You Look So Much Better in Person: True Stories of Absurdity and Success

by Al Roker

Overview

Today coanchor Al Roker presents an entertaining guide to achieving a life of happiness and success through the power of "yes!"

These days, the road to success can feel jampacked with scheduling, networking, nonstop hustle, and flat-out absurdity. And no one knows that better than Al Roker—beloved cohost of The Today Show, weatherperson extraordinaire, and the man we all secretly wish we could turn to for wisdom and wisecracks in our everyday lives. From his college days as a polyester suit-clad weather forecaster in Syracuse to battling and buttering up the "Butter Man" during the legendary Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Al has learned worthwhile lessons over a long, successful career. And now, for the first time, Al is ready to unleash savvy advice on how to embrace happiness and the power of saying "yes," alongside a host of humorous tips and tricks about how to succeed in life.

In You Look So Much Better in Person, Al teaches us how we can weather the storm of life, no matter how torrential the downpour, and shares anecdotes from his own treasure trove of memories in the spotlight. And it hasn't always been easy—believe it or not, even Al has been yelled at by his boss, suffered an emotional breakdown at work, and been told he'd be better suited in another position. Within these pages, he looks back on his own career and shares valuable "Altruisms" that can be applied to our own endeavors, such as how to:

• Navigate the special hell that is socializing
• Craft the perfect comeback line during a confrontation—and know when to use it
• Get up early and actually make the most of your time
• Cry at work without freaking people out
• And much, much more!

Packed to the brim with cackle-inducing and cringeworthy behind-the-scenes insights and observations from over four decades in the media, this book reminds us all that long-term success in our personal lives and our careers is just within reach. You Look So Much Better in Person will leave you laughing out loud, inspired, and comforted during life's best and worst moments.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780306874574
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	07/28/2020
Edition description:	Large Print
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Al Roker is a coanchor of NBC's Today, an Emmy-award winning journalist, and a NewYork Times bestselling author. He lives in New York with his family.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Altruism #1 Assumptions Are NOT Your Friend 3

Altruism #2 If You're Gonna Cry, Know How to Cry 23

Altruism #3 Keep Your Day Job 37

Altruism #4 Know the Cards and Play Your Best Hand 49

Altruism #5 You Encounter More Personalities Than People 57

Altruism #6 A Spoonful of Humor Helps Everything Go Down 75

Altruism #7 Madness without a Reason Is Straight-Up Insanity 83

Altruism #8 Get Your Piece of the Pie 95

Altruism #9 Crying in Your Oatmeal-Soy-Almond Latte Never Helps Anything 111

Altruism #10 Get Up an Hour Before You Need To 123

Altruism #11 Don't Goober Smoocher 133

Altruism #12 Unless You're *Literally* the Sun, Work Doesn't Revolve Around You 147

Altruism #13 You Don't Need to Be the Top Banana 157

Altruism #14 Don't Freak Out 169

Altruism #15 Never Say No and Say Yes 185

Altruism #16 Build Your Own A-Team 199

Acknowledgments 215

Editorial Reviews

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)

Publishers Weekly

*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

From the Publisher

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

SEPTEMBER 2020 - AudioFile

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.

Kirkus Reviews