Inside Comedy

The Soul, Wit, and Bite of Comedy and Comedians of the Last Five Decades

The world of comedy and comedians of the last five decades. By the man the New York Times calls "a comic institution himself," the only comedian (twenty-six years in stand-up) to have made Elie Wiesel laugh, as well as having appeared on The Tonight Show (140 times, second only to Bob Hope, but who's counting). From the director of TV comedy series Mad About You, Seinfeld, Friends, Weeds and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Larry David: “I’m lucky. I know and love David Steinberg. You don’t. Now's your chance. Don’t blow it!"

“David has always been a comedy hero to me. One of his many gifts is the ability to inspire funny people to be even funnier, as you will discover in this truly hilarious, insightful book.” --Martin Short


From David Steinberg, a rabbi's son from Winnipeg, Canada, who at age fifteen enrolled at Hebrew Theological College in Chicago (the rabbinate wasn't for him) and four years later, entered the master's program in English literature at the University of Chicago, until he saw Lenny Bruce, the "Blue Boy" of Comedy, the coolest guy Steinberg had ever seen, and joined Chicago's Second City improvisational group, becoming, instead, the comedian's comedian, director, actor, working with, inspired by, teaching, and learning from the most celebrated, admired, complicated comedians, then and now--a funny, moving, provocative, insightful look into the soul, wit, and bite of comedy and comedians--a universe unto itself--of the last half-century.

From the greats: George Burns, Lenny Bruce, Sid Caesar, Lucille Ball, Mel Brooks, and Carl Reiner, et al., to the newer greats: Carol Burnett, Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin, Billy Crystal, Bob Newhart, and the man for all comedy, Martin (Marty) Short; to the greats of right now: Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Wanda Sykes; and more . . .

Steinberg, through stories, reminiscences, tales of directing, touring, performing, and, through the comedians themselves talking (from more than 75 interviews), makes clear why he loves comedy and comedians who have been by his side in his work, and in his life, for more than sixty years.

Here are: Will Ferrell, Eric Idle, Whoopi Goldberg, Mike Myers, Groucho himself and the greatest of them all (at least of the last half century), Jonathan Winters . . .

Great book despite total lack of human foibles

Mr. Steinberg has direct experience with comedians from Vaudeville all the way to the present. And his work experience itself spans half a century of comedy. Combined with what is clearly a love of the subject, the result is a fabulous book for any fan of comedy.

I respect Mr. Steinerg’s choice to focus on the positive almost exclusively. But it does leave one with the sense of not knowing Mr. Steinberg, and that the comedians mentioned are not real humans. That aside, this is a marvelous book - thank you Mr. Steinberg!

I enjoyed this as much s as the TV series

I loved his insights into each of his comedian friends of a lifetime. And gained insight into what it takes to succeed in Hollywood and in comedy. I also enjoyed hearing about the thrill of performing each one enjoyed.
I saw Inside Comedy theTV series many times through and now I want to see that one season of the four that’s been missing on Prime! Looks like it’s on a couple other services now.

It’s not really the history of comedy

There are some good stories in here, but it’s more a fluff book on lives of people he knows, which is interesting, but I was hoping for something more in depth.

Must Listen to! If you like comedy

To listen to David Steinberg for 11 hours was pure joy. There were so many great memories of all the comedians who touched our lives for the last 60 years!! I so wish I could come up some some funny line right now! But I’m sad it is over with.

I’ve been waiting for David Steinberg‘s book and I am not disappointed.

What a beautiful book of love and respect towards all of our great comedians the history of comedians. And David Steinberg is a very very funny man. And he was around amazing people. I love this book!