Letterman

New York Times comedy critic Jason Zinoman delivers the definitive story of the life and artistic legacy of David Letterman, the greatest television talk show host of all time and the signature comedic voice of a generation. In a career spanning more than thirty years, David Letterman redefined the modern talk show with an ironic comic style that transcended traditional television. While he remains one of the most famous stars in America, he is a remote, even reclusive, figure whose career is widely misunderstood. In Letterman, Jason Zinoman, the first comedy critic in the history of the New York Times, mixes groundbreaking reporting with unprecedented access and probing critical analysis to explain the unique entertainer’s titanic legacy. Moving from his early days in Indiana to his retirement, Zinoman goes behind the scenes of Letterman’s television career to illuminate the origins of his revolutionary comedy, its overlooked influences, and how his work intersects with and reveals his famously eccentric personality. Zinoman argues that Letterman had three great artistic periods, each distinct and part of his evolution. As he examines key broadcasting moments—"Stupid Pet Tricks" and other captivating segments that defined Late Night with David Letterman—he illuminates Letterman’s relationship to his writers, and in particular, the show’s co-creator, Merrill Markoe, with whom Letterman shared a long professional and personal connection. To understand popular culture today, it’s necessary to understand David Letterman. With this revealing biography, Zinoman offers a perceptive analysis of the man and the artist whose ironic voice and caustic meta-humor was critical to an entire generation of comedians and viewers—and whose singular style ushered in new tropes that have become clichés in comedy today.

When it comes to the lifestyles of American Express Black Card holders, you'd never know we're in a recession. This Land Was Made For You and Me (But Mostly Me) is a hilarious catalog of the absurdly extravagant lifestyles, impossibly glamorous escapes, and pet projects of North America's one percenters. From fiberglass Baobab tree houses in the foothills of the Rockies with machine-gun ports at every level, to a four-star open-air restaurant precariously balanced atop the leafy rainforests of the Amazon basin, longtime friends and mutual fans McCall and Letterman have created an Architectural Digest-style satire of the (obscenely) rich and famous. Featuring beautiful hand-painted illustrations in McCall's inimitable style and the brilliantly caustic wit of both authors, This Land takes you on a dizzying tour of vacation homes and resorts at once utterly ridiculous and eerily plausible.

Someday I'll open my own business. Someday I'll write my screenplay. Someday I'll travel the world. What if someday never comes? Steve Mazan's someday was to perform on The Late Show with David Letterman. From the time he was twelve, he told himself Someday and busily passed the time as a successful stand-up comic. Then, in his early thirties, Steve was diagnosed with an incurable form of liver cancer. Doctors told him he might have only five years left to live. So Steve did something strange: he started living. His first move was to chase that childhood dream and turn someday into today—he would perform his act live on The Late Show with David Letterman . . . even if it killed him.In a literal race against time, Steve peels back layers of himself that he never knew existed, taking risks that would ultimately put his act, his pride, and his livelihood on the chopping block for all to criticize. With his confidence in a rut and his healthcare bills mounting, Steve finds himself filing for bankruptcy, receiving rejection after rejection, battling death, and questioning his dream. Every hero has his journey, and in this raw, riveting, riotous account of what one man would endure in a quest to tell a joke, Steve takes readers on a journey that ultimately is no joke.

Lovato began her career on the Disney Channel, starring alongside fellow pop sensations the Jonas Brothers, before rocketing to music stardom with two Billboard chart-topping albums. The inspiring young singer is set to host the second season of The X Factor this fall. Chronicling her early years, through her rising career, to the present, ÒFame: Demi LovatoÓ is a must have for Lovato fans everywhere.

On May 20, 2015, Dave said, "Thank you and goodnight." The Foo Fighters sang "Everlong," and Late Show with David Letterman ended its run. The final six weeks of the series had guests like Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, and the Obamas. All names you have heard many times. But it was the people behind the scenes who pulled off these twenty-eight unforgettable episodes of late-night television. Author Scott Ryan conducted over twenty interviews with the staffers of David Letterman. Most of the participants had never given interviews before. The writers, directors, producers, and stage managers offer a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to work on these shows. Find out what it takes to write a Top Ten list, book a president for a guest spot, and what it was like working at the Ed Sullivan Theater. Long time Letterman writer Bill Scheft penned the foreword for the book. Included are over 100 color photos from staffers' personal collections, as well as publicity photos from the show. Get the first truly inside look at creating an episode of Late Show. Interviews with: Barbara Gaines - Executive Producer; Sheila Rogers - Supervising Producer/ Talent Executive; Randi Grossack - Associate Director; Kathy Mavrikakis, Supervising Producer; Rick Sheckman, Associate Producer; Brian Teta - Supervising Producer/Segment Producer; Sheryl Zelikson - Music Producer; Jay Johnson - Creative Director, Digital Media; Jerry Foley - Director; Michael Barrie - Writer; Lee Ellenberg - Writer; Jim Mulholland - Writer; Joe Grossman - Writer; Jeremy Weiner - Writer; Steve Young - Writer; Vincent Favale - Executive of Late Night Programing; Eddie Valk - Stage Manager; Bill Scheft - Writer; Janice Penino - Vice President, Human Resources; Jill Goodwin - Writer; and Mike Buczkiewicz - Senior Producer/Segment Producer; Rupert Jee - Hello Deli Owner.

It's a story that's as big as the manipulations of Hollywood's most feared power brokers and multi-million-dollar negotiators - and as personal as the effect on executives of being snubbed by a party invitation.

The late evening television host David Letterman presents a collection of his most outrageous Top Ten Lists.