This is a combination of industry memoir and technical guide to film and television editing and storytelling. Film students and others aspiring to work in the industry will probably find both parts quite compelling.

As an interested outsider, I much preferred the nerdy details. Reading about the theory of comedy, the structure of storytelling, and even the mechanical aspects of how to mix sound was absolutely fascinating! For me this was at its best not when we were discussing Larry David again (not that he doesn't have plenty of expertise and insight to offer) but when concepts were illustrated by a wonderfully wide-ranging list of films and TV shows (references to the Iranian film A Separation happily coexisted with wisdom mined from Adam Sandler's The Waterboy). The thoughtful variety of works cited underscores the universality of the core concepts of what makes a joke funny or a story watchable.

Anyone wanting to pursue a creative aspect of film or television production would do well to give this a close read. Those who merely find the subject interesting will find a lot to enjoy, but should feel free to skim without remorse when it starts getting very "inside".

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!