Even though have never watched W. Kamau Bell’s shows or listened to his comedy, I enjoyed this memoir told through essays. He is funny and conversational. The portions about making shows in Hollywood were fascinating. He illustrates the diversity problem and lack of creative control by artists of color particularly well. Another great chapter was about the black nerd (blerd) subculture. Finally, his demonstrated commitment to intersectionality and calling out of sexism in the comedy community made the book especially unique. It sounds like a lot of heavy topics, but Bell writes in a way that is conversational and fun.

A perfect weekend read - funny, thoughtful, well done. Highly recommend.

I have always appreciated Kamau's presence on television. Having met him once for a second in Berkeley & through watching "United Shades..." my take has always been that he comes across as really solid guy. However, reading his book is a true revelation: not only of the depths of his brand of funny, but of the incredible forces that shaped/shape him as a person. If you are a "certain type of person", his irreverent reveries are going to resonate on a deep level. I was fairly certain that I would enjoy the book, but the fact that I'm writing about it, denotes a whole other level of enjoyment. A really lighthearted and good read. So needed in these times.