The F Word: How to Survive Your Family [Hardcover]

Louie Anderson (Author), Carl Kurlander (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2002

Popular comedian Louie Anderson, whose book about his alcoholic father, Dear Dad, was a New York Times bestseller, fixes his sights on his dysfunctional family and especially his l0 siblings-to show how families succeed despite their best efforts at self-sabotage. 'Most of us are crazy people, raised by crazy people who were themselves raised by crazy people,' says Louie Anderson.In this alternately hilarious and poignant program, Anderson talks about his unique family, in which all seem to have competed in a race to see who could be the most, well, 'off.'The competition was stiff, with five sisters who married hard-drinking types and a brother who was wanted by the FBI. Louie explains how his family background, as well as some truly bizarre exchanges during his host stint on syndicated TV's popular 'Family Feud,' have given him insights into how to 'survive' your family.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the realm of celebrity advice books, comedian and game show host Anderson's follow-up to Dear Dad: Letters from an Adult Child falls squarely in the middle of the scale of originality and usefulness: there's nothing particularly remarkable or cutting-edge about it, but it does offer a few pearls of wisdom on surviving dysfunctional blood relationships. The friendly analysis of family dynamics is too scrambled to be a true how-to volume; instead, it features an assortment of short essays on Anderson's tumultuous family life, interspersed with a collection of some 50 tips on surviving family interactions and pieces from his comedy routines. As Anderson focuses entirely on his own experiences, he ends up attempting to spin very specific elements (such as the impact of his fame and wealth on his 10 siblings) into general principles-somewhat of a difficult task. While he has not written the definitive guide to family harmony, Anderson has created an entertaining and heartfelt portfolio of personal advice that manages to sustain an easy, good humored feel despite its often painful subject matter.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Following his best-selling Dear Dad (1989), comedian Anderson continues to wax funny-serious about his family (which is the F word he refers to in his title). Although admitting that "some of us have a better chance of defeating Tiger Woods at the Masters than fixing our families," Anderson nevertheless shares the wisdom about families that he's gained over his nearly 50 years of life--and he has an incredibly large family to have gained experience from. His 49 tips for getting along in family situations are woven into an autobiographical and completely honest narrative about his relations with his parents and his siblings. Tip 33 directs us to remember that parents are only human--they don't know everything. Tip 36 asks us to look at the friends we have and notice how they reflect one's own family. Ultimately, of course, we cannot fix our families, and Anderson leaves us with the good word that he no longer needs to try, and neither do we. Nothing revolutionary here; just good, common, supportive sense. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Warner Books (September 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446530174
• ISBN-13: 978-0446530170
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #647,028 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #86 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Recovery > Adult Children of Alcoholics

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not His Best Book, But Still a Treat, December 26, 2004

By 

Andre LeBlanc (North Dakota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The F Word: How to Survive Your Family (Hardcover)

I've been a long time Louie Anderson fan and regard his first two books, "Dear Dad: Letters From an Adult child" and "Goodbye Jumbo...Hello Cruel World," two of the best books I've ever read. So I was naturally excited to hear he was writing a third book. In "The F Word," Louie tackles his relationship with his dysfunctional family, which has been strained by his fame and wealth (they resent him and/or expect him to help support them). He uses examples from his own family interactions to offer tips to others on how to deal with their dysfunctional family relationships. His advice is often too personal or oversimplified to be of good therapeutic use. However, Louie has an amazing ability to draw the reader into his life. Reading his books, I no longer feel like a fan. I feel like a friend. He does an amazing job of describing the unique personality traits of each of his 10 siblings and the problems they battle. Collectively, they have all been impacted in some way by their (deceased) alcoholic, abusive father. This book does offer some good down to earth advice and proves that everybody has problems that they struggle with and demons they battle, even celebrities. Overall, I found it to be a rewarding book, just somewhat less so than his previous books.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The king of comedy does it again!, October 30, 2002

By 

Loren (Grand Forks, ND) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The F Word: How to Survive Your Family (Hardcover)

Louie Anderson, the king of family comedy, has done it again. He has brought us into his family by sharing his deepest secrets on how to survive the burden of having "family time". Louie has the ability to draw the reader into his world and make us all feel like part of his family. His survival tips are stellar and writing unsurpassed. He truly knows the way to our heart by an honest look at the strange people we all have in our families. Our hats off to you, Louie, and writing partner Carl Kurlander for a brilliant look into the science of family relations.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great study of pain, told through humor, January 24, 2005

By 

Muhammad Miguel Ali Hasan "Film Director & Po... (Sunset Beach, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The F Word: How to Survive Your Family (Hardcover)

I really applaud and admire the work that Anderson has given us within this book

The material that Anderson shares with us includes so much of his personal guilt, regret, and sadness

However, he manages to share it in a way that is constructive, humorous, and easy to digest ---- he makes it easy to see the screw-ups we've made in our own lives, and helps to suggest ways of alievation, through his own narration

Reading this book is almost an exercise in forgivness yourself ---- forgiving those around you and forgiving YOURSELF

And best of all - it is all told in Anderson's classic humor - making this all very easy to digest

Although the book is good, I truly recommend the audio version --- Anderson's narration is a perfect complement to a well done book

thank you for reading!