“The energy, the sass, the inexhaustible comic brio that define Mel Brooks seem too volcanic to fit between the covers of a book. But, miracle of miracles, Jeremy Dauber has made it happen, simultaneously entertaining and enlightening as he takes us along on a very wild ride.”—Kenneth Turan, author of Not to Be Missed: Fifty-Four Favorites from a Lifetime of Film

“When someone has been as significant an influence on culture as Mel Brooks, it can be tough to tell their story in a fresh, cohesive way. But Jeremy Dauber has done it, giving us a limpid, inviting, and lively new look at Brooks, his work, and the ways his Jewishness shapes everything he’s done. In the process, he shows how Brooks’s fingerprints are all over our shared cultural lives—whether or not we share his cultural identity. It’s a fascinating read, and pure pleasure.”—Alissa Wilkinson, senior culture writer, Vox