The F Word: How to Survive Your Family

In the realm of celebrity advice books, comedian and game show host Anderson's follow-up to Dear Dad: Letters from an Adult Child falls squarely in the middle of the scale of originality and usefulness: there's nothing particularly remarkable or cutting-edge about it, but it does offer a few pearls of wisdom on surviving dysfunctional blood relationships. The friendly analysis of family dynamics is too scrambled to be a true how-to volume; instead, it features an assortment of short essays on Anderson's tumultuous family life, interspersed with a collection of some 50 tips on surviving family interactions and pieces from his comedy routines. As Anderson focuses entirely on his own experiences, he ends up attempting to spin very specific elements (such as the impact of his fame and wealth on his 10 siblings) into general principles-somewhat of a difficult task. While he has not written the definitive guide to family harmony, Anderson has created an entertaining and heartfelt portfolio of personal advice that manages to sustain an easy, good humored feel despite its often painful subject matter.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Following his best-selling Dear Dad (1989), comedian Anderson continues to wax funny-serious about his family (which is the F word he refers to in his title). Although admitting that "some of us have a better chance of defeating Tiger Woods at the Masters than fixing our families," Anderson nevertheless shares the wisdom about families that he's gained over his nearly 50 years of life--and he has an incredibly large family to have gained experience from. His 49 tips for getting along in family situations are woven into an autobiographical and completely honest narrative about his relations with his parents and his siblings. Tip 33 directs us to remember that parents are only human--they don't know everything. Tip 36 asks us to look at the friends we have and notice how they reflect one's own family. Ultimately, of course, we cannot fix our families, and Anderson leaves us with the good word that he no longer needs to try, and neither do we. Nothing revolutionary here; just good, common, supportive sense. Brad Hooper
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Louie Anderson is the host of the hit game show, Family Feud, the author of the New York Times bestseller Dear Dad, and a frequent headliner in Las Vegas. He lives in Los Angeles, California.