Betty White (1) (1922–2021)

I highly recommend listening to this as an audiobook: Betty White reads it herself, and it feels like she's talking to you about her life. She seems to like just about everybody, and while she gets a bit gossipy she is never ever mean. I learned some things about her life, but mostly I just enjoyed hearing her tell stories.

I did tear up some (especially when she talked about her husband), but I also giggled at parts; and I came away thinking Betty White is one of those rare treasures of show more the human race who became famous and really deserves all of the goodwill she gets for it. show less

A recent press release from Penguin Audio announced that Betty White has been nominated for a Grammy for the audio edition of this work. It's not hard to imagine that. The print (or in this case Kindle) edition is just as much fun as I imagine the audio would be. Penguin tells us:

In If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t), Betty’s wit and wisdom take center stage as she tackles topics like friendship, romantic love, aging, television, fans, love for animals, and the brave new world of show more celebrity. Drawing from a lifetime of lessons learned, If You Ask Me mixes her thoughtful observations with humorous stories from a seven-decade career in Hollywood. Longtime fans and new fans alike will relish Betty’s candid take on everything from the unglamorous reality behind red-carpet affairs, to her beauty regime (“I have no idea what color my hair is, and I never intend to find out”), to the Facebook campaign that helped persuade her to host Saturday Night Live despite having turned down the hosting job three times.
Featuring all-new material, with a focus on the past fifteen years of her life, If You Ask Me is funny, sweet, and to the point – just like Betty.

We downloaded this ebook from our library's Overdrive program to test our new Kindle e-reader. The process was painless, and turned out to be a really fun. Betty White is a tell-it-like-it-is lady whose long and noted career in TV is only one aspect of what makes her tick. She actually reads and answers her own fan mail, confesses to be totally inept with computers, has loads of interesting friends - male and female- and as everyone knows, is absolutely devoted to the cause of humane treatment of animals. Stories of her interaction with dogs, dolphins, chimps, cats, snakes, and humans all bring smiles to the reader. Her easy, breezy style of writing gives the reader an experience similar to sitting down by the pool to sip lemonade together. The e-book worked very well, even showing the numerous black and white pictures in sharp clarity. I'm betting the audio was a definite winner given Ms. White's natural sense of timing and comedy show less

From the book jacket - Seven-time Emmy winner Betty White’s wit and wisdom take center stage as she tackles topics like friendship, romantic love, aging, television, fans, love for animals, and the brave new world of celebrity.

My Reactions
I feel a little mean not liking this more. I love Betty White, and some of the essays in this book are spot on perfect. But it’s pretty lightweight in substance, and I felt a little like I was on one of those obligatory visits to an elderly relative show more when I was a kid … I sat politely and tried not to fidget, but all I could think of was when I’d be able to go play. It’s a very fast read, and includes several photos.

Still, giving credit where credit is due, White is a lovely woman and has a keen sense of humor. There were sections that were completely delightful. I’d love to have her at my table at a dinner party! It just didn’t satisfy what I look for in a reading experience (yes, even from a celebrity memoir). I’ll continue to watch and enjoy her performances, but I’ll read something else. show less

Betty White is a legend. And listening to her narrate her own audiobook was like sitting there with her as she gabbed about her love of acting and animals. I think I enjoyed this as much as I did was because it felt like listening to my grandma's stories. And I miss her dearly.

Betty has done some great credible things, even in recent years despite a decades-long career already under her belt. All of the stories were short and sweet. Some are famous, others were new. I highly recommend opting show more for the audio version though. show less