How to Talk Dirty and Influence People

This is the story of Lenny Bruce, in his own words. A man who used words for a living. A man who was villified for his words. A man who was arrested for his words. Yeah, he's got a way with words but he didn't get away with them (I'm so sorry, I couldn't resist).
The first half of the autobiography is just a joy to read, I whizzed through it, funny yet poignant. Little Lenny, looking for love and acceptance. Funny tales and sad stories with that satirical slant.
After the glossy photos it takes a different path, mostly covering his various trials for obscenity. Bruce details the words of prosecutors and defence, decriers and supporters interspersed with the onstage ramblings that led to the charges.
The world wasn't ready for Lenny Bruce and it let him down. Alll he wanted to do was make people laugh, and make them think, but the clubs (and some countries) just wouldn't let him perform. He used semantics and satire but all the authorities could see was dirty words.
As Dick Schaap says in the Afterward: “One last four-letter word for Lenny. Dead. At 40. That's obscene.”
I found this book funny and heartbreaking and was particularly moved by his final line: “I am influenced by every second of my waking hour.” This is sage advice to the many comics following in his footsteps and to anyone who wants to learn from their own life.