Lacks Self-Control

Rude, Crude, Lewd and very funny. Would definitely recommend to broad minded individuals who are not easily offended. Easy read. I enjoyed it.

This book was hilarious! I did find that some of the stories changed direction and focused on something else for a bit, but they always seemed to come back around to the actual point.

Thank you to NetGalley and Big A Books for an advance read of this title in exchange for my honest review. Loved the title, and enjoyed the book. It was laugh out loud funny in some parts (which is always interesting when I'm in bed & my husband hears me laughing in the night.) There were stories that related to his family, growing up and some regarding his work (he helped launch HuffPost.) All were entertaining and enjoyable.

The Founding Editor of the Huffington Post shares the true stories of his life that he couldn’t tell until after his parents died. I chose this book because the title and the book cover made me laugh. After I began reading the book, I realized that the author and I are complete opposites. For example, Mr. Sekoff shares a great story about his skepticism and lack of respect for clairvoyants. That describes how far apart in lives and beliefs the author are and how we would each think of the other.

But then, two stories bridged the chasm for me. We are both sports fans and we both have had Khloe Kardashian moments. As I read more I saw that we also share a positive, upbeat outlook and we both love wry stories that make us laugh. So, this book grew on me, in spite of my initial shock.

There are plenty of hilarious tales of the author’s childhood, and teenage and college years. He’s a guy, so be prepared for lots of funny episodes with his father’s porn collection and his eye-opening visit to Times Square. Laugh-out-loud lines appear on every page as we go with him on dates, and share his work experiences. As I read, I highlighted many well-crafted phrases.

Mr. Sekoff is a gifted writer, and a sweet and smart guy. Lose or loosen your own self-control and enjoy the book!

Lacks Self-Control, for me, was even better than your usual famous person’s memoir. Most of it was because of how relatable I found it. Roy Sekoff is effortlessly funny, witty, and has his own droll style of writing; you can’t help but love him.

You know how all of us have a funny story we tell at dinner parties? Sekoff has like 10 of them in this book. No, really. How do I become friends with this guy?

In all, this book’s really funny, and I’m no person to tell you how to lead your life, but what are you even doing if you haven’t read it yet?

Thank you Netgalley and Big A Books for the ARC in return for my honest feed back. Roy reminded me of a younger Dennis Leary in how crude he could be. It wasn't offensive in anyway shape or form. It was hysterical. You can tell that Mr. Sekoff is a gifted writer and I swear this book had me laughing out loud. Great read!

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to review the ARC of Lacks Self-Control. I wasn't familiar with Roy Sekoff before I requested this book, but I was hoping it would be reminiscent of Augusten Burroughs or David Sedaris, as previous reviews stated, but it fell short for me. I didn't dislike it but I didn't particularly like it either. I'm just indifferent. There were funny essays like the New Orleans trip and the Oprah story, but there were also too many drawing on porn nostalgia from the authors youth and one especially odd one where he and his family are trying to figure out how to dispose of his mother's ashes, which could have been sweet and humorous but it was just sad. I'm going with 3 stars.

Fun read! This book has some cute, relatable stories. Sekoff is about my age, so a lot of this book rang true to me, even if I didn't have the exact same experiences. He is a good storyteller, although not necessarily as funny as I anticipated.given that the promo for this book implied his writing compared to that of Sedaris, Handler, David, and Moran. This is not true, or perhaps, a slight exaggeration at best. Skip the comparisons and read this book with a clear mind. The stories are pretty basic, many the typical coming-of-age type, but there is an underlying tone of humor (and sometimes downright hilarity) to this entire book. It's a pleasant read and a great source of casual, easy reading. I found my self snickering at several stories, and it definitely put a smile on my face. I would definitely recommend this for the general reader, and especially to those in the journalism/entertainment world. Enjoy!

Dear Roy Sekoff - will you be my IRL friend?

This book is full of tales of puberty, drugs, celebrities, sex....all stuff Roy couldn't/shouldn't have told his parents - and really - When part of your sexual awakening involved your dad's porn collection....he was right to wait.

Roy is a talented writer (um, hello Huffington Post) and writes these stories with a friendliness and openness of someone who is not ashamed of anything. I like that. It's honest.

Thanks to the publisher, NetGalley and Roy Sekoff for the opportunity to read and review this book

This book is hilarious. It is stories from Roy Sekoff’s life, some embarrassing, and some quite crude but still funny.

There are stories from his life starting in his childhood and extending into his adult years. These are things he (anyone) wouldn’t ever want to admit to parents. I laughed through most of the book. He is a wonderful storyteller and gifted writer.

Thanks to #NetGalley and Big A Books for the ARC in return for my honest feedback

LACKS SELF CONTROL, by Roy Sekoff, is a laugh out loud series of stories from Roy Sekoff's unique past. Between growing up in a unique family, to having crazy celebrity exchanges through his work with Huffpost, to his own neurosis and borderline OCD, Roy seems to have a million stories to tell.
There are a few what I would say "anecdotal" stories that generate a smirk or too, but with some of the storier I had to stop and laugh and find the nearest person to tell them what I just read. There is a rather gross (and funny) chapter about Roy's experiences with high colonics that was a little hard to stomach, When I finished the book, I was surprised it was over, I got the feeling there are so many more stories Roy could tell. My favorite chapter was his crazy New Orleans trip, and a close second was the chapter about Khloe Kardashian and Snoop Dogg.
I wanted more, but nevertheless LACK'S SELF CONTROL was entertaining and comically and I would read another book of Roy Sekoff's life experience without hesitation.

Well, I went into this book knowing nothing about Roy Sekoff, and I came out knowing a great deal (at times too much!) It's written quite conversationally, and I found myself wishing that Roy and I were real friends rather than book friends. The anecdotes included are comical and at times graphic, but always entertaining. I got the feeling that the stories contained in Lacks Self Control are only the tip of the iceberg, and I certainly hope there are more books to come! The blurbs contain references to David Sedaris and Chelsea Handler as similar authors, I might also include Dave Barry and perhaps Tina Fey. I enjoyed the personal aspect just as well as the celebrity interactions, the balance was great. I would definitely use this book as a gift, and I could even see it as a choice for a book discussion group.

Sekoff’s autobiographical snapshot into his life, is a hilarious look back on a boy to man and everything in between. The book jumps timelines so it is not a lateral a to z but it does offer insight into the high jinx of the founding editor of the Huffington Post.

The book is well written and there is a lot to entertain and marvel at his interesting view of his world. There is a hyperactive charm within the pages and his writing style makes it easy for the reader to delve into his mad cap life. The most interesting is that although he has his own view, he never really uses a person to poke fun at but more of the situation. His aim here is to look at the funny side of a situation to have a deeper understanding.

The episodic appeal of the book does lift this up from the norm and allows the book to breathe. Reading more like essays on a life than a straightforward autobiography which appeals to the novel strengths. Luckily, the book never goes into politics which in the current climate is a blessing though there is two slight digs which are obvious jokes but fortunately, he takes the higher ground.

Overall, this is a fun novel that doesn’t degrade those around him to find the humour but he finds it through situations which gives us a story about a boy who looks at the world to find value. The book passes by so fast that after you read the final page, it will leave you wanting more.

Amusing, entertaining, and definately not your average biography. If anyone enjoyed reading Kevin Smith's biopic, give LACKS SELF-CONTROL a shot.

How could you pass up a book subtitled “True Stories I Waited Until My Parents Died to Tell”?? I couldn’t. I wasn’t familiar with Roy Sekoff, although I’m a fan of The Huffington Post  (he was the founding editor). Plus, there’s this promotional blurb: “If David Sedaris, Chelsea Handler, Larry David, and Caitlin Moran had the unlikeliest orgy in history, the resulting love child might one day write a book like this one.”

So, when I had the opportunity to read Lacks Self-Control in exchange for my honest review (thanks to Big A Books and NetGalley),  I felt compelled to do it! The final thing was that exact same phrase, that lacking self-control thing, appeared on my report cards with regularity starting in kindergarten. When I asked what it meant, I was told it meant I talked too much, which I still think is bull.

But, in any case, if you are generally bummed by the state of the world (and if you aren’t, you must be comatose), here is an antidote. This guy is FUNNY. His collection of vignettes/essays/stories/whatever covers a span of many years, going back to his trip to a Times Square porn superstore as a teenager, right up to his time at Huffington Post. It’s a little Hunter S., Thompson (as in raunchy) which may be a bit much for some people, but it was PERFECT for me. Yes, I am admittedly a fan of offbeat humor and satire. I also like people who overshare when there is humor, often at their own expense.

I tend to think “yeah, right” when I see the phrase “laugh out loud” in a review. But, in this case it is true. I couldn’t decide on a favorite story…it was a tossup between his encounter with a killer crocodile and “that time Chevy Chase grabbed his balls at a funeral.”

Five stars. Great stuff.

A lighter, less embellished, but just as entertaining compilation of vignettes reminiscent of David Sedaris' stories. The main theme that runs through Sekoff's book is porn - his father loves it, his 12-year-old self discovers it, he inherits a large collection of it. There's also a father/son bonding attempt by way of a nudie theater production, a play-by-play recounting of high colonic adventures, a decidedly unflattering encounter with Chevy Chase, and much more. Sekoff's writing reveals a Jewish sensibility, a (to my way of thinking) clear-headed skepticism, and a wonderful sense of the absurd. His talent for storytelling make this memoir a joy to read, all the while laughing out loud along with the author who has managed to succeed in life despite the unanimous opinion of his teachers that he "lacks self-control."

Oh my, I loved this book!!! this is a laugh out loud book. The stories were hilarious and well written. I didn't want the book to end. I cannot pick my favorite story (though the one about the cleansing was funny as you know what), as they were all good. Excellent read. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book. Although I received the book in this manner, it did not affect my opinion of this book nor my review.