Born Standing Up
by Steve Martin
Martin's account of eighteen years of stand-up: ten learning, four refining, four in wild success, then quitting at the top. The best book on developing a craft nobody asked for.
Read it if…
you are building something original and getting no applause yet.
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Skip it if…
you want jokes; it is reflective.
Try instead: Bossypants →
Three things you will actually use
- Persistence outlasts talent.
- Originality looks like failure at first.
- Know when to leave.
Do this first
Read the chapter on his early empty rooms.
Our verdict
Eighteen years to overnight success.
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