Time for Throw Back Thursday, a look at a book I’ve read in the past and recommend. This week it is not a mystery. Surprise! I do read something else.

Seriously, I’m Kidding

By Ellen DeGeneres

Rating: 5/5 Stairs

I have always found Ellen to be very funny. I used to watch her stand-up on Comedy Central in the early 1990’s. Hilarious. It’s her delivery that makes her stories so great. For instance, on meeting a nice guy at the grocery store:

When I say I read Seriously I’m Kidding, I didn’t really read it. Ellen read it to me via her audio book. It was fantastic to hear her read the book, getting the emphasis and pauses just right. Ellen had me laughing out loud many times throughout.

While this is a funny book, it’s not just comedy. Ellen also has some great points about life in general. Here are a few bits:

True beauty is not related to what color your hair is or what color your eyes are. True beauty is about who you are as a human being, your principles, your moral compass.

So be who you really are. Embrace who you are. Literally. Hug yourself. Accept who you are. Unless you’re a serial killer.

When you take risks you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important. It’s hard to understand failure when you’re going through it, but in the grand scheme of things it’s good to fall down—not because you’re drunk and not near stairs. But it’s failure that gives you the proper perspective on success.

She never let things get too serious. This book is a random jumble of all kinds of topics. Some of the chapters are really short (one page), others are longer stories. It’s very easy to set down and pick back up again later.

I really recommend listening to this one, it was great to hear Ellen read it with her style and timing.