Carol Leifer

I typically do not read this genre, and I was concerned that I wasn't in the correct age bracket to truly enjoy the book. It was presented to me that the book is about coming to terms with yourself, coming into your own, and becoming the person you are meant to be. Since turning thirty a few years ago, I am all about coming to terms with myself and coming into my own, so I took the plunge.

I wasn't disappointed. While I might not have been able to relate to some of the stories Ms. Leifer show more mentioned, her main message is for all ages. No matter what age we are, life is going to continue to throw us curve balls, but that is what makes life interesting. We can either sit in a corner and hide or we can adapt and grow. More importantly, we are never too old to continue to grow and learn.

Even more vital, Ms. Leifer's opinions about growing old gracefully are refreshing in this era of plastic surgery and fighting any hint of age on our face. While I still struggle with the idea of death, she did give me food for thought that every wrinkle is a testament to our journey through life, and we shouldn't be ashamed of that. And to erase those wrinkles (through Botox or face lifts) is not being true to ourselves. It's a message that I wish more in society would adopt.

In general, Ms. Leifer's novel was enjoyable. Her list of forty things she knows at age fifty cracked me up to no end. I seriously laughed out loud with that one. At other times, she was quite poignant about the twists and turns her life has taken. In all, she does give food for thought. It's a quick read that I would recommend to anyone interested in a bit of self-discovery. show less

Practical, accessible, and very funny. Content includes actual speeches with notations by the authors and fill-in-the-blank templates provide starting points. Bonus: The authors imagine hilarious speeches given by famous film and TV characters and further cement the concepts presented. I actually wish someone would ask me to speak at an event right now so I can use what I learned!

I am one of Carol Leifer's longtime fans. We are in the same generation, we came from the same Long Island, we were in the same women's predicament, job-wise. Lucky her... she got the funny father!

So I was really excited about reading her "memoir," as I've been reading other funny women's memoirs (Fey, Rivers, Kaling, Lawson, MacDonald, Handler, etc.). Sorry to say, I'm underwhelmed... not because of her successful career, but because I expected it to be -- I don't know -- funnier. (Most of show more her funny friends' blurbs on the cover don't call it funny either, if you read carefully.)

I thought it was an interesting choice to incorporate her life lessons and turn them into items for success in show business, and I will pass this on to my niece who expects to be a performer. But she always makes me laugh on her tv appearances and this book did not. Hence, disappointment, yet support for her effort. I can understand her not wanting to spoil her chances of continued gigs by naming names and then trashing them. Obviously. Or turning on her funny friends, still working, still friends, and telling how and when exactly they were NOT there for her. I get it.

Still, it was a fast easy read, and I liked walking down memory lane with her. There are some wild old photographs of Carol & her buds, on the way up. Wishing Carol continued success and hoping I'm wrong about this book. show less

When comedian/writer Carole Leifer [Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld] turned 50, she decided to write it down and share it in a book. I’m a good 15 years younger than her, so I could relate to some things and other things I’m not quite there yet. I don’t have children. I’m not gay but I have gay friends. I’m not Jewish but spend a lot of time in Brookline, Mass. I’m a vegetarian. I’m a feminist and an animal rights activist. I’m liberal. The point is a good comedian and writer show more will bring you into her world. Leifer succeeds at times and at other times, I just thought she was treading water or re-visiting old jokes, familiar territory i.e. “I think you can stop, I’ve heard this one before.”

Leifer addresses: hiding your age; cars as “political statements”/ any statements; how she found out she was gay at age 40; her love of animals; body changes as one ages; her breast cancer scare; feminism; things men should know; fake breasts; Judaism; her father; New York; being comfortable; doctors; therapists; class reunions; and many other topics.

She delves deepest into her relationship with her father. Although he worked as an optometrist, she explains that her father had always wanted to be a comedian. Leifer had been taking adult b’nai mitzvah classes when he died. She still carries around a list of jokes he carried in his wallet. At another point, she addresses when her doctor thought a lump in her breast might be cancerous. She had just started dating Lori and the panic merely strengthened the fledgling relationship. Finally there are the normal trials and tribulations of being part of a couple. Leifer became a vegan, yet Lori continues to eat meat. Leifer wants to be buried in New York, while Lori wants them to be buried together in her family plot in California. Leifer adds some comedic moments to these serious elements of her life and there are some hits and some misses as with any comedy routine.

I knew Leifer did stand-up and wrote for Seinfeld and dated Jerry way back in the day. Other than that I didn’t know much about her. I’ve learned a few things from this book but still do not have a strong grasp of her persona. When You Lie about Your Age, The Terrorists Win is not particularly momentous. It is a fast-paced, light read. show less