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How to Talk Dirty and Influence People

Written by: Lenny Bruce, Lewis Black - preface, Howard Reich - foreword
Narrated by: Ronnie Marmo
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Publisher's Summary

During the course of a career that began in the late 1940s, Lenny Bruce challenged the sanctity of organized religion and other societal and political conventions; he widened the boundaries of free speech. Critic Ralph Gleason said, "So many taboos have been lifted and so many comics have rushed through the doors Lenny opened. He utterly changed the world of comedy". Although Bruce died when he was only 40, his influence on the worlds of comedy, jazz, and satire are incalculable. How to Talk Dirty and Influence People remains a brilliant existential account of his life and the forces that made him the most important and controversial entertainer in history.

©2016 Lenny Bruce (P)2016 Hachette Audio
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Pretty Well What I Expected

This autobiography is replete with examples of well-thought out challenges to then (and sometimes still) societal norms. Lenny describes in detail conflicts in thought and action of society, law enforcement, religious institutions, business and most of all himself.

He is honest and sincere, so it's no wonder that even though he caused trouble in the minds of critics, he was able to persuade even those against his thoughts to respect him and his right to free speech.

Lenny never once uses an excuse of free speech to say anything, but to say what's meaningful. This is something lost on extremists of every stripe in any era.

A large portion of the last half of the book is dedicated to reading reports and stenographer's notes from trials and investigations. While much of this leads to something vindicating for himself, it meanders from the humor and life lessons we love to hear in his sets or general pontifications.

Lenny meanders. He makes fun himself for it early on. This sometimes causes a situation where you may mentally drift during this audiobook.

I think listening to this book should be done for its meaningfulness, while allowing yourself to laugh whenever you think appropriate. I think Lenny would like it that way.

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