Life Lessons for the Overachiever I Never Was: Books I Read in 2026, Vol. IX

 

WHAT I LEARNED WHEN I ALMOST DIED: How a Maniac TV Producer Put Down His Blackberry and Started to Live His Life
Chris Licht

"Chris Licht had always been ambitious. When he was only nine years old, he tracked down an NBC correspondent while on vacation to solicit advice for a career in television. By the time he was thirty-five, he landed his dream job: a fast-paced, demanding spot at the helm of MSNBC's Morning Joe  -  one of the most popular shows on cable TV. He felt invincible. Then one day Chris heard a pop in his head, followed by a whoosh of blood and crippling pain . . . .

Another one of those "4 for a Dollar" library finds, this one seemed like it might have some significant life lessons that I could learn vicariously, and yes, I guess it did. The majority of the book told Licht's story, and it was an interesting read. The "lessons learned" mostly resided in the last couple chapters, and they were significant for the author's Type-A personality and driven nature. For me...I was pretty much already there just because of my temperament and upbringing. It feels noteworthy that Licht was encouraged by a friend to write the book before he even had a sense of having learned anything through his experience: He even came up with the title at that lunch, knowing fully that I didn't yet have the answer to the question. Still, it was a worthwhile read. 4 out of 5 stars.

First Line: Lately, if I happen to be looking through my address book for a phone number, I'm apt to stop when I come across the name of someone I haven't been in touch with for a while.

Page 56 / Line 5: Cerebral aneurysms are balloonlike bulges in the walls of arteries, which are the high-pressure freeways that deliver blood from the heart throughout the body, as opposed to veins, which return blood to the heart at lower pressure.

A Good Line from Somewhere in the Middle: To sit passively and bemoan bad luck solves nothing.

Last Line: What a great evening.

The First Time I've Ever Recommended a Podcast

ONCE WE WERE SPACEMEN
A Podcast with Nathan Fillion & Alan Tudyk

"Since co-starring on Firefly, they have also been aliens, mystery writers, veterinarians, superheroes, chickens, robots, and policemen. 

Now, they’re doing a podcast where they get to know their fellow creatives, learning about who they once were and what they’re up to now.

So, if you are looking to learn something new that will alter the course of your life, or discover something that will change the way you see the world, or you are simply looking to better yourself… keep looking. 

But, if you’d like to have the feeling of hanging out with two old buddies… You’ve come to the right place."

Can't argue with the final two paragraphs of this podcast's self-description. I've listened to the first six episodes and it is abundantly clear these two guys formed a lasting, hilarious bond when they worked together on the short-lived and much-missed TV series, Firefly. In those six episodes, they have had a guest half the time, but I've got to say I have a slight preference for the episodes where they are just chatting with each other.

There is talk about the unglamorous realities of an acting career, least-favorite auditions, how to not be a jerk, and plenty of mutual admiration that sometimes dissolves into self-deprecating humor and sarcastic digs into each other's humble egos.

So far, there hasn't been much PG-13 language, which I appreciate, so I feel fairly safe in recommending the show to the adult members of the elite group of friends who read Dewdrops.

You can find the show practically anywhere you find podcasts, but here's a link to its website and the YouTube introductory trailer.

The End of "Blue Bloods"

 

Since the first episode, Beloved and I have enjoyed the Blue Bloods television series. It has consistently upheld the honor and dignity of those who wear a police uniform, even when it sometimes told the story of those who "went bad." Especially meaningful through the years have been the scenes around the family dinner table...a scene that has been in each of its 293 episodes.

When the episode we watched the other night ended with a dinner table scene that included kids having come home from college and the announcement of a pregnancy, I said, "Gee...that kind of felt like a series finale."

It wasn't until this morning, when I stumbled onto the following clip from "The Talk", that I realized I was right. It includes Tom Selleck repeating a heartfelt "reading" of a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay that he had shared with the cast and crew following the filming of their final scene together around the table.

I hope you can relate to the emotional depth of the words...that you have people and experiences in your life that resonate.

https://youtu.be/OGU2ogyk-yM?si=qWV2dLfHd9FiC9Di

Oh, Rob!: Books I Read in 2024, Vol. XXI

 

THE OFFICIAL DICK VAN DYKE SHOW BOOK: The Definitive History of Television's Most Enduring Comedy
Vince Waldron

What an unexpected pleasure to read a book on a subject about which I thought I knew everything, only to find out that I didn't. A very serious contribution to understanding what really were the best years of my theatrical life. I'd say it was a wonderfully scholarly work  -  but I won't, because I don't want to scare people away from a book that's as much fun to read as this is.     - Carl Reiner (Produce/Creator of The Dick Van Dyke Show)

I bought this book for our recent trip to Wyoming. I figured it would be a good choice for something I could pick up and put down with no need to keep a plot line straight or follow a logical exploration of a subject. I was half right. It was easy to pick up...but kind of hard to put down. Because of my level of admiration for the show, I was easily caught up in all the behind-the-scenes tales and "making of" legends. 

First Line: By six o'clock on the evening of January 20, 1961, the line of people waiting outside Hollywood's Desilu Cahuenga studios was already more than two hundred strong.

Page 56 / Line 5: Without a pause, Deacon uttered, "Yeecchh!"

A Good Line from Somewhere in the Middle: It smelled like some silent movie star had died in there.

Last Line: "It was," he answered, "like going to a lovely party that you never wanted to end."

The Creation of the Biggest Sitcom in the Whole Universe: Books I Read in 2024, Vol. XVI

 

THE BIG BANG THEORY: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series
Jessica Radloff

When The Big Bang Theory ended in 2019 after twelve seasons, it wasn't just the end of television's longest-running live-action multi-camera sitcom; it was the last great comedy with massive ratings and broad appeal. Yet, for all that's been written about the show, the most riveting and surprising stories have never been revealed. . . . [The author] was granted unprecedented access, conducting over 120 hours of new interviews. From on-set secrets and stories behind the most beloved episodes to never-before-seen photos, the oral history will intrigue everyone from the casual viewer to the most diehard fan. And yes, you'll get an answer about Penny's last name (if you think you know, you don't).

There are some who consider The Big Bang Theory a practically-perfect television sitcom. To the degree you agree, this book is a practically-perfect companion; full of behind-the-scenes stories and nostalgic anecdotes that emphasize the unique, close-knit, caring nature of the relationships of the cast members, writers, producers...even prop masters. The book reads like a transcription of a long-form documentary with short bits of narration that set up a string of quotes from the extensive interviews Radloff conducted. It really is the participants telling their own stories in their own words (a few of which are PG-13 and R-rated [Fair Warning]). Just my cup of tea...or whatever your hot beverage of choice is.

One weird thing, though...in the transcriptions of the interviews, all the cast and crew members said "all of the sudden" instead of "all of a sudden." Does anyone really say that?

First Line: Two years.

Page 56 / Line 5: He became a great, wonderful voice of the ensemble.

A Good Line from Somewhere in the Middle: But Big Bang spoke to a deeper issue, which is, on the simplest level, loneliness and feeling left out.

Last [Two] Line[s]: I always wanted to do something, to be a part of something that had the ability to withstand time. And The Big Bang Theory does.

The Good Doctor: A Good Show

 

Beloved and I are currently watching The Good Doctor on Hulu. We just started Season 4 and are enjoying it enough that I want to write a prescription for my friends to give it a try.

IMDB describes the show as follows: "Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, relocates from a quiet country life to join a prestigious hospital surgical unit. Alone in the world and unable to personally connect with those around him, Shaun uses his extraordinary medical gifts to save lives and challenge the skepticism of his colleagues."

That's an accurate enough description of the starting point of this series, but it didn't take long for us to get just as interested in the lives of the other doctors and administrators at the hospital as we were initially in Dr. Murphy. (Our initial interest in the show was fueled by Debbie's 24 years as a paraprofessional in the school system, working with young adults on the autism spectrum.)

Freddie Highmore stars as Dr. Murphy and also produces the show. You may remember him as Charlie in the Johnny Depp version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or as the guitar-playing title character in August Rush. He completely disappears into this role.

The show really has it all:

• Diagnostic mystery
• Medical emergency
• Romantic awakening
• Interpersonal respect AND snark
• Deep truth disguised as both humor and pathos

I have forgotten whether I rate things on a 4- or 5-star system, but just to be sure you understand how much we like this show, let's give it a 6.

PRETTY BABY Brooke Shields: A Review and a Recommendation

 

Beloved and I watched the two-part ABC News/Hulu documentary, PRETTY BABY Brooke Shields, and hoo-boy!

There was the standard chronological rundown of her career, starting with commercials as a baby, quickly followed by her highly-sexualized commercials as a child...and teen...and on and on. The movies Pretty Baby, Blue Lagoon, and Endless Love all focused on her character losing her virginity...at the ages of 12, 14, and 15.

The documentary rightly wonders if these movies could even be made today, especially Pretty Baby and Blue Lagoon, but in the final few minutes, in a conversation between the now 57-year-old Shields and her two daughters, an interesting observation about the similarities between what was done to Shields and what today's social media "influencers" are doing to themselves hits home.

While a few of the images shown are adult-ish, and the subject matter is definitely for the mature of mind and heart, both my thumbs are up for this doc, and both my eyes are wide open in amazement at how Shields has managed to live through it all with a fairly healthy self-image.

There are some important parent-child conversations to be had based on this piece of work.

Criminal Minds Evolution: Or Is It Devolution?

 

WHEREAS Beloved and I had watched all 15 seasons of Criminal Minds back when we were foolishly spending money on Netflix, and

WHEREAS we are currently enjoying the Paramount+ login provided by our second daughter and her husband, and

WHEREAS Season 16 of Criminal Minds (now called Criminal Minds Evolution) started streaming on Paramount+,

THEREFORE

Beloved and I were excited to begin watching the new episodes.

HOWEVER

With its move away from broadcast television to a streaming service and the ability to label itself TV-MA, the powers that be have changed nothing about the series except to add F-bombs and vulgar references to solid waste.

And they apparently think this is an improvement.

I honestly don't understand.

For 15 years, we've grown to appreciate these characters as professional-sounding, intellectual-yet-passionate FBI agents. Now, they come across as barely-controlled street vigilantes who express their frustration by using the squalid language of thugs.

And they apparently think this is an improvement.

Seriously, I don't get it. How is this better storytelling? 

LIGHT & MAGIC: The Story of ILM in Six Easy Bites

 

I recently finished watching the 6-episode documentary series, Light & Magic, on Disney+. In basically chronological order, it tells the tale of George Lucas gathering people around him to reinvent how movies are made.

The company he formed in order to bring his vision for Star Wars to life was eventually dubbed Industrial Light and Magic, and it's a fitting name.

It is Industrial. The movies are an industry. The special effects produced by ILM are done by workers on deadlines who get paid for their efforts.

It is Light. Not only are the images we watch on movie screens and television screens the results of projected or transmitted light energy, but the stories they tell often shed light on what it means to be human.

It is Magic. Creating dinosaurs and spaceships and fire and galaxies out of nothing more than imagination is awe-inspiring and goosebump-inducing.

I highly recommend this mini-series for any fans of Stars Wars or Indiana Jones or Jurassic Park or movies in general. It's not an in-depth presentation on how any particular visual effects were accomplished...although there is some of that...but a look at the people and the special place in Hollywood's history that is occupied by a group of Oscar-winning misfits.

Books I Read in 2022, Vol. XV

 

AS THE CROW FLIES: A Walt Longmire Mystery
Craig Johnson

Embarking on his eighth adventure, Wyoming Sheriff Walt Longmire doesn't have time for cowboys and criminals. His daughter, Cady, is getting married in two weeks, and the wedding locale arrangements have just gone up in smoke signals. Fearing Cady's wrath, Walt and his old friend Henry Standing Bear set out for the Cheyenne Reservation to find a new site for the nuptials. But their expedition ends in horror as they witness a young Crow woman plummeting from Painted Warrior's majestic cliffs. Is it a suicide, or something more sinister? It's not Walt's turf, but he's coerced into the investigation by Lolo Long, the beautiful new tribal police chief.

Another Longmire novel, another satisfying reading experience. I should do some research on when the television show started in relation to the release dates for the books. I'm wondering, because there's a paragraph in this book where Walt is imagining the Hollywood ending of his current predicament and he thinks his part would be played by Robert Taylor...which is the name of the actor who portrays Longmire in the TV show. (Though I'm guessing the book is actually referring to the much older Robert Taylor who starred in Quo Vadis and other movies in the 40s and 50s.)

First Line: "I wanna know what Katrina Walks Nice did to get kicked out of a joint like this for sixty-one days."

Page 56/Sentence 5: "No."

Last Line: I turned to my friend and the world, and the words poured from me like a fervent prayer: "E-hestana Na-he-stonahonotse."

Depressed About Choice

 

I am just...just...I don't know...weary, I guess. Weary of the constant barrage of political ads telling me how people who are against abortion are on the verge of ruining our way of life in Minnesota.

I am saddened by medical professionals talking about how important it is for their patients to be able to make their own medical decisions concerning the "right" to choose whether or not to continue a pregnancy.

To get an idea of how these ads affect me, do a little word association.

Every time you hear the phrase "what to do with her own body" or "reproduction rights," insert the words "kill babies."

I know, I know...that sounds so harsh, but just do it.

"If I am elected, I will fight for a woman's right to decide what to do with her own body" becomes "If I am elected, I will fight for a woman's right to decide to kill babies."

"Our reproduction rights are at risk" turns into "Our right to kill babies is at risk."

Because the unborn entity ("fetus", "glob of cells", "embryo", "under-developed human being", "child that has yet to be born") is not "her own body." He or she has his or her own unique fingerprints, heartbeat, brainwaves, and DNA. And while it sounds American to say that a woman has a right to choose what to do with her own body, it has always been true that my right to swing my arms about ends at the tip of someone else's nose. My right to do what I want with my own body does not include causing harm to someone else.

And the unborn entity is someone else.

For more nuanced and empathetic discussions about all this, you are invited to check out the posts about abortion that I've made on the "Truth Is..." blog. (Click here)

P.S.  It also saddens me that, here in Minnesota at least, the upcoming election seems to be focusing on this one issue, forcing us to decide, "If you are in favor of abortions, you must vote for Democrats and if you are against abortions, you must vote for Republicans." That saddens me because almost everything else the Republican party has been doing for the last several years goes against my grain, sticks in my craw, makes me throw up a little, etc.

1883: The Wild West Through the Eyes of a Poet

 

I finished watching the Paramount+ series, 1883, last night. It didn't bring me to tears, but a deep sense of life, liberty, and the acceptance of bad things happening to good people.

It's the story of a just-entering-adulthood young woman and a group of people heading to Oregon in a wagon train. The series had me interested when I saw Sam Elliot was in the cast, but it set the hook with the opening scene's narration, spoken in a soft Tennesee drawl:

I remember the first time I saw it. Tried to find words to describe it... but I couldn't. Nothing had prepared me... no books, no teachers, not even my parents. I heard a thousand stories but none could describe this place. It must be witnessed to be understood. And yet... I've seen it, and understand it even less than before I first cast eyes on this place. Some call it the American Desert, others, the Great Plains. But those phrases were invented by professors at universities surrounded by the illusion of order and the fantasy of right and wrong. To know it, you must walk it. Bleed into its dirt. Drown in its rivers. Then its name becomes clear. It is hell, and there are demons everywhere.

Don't want to spoil anything by saying more, but if you can put up with some harsh-but-not-overwhelming language, I recommend 1883 with as many thumbs up as I can round up.

Books I Read in 2022, Vol. III

 

THE BOYS: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family
Ron Howard & Clint Howard

In [this book], for the first time, Ron and Clint Howard tell the story of their childhoods as two of the busiest child actors of the 1960s and '70s. Their father and mother were not typical stage parents. Rance and Jean Howard, farm-belt Oklahomans who bucked family tradition, moved to California to make a go at show business. While pursuing their own dreams could prove frustrating at times, they happily adjusted their lives to also become mentors and managers to their sons  -  a tremendous act of love and sacrifice. The Boys is the surprising, funny, and heartwarming story of an all-American family whose kids just happened to grow up on TV.

If I could give this book more than two thumbs up, I would. The way the two authors weave their separate-yet-connected stories is perfect, and the tale of a sacrificially-loving set of parents who kept their could-have-been-messed-up sons on an even keel is heartwarming. Yes, Clint went through several rough years of substance abuse, but he came out on the other side with an appreciation for all that his folks did for him.  In addition, it's an informative behind-the-scenes look at the acting process and the business of show business. Per Tom Hanks: "This extraordinary book is not only a chronicle of Ron's and Clint's early careers, and their wild adventures, but also a primer on so many topics: how an actor prepares, how to survive as a kid working in Hollywood, and how to be the best parents in the world! The Boys will surprise every reader with its humanity."

First Line: Look him in the eyes and really listen to what he's saying, Ronny.

Page 56, Line 5: But in the '60s, that little complex was a hive of popular television: we coexisted there with, to name just a few shows, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Jack Benny Program, Hogan's Heroes, That Girl, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., and I Spy.

Last Line: He's on the floor in front of my fireplace, Opie Cunningham.

Books I Read in 2021, Vol XII

 

LETTERMAN: The Last Giant of Late Night
Jason Zinoman

In a career spanning more than thirty years, David Letterman redefined the modern talk show with an ironic comic style that transcended traditional television....Moving from letterman's early days in Indiana to his retirement, Zinoman has explored behind the scenes of Letterman's television career to shed light on the origins of his revolutionary comedy, its overlooked influences, and how his work intersects with and reveals his famously eccentric personality....With this enlightening biography, Zinoman offers a perceptive study of the man and the artist whose caustic voice was crucial to an entire generation of comedians and viewers  -  and whose singular style ushered in new tropes that have become cliches in contemporary comedy.

This is another one of those books that I found while browsing the biography section of the library. Zinoman's focus on comedic innovation and the analysis of Letterman's personality almost overwhelms the biographic storyline, but he keeps it all moving fast enough to qualify as a revealing set of personal anecdotes that had me interested throughout.

First Line: In the summer of 1968, David Letterman's girlfriend gave him an ultimatum: Get married or break up.

 Page 56, Sentence 5: When we got on the air and I started reading our mail, I quickly realized it was mainly insane people.

Last Line: Let me mention...kindness.