By Sandy Amazeen Oct 23, 2007, 2:49 GMT
From the efforts of activist and actor Grodin, comes this collection of eighty stories by some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry along with a smattering of politicians and business people, illustrating the lessons they learned from making mistakes. Many of the messages revolve around the importance of spending quality time with loved ones and saying “I love you”. After a particularly funny, if awkward first meeting with Cary Grant, Carol Burnett learned to trust her instincts while Walter Cronkite probably wouldn’t have retired so early, missing out on a bunch of great stories, if he’d known he was going to live so long. After grappling with the title for the less then bestselling I Am Not Spock, Leonard Nimoy learned to pay more attention to his publisher. Lily Tomlin still regrets lacking the courage to stand up to her publicist who advised against wearing Cher’s unforgettable 1986 Oscar’s dress to the 1987 gala affair, it would have been a signature moment.
These frequently charming, often bittersweet personal tales reveal the mistakes and regrets entertained by the figures we look up to and a few, like Paul Newman, insist they not only don’t learn from their mistakes but also derive a certain degree of comfort from repeatedly committing the same errors. A pleasant way to pass an afternoon while benefiting HELP USA, a worthwhile non-profit group assisting the homeless.
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