Customer Reviews

I Only Roast the Ones I Love: Busting Balls Without Burning Bridges

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

To be honest, I haven't read a lot of books written by comedians. I used to pick them up and flip through the pages and I'd see...a lot of white pages. A lot of empty space. Sometimes a successful comedian's book would simply be a list of zingers and one-liners, a transcript of their act.

Not this book!

I've enjoyed Jeffrey Ross on the Comedy Central Roasts, along with what roast footage I could find online, and I have seen him several times at the local Improv. He's just a funny, funny guy. If he works hard at it, he still makes it look like the easiest thing in the world--a true pro. (And just chatting with him between shows has also shown what a genuinely nice person he really is, despite some of the most frigid insults ever thrown from a dias).

So when I saw his book in the bookstore, I picked it up and skimmed through parts of it. I kept saying, "Oh, I remember that! I remember that too!" But it was also fascinating to hear about what he saw during his most memorable moments.

I bought the book and read it immediately. Numerous times I've laughed out loud. Many times I was even touched when he talked about his family while growing up in New Jersey and how he performs for our soldiers in the field and recovering in hospitals. As if that wasn't enough, the show business anecdotes and personal stories of famous people, especially the older generation of comics like Milton Berle and (Jeff's mentor) Buddy Hackett and the new generation of comedians like Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silvermann, definitely make this book worth reading.

It's a fast, lean read with some laugh-out loud comedy and some wonderful insights into being a Roastmaster General. But, for now, there's only one.

Loved it.

This book is a great read and very well written. And yes, it's laugh out loud funny. It's so much better than I thought it would be. No offense to Jeffrey Ross, but he doesn't seem like he'd have the patience to put sentences together so well. Loved the chapter on New Jersey and the background on The Friar's Club.

I loved this book! Funny, witty and heart warming. Although I had seen the Pam Anderson roast on Comedy Central, I did not know who Jeff Ross was. I bought the book after hearing him pitch it on the Stephanie Miller radio show one morning. He had me and my car pool riders cracking up.

This book provides great insight into how and why someone becomes a comic and the kind of courage it takes to be a comic and to make fun of other people in public without crossing the line and pissing them off. The book is well written and is very funny as well as insightful. I particularly loved the story about how his dad busted Don Rickles balls by playing the same prank on Rickles that Rickles had once played on Sinatra.

I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with the first hundred pages of this book
but starting with the chapter where Jeff gets invited to his first roast at the friars club his words begin to crackle and from there I couldn't put it down.

It was a great trip down memory lane with the likes of Milton Berle and Buddy Hackett and the new roster of roasters. I loved reading about Jeff's reverence for Buddy Hackett and how he wears his cufflinks and ties that Buddy gave him.

Jeff is great at weaving a story. Two stories in this book are worth the price of the book by themselves. The Bea Arthur story and its aftermath and the Cousin Sal story with a cameo by Tom Cruise and his mother.

It was also heartwarming to read of Jeff's adventures entertaining veterans and just generally giving back.

Jeff is always the highlight of the comedy central roasts but we get a real glimpse into the man behind the insults in this funny heartwarming tome.

Ever wanted to zing a friend or family member? Needed a verbal comeback for a jab from a co-worker? Looked to be the life of the party?

Jeff Ross shows you how. In "I Only Roast The Ones I Love," Ross (known as The Roastmaster General) explains the different aspects of being a great roaster, from writing and delivery to tough rooms and self-defense against the easily offended. Starting with fictitious "origins" of the roast, the comedian offers entertaining anecdotes about his start in comedy and career in insult humor -many revealing, some touching and most hilarious. Along with tips on telling a joke, Ross relates stories of his encounters with celebrities through the years - including old guard offenders like Don Rickles, Freddie Roman and his mentor Buddy Hackett - and the advice they gave him.

What I like best about this book is, while it sounds like it's just about the art of the insult, it's more personal than that. I've followed Ross' work for years now, through YouTube clips of old Friars Roasts to stand-up specials to the annual Comedy Central roasts which have gained popularity over the years. I knew that there was a caring side after watching Patriot Act: A Jeffrey Ross Home Film, a documentary about his travels overseas to entertain the troops through the USO. But by reading this book, you can see how personal the art of roasting is to Ross. He is a guy with a good heart to go with his wicked tongue.

If you have interest in how to insult successfully (or safely) or are just curious what the life and mind of a comedian are like, I can definitely recommend this book. It has a little bit of something for everyone (above the age of 14) and a whole lot of laughs.

If you've ever watched Celebrity Roasts on Comedy Central TV you'll most likely have come across Jeffrey Ross, an insult comic known as the Roastmaster General.

His book is not only a very entertaining behind-the-scenes, inside look into the celebrity world of the Roastmaster, but also a guide for people who want to learn how to give a roast. Part amusing autobiography, part collection of side-splitting examples from actual roasts, and part a guide to help you create your own roasts. He gives away "My secrets for writing roast jokes", taking us through techniques such as Openers, Twofers, Crossbreeders, Tags, Savers, Keep your distance, Playing dumb, Closers, Props, and Costumes. He also has a section on "A simple three-step guide to freeing your inner roastmaster".

If you're serious about learning how to do a great roast, you need this book. I also recommend Larry Miller's "Roasts and Toasts Made Easy", and "Scorched: 550 comedy roast lines for insulting occasions" ([...].).

I found this book funny and enjoyable, a voyaristic ride into the life of comdey's roastmaster general, Jeffrey Ross. I was fascinated by the concept of roasting which seems to be a lost art that Mr. Ross brought back from its place in the "old timer's saloon" and into the 21st century. Since this is not my typically preferred genre of books I was pleasantly surprised by the entertaining stories, anecdotes and great advice for anyone who needs to speak in public without fear. I recommend this book to comedy lovers everywhere and to those who want a behind the scenes journey into what it takes to make a roastmaster general.

I read this book in one day i could not put it down. As a comedian I've been roasting people for years. Who would have thought I could pick up even more pointers. This book is a combination of his personal history combined with his hilarious roast wit. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

I ended up spending the day I bought this book reading it from start to finish. Jeffrey Ross did a fantastic job with this book, its amazingly funny and gives you great look inside the world of the Roast Master General. Highly recommended!!!

As a fan of Ross, I decided to see what else this guy could offer. What I found were stories (some that I head before) from Ross' early life and standup career. It's nice know that even a comic giant like Jeff has had his share of troubled times, heartache, and a life of everyday routine (from time to time) that we can all relate to. In the end though his telling of tales is great! Ross is an everyman that is easy to cheer for, even when telling Bea Authur jokes!

From his early days as a Karate Kid, his relationship with his parents, to the many famous comedy legends that he has befrended, the book is a great escape from the doldrums of life. I could have done without the chapter of faux Roastmaster History, but other then that, the read is SOLID.

If you think your life sucks, read this book. It will get you laughing again and you'll see how good you got it!