Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life

Maybe some people don’t like Steve Martin, but it’s hard to imagine who they are. With 30-plus years in comedy, Martin’s lovable-doofus persona is firmly established. He’s also a playwright, novelist and frequent New Yorker contributor, so his autobiography is more readable than most celebrity as-told-to tomes. Oddly, for a book Martin devotes to “documenting my success,” his primary theme is personal insecurity. Those who will never know the fame and fortune that come to people like Steve Martin will be relieved to learn that these people, too, can be tormented by self-doubt. And such is our appreciation for the inspired stuff he gave us back in the days of “King Tut,” we not only forgive him some awful movies, but we make a bestseller of this book recounting his rise to prominence.