For the last 14 years of his life, the brilliant, caustic, and hilarious George Carlin worked on his autobiographyânow, written with bestselling author Tony Hendra and posthumously published, Carlin has proven that even after death, he is still one of the funniest men who ever lived.
One of the undisputed heavyweight champions of American comedy, with nineteen appearances on the Johnny Carson show, thirteen HBO specials, five Grammys, and a critical Supreme Court battle over censorship under his belt, George Carlin saw it all throughout his extraordinary fifty-year career, and made fun of most of it. Last Words is the story of the man behind some of the most seminal comedy of the last half century, blending his signature acerbic humor with never-before-told stories from his own life, including encounters with a Whoâs Who of 1970s celebrityâfrom Lenny Bruce to Hugh Hefnerâand the origins of some of his most famous standup routines. Carlinâs early conflicts, his long struggle with substance abuse, his turbulent relationships with his family, and his triumphs over catastrophic setbacks all fueled the unique comedic worldview he brought to the stage. From the heights of stardom to the low points few knew about, Last Words is told with the same razor-sharp wit and unblinking honesty that made Carlin one of the best-loved comedians in American history.