Last Words

The life of George Carlin, one of America's best loved comedians, is told in his autobiography, assembled after his death in 2008 by his friend, the writer Tony Hendra. The two had scores of conversations, many of them recorded, over almost fifteen years, starting in 1993, and Carlin preferred to call the result a sortabiography. It follows him from his conception to his final years: beginnings in rough New York neighborhoods in the 1950s, early influences, the origins of routines such as the Seven Dirty Words, and encounters with figures from Lenny Bruce to Hugh Hefner. He also covers substance abuse, turbulent relationships and the politics behind his stand-up. It was published in 2009, with photographs from across his life.

Gabriel Coarna, who founded Readable, picked it up out of love for every one of Carlin's comedy shows.