Book

Whoopi Goldberg takes an unusual approach to the life story of this actor and comedian. Rather than a chronological account, the book is built from twenty-five spoken-style monologues, each named after a single word such as Fate, Trust, Home, Self, Cost, Race, Choice, Dick, Death and Dream. She addresses readers directly and conversationally, so the pages feel closer to a live performance than to a traditional autobiography.

The humor is frank and irreverent, and Goldberg shares personal confessions along the way. In the chapter called Wind, she explains how she came by her nickname: as a young woman in her twenties, diagnosed with ulcers, she was told to let out gas freely, and her friends began calling her Whoopi, comparing her to a whoopee cushion. The nickname stuck.

Readers who enjoy memoirs by performers, or who like comic essays that mix self-deprecation with candid stories, will find this a quick and entertaining read. It suits fans of Goldberg's film and television work who want to hear her in her own voice.