Arts & Literature
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The Answer Is . . .: Reflections on My Life
A RECOMMENDED SUMMER READ BY THE NEW YORK TIMES,USA TODAY, TIME, AND NEWSWEEK
Longtime Jeopardy! host and television icon Alex Trebek reflects on his life and career.
Since debuting as the host of Jeopardy! in 1984, Alex Trebek has been something like a family member to millions of television viewers, bringing entertainment and education into their homes five nights a week. Last year, he made the stunning announcement that he had been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. What followed was an incredible outpouring of love and kindness. Social media was flooded with messages of support, and the Jeopardy! studio received boxes of cards and letters offering guidance, encouragement, and prayers.
For over three decades, Trebek had resisted countless appeals to write a book about his life. Yet he was moved so much by all the goodwill, he felt compelled to finally share his story. "I want people to know a little more about the person they have been cheering on for the past year," he writes in The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life.
The book combines illuminating personal anecdotes with Trebek's thoughts on a range of topics, including marriage, parenthood, education, success, spirituality, and philanthropy. Trebek also addresses the questions he gets asked most often by Jeopardy! fans, such as what prompted him to shave his signature mustache, his insights on legendary players like Ken Jennings and James Holzhauer, and his opinion of Will Ferrell's Saturday Night Live impersonation. The book uses a novel structure inspired by Jeopardy!, with each chapter title in the form of a question, and features dozens of never-before-seen photos that candidly capture Trebek over the years.
This wise, charming, and inspiring book is further evidence why Trebek has long been considered one of the most beloved and respected figures in entertainment.
Longtime Jeopardy! host and television icon Alex Trebek reflects on his life and career.
Since debuting as the host of Jeopardy! in 1984, Alex Trebek has been something like a family member to millions of television viewers, bringing entertainment and education into their homes five nights a week. Last year, he made the stunning announcement that he had been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. What followed was an incredible outpouring of love and kindness. Social media was flooded with messages of support, and the Jeopardy! studio received boxes of cards and letters offering guidance, encouragement, and prayers.
For over three decades, Trebek had resisted countless appeals to write a book about his life. Yet he was moved so much by all the goodwill, he felt compelled to finally share his story. "I want people to know a little more about the person they have been cheering on for the past year," he writes in The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life.
The book combines illuminating personal anecdotes with Trebek's thoughts on a range of topics, including marriage, parenthood, education, success, spirituality, and philanthropy. Trebek also addresses the questions he gets asked most often by Jeopardy! fans, such as what prompted him to shave his signature mustache, his insights on legendary players like Ken Jennings and James Holzhauer, and his opinion of Will Ferrell's Saturday Night Live impersonation. The book uses a novel structure inspired by Jeopardy!, with each chapter title in the form of a question, and features dozens of never-before-seen photos that candidly capture Trebek over the years.
This wise, charming, and inspiring book is further evidence why Trebek has long been considered one of the most beloved and respected figures in entertainment.
Editorial Reviews
"[A] moving memoir…[a] friendly, often funny account marked by a reluctance so deep that it confers a curious integrity upon the celebrity tell-all...In the autumn of the media patriarchs, [Trebek] stands practically alone, untinged by scandal. His authority derives from his defense of facts, not their distortion." -Parul Sehgal, The New York Times
"Alex Trebek's memoir is everything a Jeopardy! fan could want...It's an amusing and at times sobering series of vignettes-a quickly inhaled highlights reel of Trebek's life...[He] quotes Mark Twain, Malcolm Gladwell and Chinese proverbs, and he shows off a quick wit and reverence for intellect...The behind-the-scenes intel is fun, especially for longtime fans of the show. But the rare insights into Trebek's personal life are far more revealing...After nearly four decades at the lectern, Trebek is more than the face of Jeopardy!-he's its heart. He's so synonymous with the show, and the charm that's made it an evening ritual, that even after a satisfying memoir, at least one question remains. How does the show continue without him? Give a ‘daily double' to whomever has the answer for that one." -Angela Haupt, The Washington Post
"[Trebek's] story reads less like the typical name-dropping, vice-fueled celebrity memoir and more like one of a warmhearted, down-to-earth guy who feels lucky to have touched lots of lives as the host of a wildly popular quiz show for the past 36 years…The fact that he's undergoing chemotherapy for his stage 4 pancreatic cancer, a painful experience that has taken a serious emotional and physical toll, adds a bittersweet and poignant note to his tale. That said, Trebek, who has a great sense of humor, also offers a lighthearted look at many parts of his long life…And fans will eat up his memories of show legends such as Ken Jennings and James Holzhauer." -Christina Ianzito, AARP
"As a piece of writing, The Answer Is… goes down easy...But for all its breeziness, the memoir does the work of fleshing out a character with whom millions of Americans have spent their evenings with since the 1980s...Trebek had brushed off previous opportunities to write a memoir, but his diagnosis last year with stage IV pancreatic cancer changed the calculus. He received an outpouring of public support, which nudged him into opening up. But openi...
"Alex Trebek's memoir is everything a Jeopardy! fan could want...It's an amusing and at times sobering series of vignettes-a quickly inhaled highlights reel of Trebek's life...[He] quotes Mark Twain, Malcolm Gladwell and Chinese proverbs, and he shows off a quick wit and reverence for intellect...The behind-the-scenes intel is fun, especially for longtime fans of the show. But the rare insights into Trebek's personal life are far more revealing...After nearly four decades at the lectern, Trebek is more than the face of Jeopardy!-he's its heart. He's so synonymous with the show, and the charm that's made it an evening ritual, that even after a satisfying memoir, at least one question remains. How does the show continue without him? Give a ‘daily double' to whomever has the answer for that one." -Angela Haupt, The Washington Post
"[Trebek's] story reads less like the typical name-dropping, vice-fueled celebrity memoir and more like one of a warmhearted, down-to-earth guy who feels lucky to have touched lots of lives as the host of a wildly popular quiz show for the past 36 years…The fact that he's undergoing chemotherapy for his stage 4 pancreatic cancer, a painful experience that has taken a serious emotional and physical toll, adds a bittersweet and poignant note to his tale. That said, Trebek, who has a great sense of humor, also offers a lighthearted look at many parts of his long life…And fans will eat up his memories of show legends such as Ken Jennings and James Holzhauer." -Christina Ianzito, AARP
"As a piece of writing, The Answer Is… goes down easy...But for all its breeziness, the memoir does the work of fleshing out a character with whom millions of Americans have spent their evenings with since the 1980s...Trebek had brushed off previous opportunities to write a memoir, but his diagnosis last year with stage IV pancreatic cancer changed the calculus. He received an outpouring of public support, which nudged him into opening up. But openi...
Readers Top Reviews
C. M MillsShelliI
Your humble reviewer has longed in over 3000 Jeopardy programs over the years. I started watching the show in the primeval past when Art Fleming hosted the show. In 1984 the program became hosted by Alex Trebek (born in Ontario Canada in 1940) who holds the Guinness Book of Records for hosting a quiz program longer than anyone else! Trebek is an honest memoirist in this fine book., His father was a chef in Sudbury Canada where he had immigrated from the Ukraine; his mother was a French Canadian. His parents divorced and his mother moved to the United States living in Detroit and Florida. He has a younger sister. Trebek grew up playing sports, enjoying cars and movies and was a good student. He is a graduate of the University of Ottowa. Trebek hosted many game shows in Canada (where he was employed by the CBC) and in Los Angeles. Since 1984 he has been the genial host of Jeopardy which is much more than a game show! It is a program focusing on learning and over the years I have gained in knowledge by watching such champs as all time champions Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer. Trebek has stage four pancreatic cancer and his valiant courage in dealing with the disease has inspired countless individuals who also deal with it and other life threatening issues. He and his wife Jeanne have worked for World Vision for many years visiting Africa and other third world nations. He has made 12 USO tours and is an outstanding citizen, father and human being. Dare I say it? Alex you are unique and my prayers are with you! Your life has inspired me!
Wolf packC. M Mil
This is a great read and a wonderful insight into Alex. He is indeed a “good” human being and the world is a better place with him in it.
IcthusWolf packC.
This book is a very easy read. Most chapters are just a couple of pages making is easy to jump in and out of Alex’s story without missing a beat. It is an easy read. But don't let that keep you from enjoying the meaty insights and calls to be your best self. The writing feels like you are sitting at your kitchen table chatting over a cup of coffee with your best friend. It is not preachy or self-centered babble by yet another celebrity narcissist. Alex is who he is. He enjoys sharing his life stories and anecdotes. He remains a treasure. Not bad for a Canadian! 😉😍😊
Big D ReadsIcthus
I have never met Alex. But I've felt he was a friend for years. I wanted to be him for Halloween when I was a kid, but my grandparents dissuaded me because: "We don't know where we'd get the mustache." Watching Jeopardy with Alex was one of the first times I realized that, my cerebral palsy notwithstanding, I was–and am–smart. If there were no Jeopardy, no "evenings with Alex", I don't know that I would have discovered this as readily. If you're a big fan of our friend Alex–and who isn't?–and if you like to read books that, like this one, will uplift you, you should check out What Death Taught Terrence. In the meantime, be well, everyone, ad be well, Alex!
Cyrus WebbBig D R
Alex Trebek has shown us what it means to fight and the key to moving forward, even when dealing with challenges. For those who question what it takes to not give up THE ANSWER IS delivers. I love the reflection of his life, how he has overcome challenges growing up and become such a beloved public figure. He also allows us to realize that even though we are dealing with life's challenges we can't be defined by them. Another takeaway is that Alex Trebek does not live for himself. It's very obvious he is concerned about others and want to see them shine. His professional life highlights that, as does his own personal fight. He's a team player and the kind of person who will be rooting for you along the way. As we reflect on his life may we also remember what is possible for us. That fight that has gotten Alex Trebek here can get us through whatever we go through. A story of fight and a man who realizes the blessing that is life,The Answer Is . . .: Reflections on My Life is a must read for fans of Alex Trebek and anyone who wants to be reminded of the gift that life is for us all.
