Publishers Weekly
05/18/2020
Today cohost Roker (Ruthless Tide) recalls his 40-year broadcasting career in a sweet memoir sprinkled with homespun advice. A Queens, N.Y., native, Roker talks excitedly about working as a weekend weatherperson in Syracuse in the 1970s while still attending college; taking a job in Washington, D.C., then in Cleveland, Ohio, where he had his first weekday gig in a major market; and returning to N.Y.C. to work first at WNBC, the local news channel, then at the Today show. A self-described nerd who has a stuffed animal collection in his office, Roker specializes in light on-air banter, and the book’s tone mirrors his TV personality. He’s most amusing when he shares goofy career mishaps, like the time he wore contact lenses instead of eyeglasses during a broadcast and blinked so much that concerned viewers started calling in, or the one and only time he slept through his alarm and was almost late for his Today segment (the incident made the news the next day). Throughout, Roker shares innocuous bits of advice (always work hard, he stresses) and encouragement (“It doesn’t matter that you’re not the star; it matters that you’re part of the constellation”). This sunny, pleasant book is perfect for Roker fans or anyone in need of a quick pick me up. (July)
From the Publisher
*Amazon, "Best Biographies & Memoirs of the Month" (July 2020)*
USA TODAY, "Five Books Not to Miss!"
AARP, "Inspirational New Books"
Gretchen Rubin, "What I Read This Month: August 2020"
"Sharing a host of lively anecdotes, Roker reflects on what he's learned from his undeniably successful career. [...] Ebullient revelations of a contented life."—Kirkus
"This sunny, pleasant book is perfect for Roker fans or anyone in need of a quick pick me up."—Publisher's Weekly
"An easy recommendation."—Booklist
"[This book is] illustrated with great charm, and [shows] that you don't have to be the company chest-beater to be the winner."—The New York Times
"Full of amusing stories."—AARP
"A charming memoir that will inspire readers."—The Chicago Sun Times
"[Roker] talks straight up success..."—The Washington Informer
"I love aphorisms, so I loved the organization of this book by 'ALtruisms'-lessons for career and life that Al Roker has learned along the way. So many great insights."—Gretchen Rubin, author of THE HAPPINESS PROJECT
SEPTEMBER 2020 - AudioFile
Al Roker, the well-known “Today Show” cohost and weatherman, offers a career-centered memoir that also includes several humorous stories supporting his “Al-truisms”—suggested techniques for success. Despite decades of media experience, the narration is noticeably uneven. Principally, bleeping tones, familiar to listeners from television, are plentiful even within the same sentence for words that the listener can only assume are in place of words generally accepted to be curses, epithets, oaths, or otherwise objectionable. There are so many of these bleeps that listening is too often disjointed and confusing. Some passages are loud, perhaps for emphasis, but the rationale for the increased volume is not obvious. This is an otherwise charming series of reflections and suggestions that, sadly, suffers from its narration. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2020-03-29
Sage advice from the much-loved TV weatherman.
Sharing a host of lively anecdotes, Roker, longtime weather forecaster on NBC’s Today show, reflects on what he’s learned from his undeniably successful career. Each chapter offers what he calls an “Altruism”—e.g., “If You’re Gonna Cry Know How To Cry,” or “You Don’t Need To Be the Top Banana.” The author recounts the highlights of his working life from his beginnings in upstate New York. A self-described “AV Club dork” in high school, he took his first professional gig at a local station in Syracuse. After two years, he was recruited to Washington, D.C., where veteran weatherman Willard Scott took him under his wing; when he was offered a job at an NBC affiliate in Cleveland, he jumped at the chance. Although Cleveland had a history of racial strife, Roker says he never experienced racism at work until one colleague made an offhand racist remark. “I chose to defend myself with humor,” Roker writes, an example of his overall attitude to “roll with the punches” and learn to deal with different personality types. Sometimes, he thinks, it’s better to let things go than to make a fuss. In any case, “when it comes to my challenges,” he admits, “weight trumped race.” Roker counsels readers to keep themselves open to new experiences: “Keep life interesting—explore ALL your talents and then some.” His inclination to say yes to opportunities brought him to Manhattan for what should have been a part-time job at NBC; but when Today’s weatherman left, Roker took the helm: “Move in the direction the wind takes you.” Among his many joys are early rising (time alone is a great gift) and his marriage to the gregarious Deborah Roberts, a TV journalist at ABC.
Ebullient revelations of a contented life.
