tell the remainder: Paula does a better job of being honest than most artists ever even aspire to. She is totally at ease in her own skin, and allows it to be everything it might happen to be, regardless of how awkward, strange or random it may seem.
It's hard to say whether her unique personality lends itself to comic presentation, or her approach to the medium just nicely accommodates the true essence of an individual.
This is a must-hear for anyone who's been in any sort of rehab or psychological therapy, or for anyone who's been a parent. Probably others i missed.

love Paula

This was a fun book to listen to,and I enjoy her take on life, it was good to hear how she does radio in the morning

Fascinating and funny!

I stumbled across this book while looking for a humorous autobiography along the lines of Bossypants. I had forgotten how funny Paula Poundstone was. The book is unique in that the author weaves historical figures into her own story. I found myself laughing many times!I Very entertaining!

Laugh out loud funny!

After listening to This book once, I realized I want to hear it again 20 times so I can memorize the hundreds of hilarious.observations Paula Poundstone makes about life, love, family, and everyday instances that are both absurd and mundane. She closely mixes the biographical stories of 19th century famous people, like Dickens, Lincoln, Sitting Bull, and Helen Keller (ok she was mostly 20th century) and others, with comparative antidotes about herself and her children, and also societal systems that have influenced raising them and her own growing up. It's a unique way of telling one's own story and also much more guarded and less revealing than the books of other women comedians that have been published more recently. I hope she writes another book soon, maybe one more about her own life, but regardless, anything she writes will bring the reader much needed laughs. Be sure to savor the part in this book where she makes up descriptive Native American style names for everyone in her family, including her pets, as she tells stories about them.

it was great hanging out with Paula

I loved the historical references woven into the personal story. inspiring to see someone so willing to be so vulnerable, authentic and absolutely genuine. can you tell I really liked it?

Funniest Book Ever!

Feeling overwhelmed by bad news or books that are depressing? Listen to this book by Paula Poundstone and you will laugh out loud!

More!

I have listened to hundreds of audiobooks but rarely more than once (Bill Bryson is the exception). I enjoyed this book so much that I knew I would listen to it again sometime. I started it over just after finishing it. I laughed almost as much the second time around. More, please, Paula.

Funny and Touching from a Master of Comedy

To my mind, Paula Poundstone is the funniest comedian I have ever run across. I have not seen her perform in person, but I watch any and all of her televised appearances, and I listen to NPR's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" just to hear her sublimely funny ad libs. In televised live appearances, she usually ends up talking with individual members of the aiudience, and she is incredibly quick with really funny come-backs.

This book is Paula's telling of the events of the several years before the book was written. In other words, she tells us about her run in with the law over driving under the influence while her children were in the car with her. She was found guilty (or pled guilty) of child endangerment and abuse, among other things. In her telling, she does not deny anything or try to make excuses. She tells it honestly, while at the same time finding humor in the situation and in her alcoholism and rehab experience, and making it clear that she is crazy about her 3 adopted kids.

This book made me laugh and almost cry at the same time. I am so glad that she narrated the book herself -- her delivery is part of what makes her so funny. If you have ever enjoyed seeing or hearing Paula Poundstone, you will enjoy this book. Read it!

Poundstone Turn As History Docent Figures Mightily

Now who would have thought to summarize past and present moments in one's life by interlacing the events with a half dozen or so historical figures such as Joan of Arc, Sitting Bull, the Wright Brothers, Beethoven, Honest Abe, etc. Wisely Paula chose a device that leverages both her intellect, curiosity and hyperbolic wit to share some of the more painful and mirthful moments in her past and present life with luminaries who bore their own struggles. She does get a wee overwrought with the tribulations of raising her adoptive children but I do admire her freely admitted quirks of character and how they square up with life's ironies. Should anyone think she implies parity with the pantheon of legendary figures she profiles doesn't understand the stylistic self-deprecating humor that has informed her work and the roles she's undertaken to make her way from Boston to Santa Monica. Her observations and revelations are well meaning and honest, sure. But she herself admits she can drone on. Fortunately the narration is pure Poundstone and I would accept no substitute.

great for fans with some fun historical biopics

if you like Paula Poundstone and want to know a little bit more about her, this book will give you that. I'll also give you some fun brief bio pics unimpressive people in history, and might drive you to a more thorough examination of those people's lives.