I'm Not High: (But I've Got a Lot of Crazy Stories about Life as a Goat Boy, a Dad, and a Spiritual Warrior) [Hardcover]

Jim Breuer (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 5, 2010

With his goofy smile, sleepy eyes, and stoner's laugh, Jim Breuer might not appear to be the most introspective comedian out there. The fact that he made his mark playing Goat Boy on Saturday Night Live and a recalcitrant toker in the stoner classic Half Baked doesn't help his reputation at all. But in I'm Not High, we meet a whole new Jim Breuer: the Jim who tours the country with his whole family in tow; the Jim who cares for his ailing eighty-five-year-old father; the Jim who considers himself a deeply spiritual person. I'm Not High reveals the complex man behind the simpleminded persona, bringing to life true stories from a career that has spanned two riotous (yet somehow semi-righteous) decades.

Jim dishes on everything from the SNL years to his early adventures in film. The cast of characters in I'm Not High includes Chris Farley, Dave Chapelle, and Tracy Morgan-who all taught Jim lasting lessons about the high-stakes game of fame. He also chronicles the constant role his family has played in keeping him honest. Whether he's arguing with his wife about religion (Is it okay to believe in God but not believe in church?), trying to take care of his kids, or helping his father get through the day with his dignity in tact, it's clear that some of his best material comes from his best moments as a son and a dad and a husband.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Funnyman Breuer, best known for his portrayals of Goat Boy and Joe Pesci on Saturday Night Live, shows that he is more than just a goofball in this engaging memoir. In incidents described with equal parts humor and solemnity, Breuer illustrates the important role that spirituality has played in his life: for example, he temporarily lost his memoir notes after daring the devil to take them; he kissed a friend the night before she died in an accident; and he felt strangely compelled to reach out to Chris Farley shortly before his death. Comedy has been another constant, and numerous SNL anecdotes will appeal to fans of the show. Breuer's memories of realizing as a child that he had the ability to entertain have a cinematic quality: "Pretty soon a crowd would gather around...cheering me on like it was a real boxing match." More interested in conveying himself as a multi-faceted man than fishing for laughs (though readers will still chuckle), Breuer succeeds in demonstrating groundedness, humility, and gratitude.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Stand-up comedian Jim Breuer was part of the Saturday Night Live cast from 1995-1998. He now hosts Sirius/XM radio show "Fridays with Breuer". In 2009, he headlined a one-hour Comedy Central special call "Let's Clear the Air," and he will appear in the Kevin James/Adam Sandler feature film The Zookeeper (2010). He lives in New Jersey with his family. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Gotham; 1 edition (October 5, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592405754
• ISBN-13: 978-1592405756
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #147,759 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A comedian who is a great writer and story teller? It's more likely than you think. October 7, 2010

By Greg Shepard

Format:Hardcover

If you're like me, you've probably read a few of your favorite people's biographies, and probably found them lackluster. You feel you might as well have just read their wikipedia page, and when they do get to dish on something new, they are constantly kissing other people's asses. "Working with so and so was so wonderful, I have nothing else to say." Alright then.

And nothing is worse than you can tell it wasn't actually written by the person in question, rather by someone else as relayed to them.

Breuer's book is nothing like those wastes of trees. It's honest (stories about him almost being aborted and cleaning up after his father are right from the get-go,) funny, and incredibly well written.

Have you ever read the Harry Potter novels, where despite their length, they are so well crafted that the words almost read themselves and the pages fly by? The same is with Breuer's book: it's like you've sat down with him and are hearing the stories from his mouth.

Forget all you know about books written by comedians or celebrities. This is a damn good read.

P.S. I don't work for the publisher, by the way, and don't personally know Breuer. My 5 stars is honest. I've heard him on Opie and Anthony over the years, and found his story telling to be amazing. Definitely youtube clips of him if you're still on the fence. Anything involving Pizza Man.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story Teller! October 22, 2010

By impalaballing64

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Just a great read. Jim is a great story teller with a lot of funny and serious tales about his life. Jim proves to be a true family man despite hanging out with big stars such as Lars from Metallica and Dave Chappelle. Breuer also reminisces about one of the most memorable skits in SNL history where Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro make an appearance. Jim brings his stories to life while on air on The Howard Stern Show and Opie and Anthony on Sirius/XM which is where I discovered the genius of Jim Breuer

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars HUGE FAN November 3, 2010

By PJA273

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have been a fan of Jim Breuer since his SNL days. I am a SiriusXM subscriber as well. I always laugh hysterically when he is interviewed by Howard Stern. I have always thought Jim was funny, but after reading his book I now know he not only funny but a great person. Jims seems to be the everyday guy grateful for his success and appreciative of everything he has in life. When I was reading the chapter when he was in LA doing a pilot I was actually rooting for him and felt as though I was going through the struggle with him. You can't help but become emotionally invested in this book. I am glad I bought and I have recommended to several people. You will not regret purchasing this book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A uniquely funny, surprisingly powerful, and well written celebrity memoir. October 13, 2010

By nixon08

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

As somebody mentioned above, I too am often tempted to pick up memoirs written by my favorite comedians, actors, and/or musicians. Aside from a select few, most of them...well...suck. They are poorly written, loosely conceptualized, and often times feel rushed to completion. With that said, Jim Breuer's seems to break the mold.

I must say that I have not yet finished the book. In fact, I haven't even finished half of it. But it's been such a refreshing experience for me that I just had to tell somebody. It's made me laugh, it's made me cry (not literally, but you know what I mean), and it's made me think. Jim is such a great story teller, and more importantly, he's got interesting stories to tell. His take on the whole "spirituality vs. religion" idea is quite poignant and his reminiscing of old childhood memories is done with an almost aspergers like level of detail.

I want to end this review so I can get back to reading, but let me just tell you it's a surprisingly well written book (no co-author to my knowledge) with a sharp wit, powerful message, and a level of honesty and self realization most of us could only dream of one day achieving. I would proudly display this book along side authors like David Sedaris, Chuck Klosterman, and Augusten Burroughs. I'm not saying he's as good a writer as those guys, but he's made a valiant effort here.

Oh, one last thing. This book is funny - both chuckle to yourself funny, and even laugh out loud funny at times - without using the common "setup/punchline" technique most comedians often resort to when attempting to translate their stand up routines to paper.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars On the Audio Book October 8, 2012

By Krackers87

Format:Hardcover

Even without taking off any stars for not being a humor book, this book is pretty awful. In particular the Audio Book which is narrated by Jim himself. It's basically something like 10+ hours of him being a pompous, full-of-himself douche, shitting on the character that made him famous, which is probably the reason most people would pick up this book in the first place. If you thought he was funny in Half Baked, try to avoid this book, and his standup specials for that matter, since there's a good chance you won't be able to stand him afterwards. Lots of bawwing of course about how hollywood typecasts people.... *Gasp* say it isn't so!

In all honesty, this dude probably should smoke weed, it would deflate that Goodyear Blimp of a head he has and bring him back down to earth with the rest of us.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Do yourself a favor and get the audio version. January 14, 2011

By babybanchie

Format:Hardcover

I really enjoyed this book, but I bought the audio version that Jim Breuer narrarated himself. I can't imagine READING this book. So much of this book would easily get lost on the printed page because of his impressions and emotions. To be completely honest I don't think he was reading the book, he may have used it as an outline but he NEVER seemed to be reading. He sounded like he was just telling stories and I was completely hooked from start to finish. I loved hearing his impressions and the stories from SNL(the Rudy Giuliani story stood out for me), and his homelife. I you like Jimmy you need to LISTEN to this book don't bother with a paperback.