This book is excellent, and it's a must-read for all fans of The Simpsons. Author Mike Reiss explains all aspects of working for this legendary show, which has been on the air for over 30 years on the Fox network. Like many successful comedy writers, Reiss attended Harvard and wrote for their publication, The Harvard Lampoon. His writing partner, Al Jean, also attended Harvard and writes for The Simpsons too. The pair worked as writers for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in the 1980s. Reiss wrote for ALF, It's Garry Shandling's Show, Sledge Hammer and Head of the Class. Besides The Simpsons, he also has written for animated shows including The Critic (starring Jon Lovitz), The Oblongs, Hard Drinkin' Lincoln and the Ice Age films. This book is packed with trivia about The Simpsons, the cast and crew, and he mentions the impressive list of guest stars who have done the show. Reiss talks about his experiences traveling the world and meeting Simpsons fans. He acknowledges that being a comedy writer is a strange way to make a living, but his wit and talent is evident in this book. He mentions his favorite comedy movies and his favorite books about comedy. He was one of the writers for The Simpsons Movie, which was released in 2007. Anyone who enjoys The Simpsons will be pleased with this book since it is filled with fascinating facts about this great show, put together by very talented people.
