It Never Ends: A Memoir with Nice Memories!
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- Create Date：2021-07-07 18:31:14
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Tom Scharpling
- ISBN：B08ZHM15KY
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Summary
From the comedian， television writer， and host of the Best Show， a revealing and powerful memoir exploring a life of struggle and reinvention
"Tom Scharpling possesses more than merely a generation-defining comedic mind。 He has a heart as big as New Jersey， an eye as keen as a crow's， and a voice as powerful， pained， and righteous as a wounded god。 I AM NOT BEING HYPERBOLIC。" --John Hodgman， New York Times bestselling author of Vacationland
Tom Scharpling is good at being funny， which is a miracle， considering what he's survived。 Like hitting a deer and narrowly escaping with his life on the night of the 2016 election。 But that's nothing compared to the struggles he had earlier in his life。
It Never Ends is his memoir of a life writing comedy amidst a lifelong struggle with mental illness， a story he has never told before。 It’s the heartbreaking account of his intense coming-of-age， and the lengths he's undertaken to pull away from the brink of self-destruction。 Scharpling brought himself back to life first with punk zines and NBA coverage， then through the world of comedy， writing and executive producing Monk， and creating one of the most beloved， longest running comedy radio broadcasts/podcasts， The Best Show。 Of course， there are also the tangents into auditioning for The New Monkees， why Billy Joel sucks， the siren call of the Sex and the City slot machines， and how he made a fool of himself in an elevator with Patti Smith。
Tom is the quintessential underdog， and he wears that status on his sleeve as a badge of honor。 With this memoir， he lifts the curtain to let the light in on the turmoil that still follows him， even as he racks up accolades and achievements。 But most importantly， he reminds us that while many of us carry trauma and shame， we are not alone。 It Never Ends is about rising above whatever circumstance you find yourself in and getting the most out of your life， while steamrolling the chumps along the way。
"Tom Scharpling possesses more than merely a generation-defining comedic mind。 He has a heart as big as New Jersey， an eye as keen as a crow's， and a voice as powerful， pained， and righteous as a wounded god。 I AM NOT BEING HYPERBOLIC。" --John Hodgman， New York Times bestselling author of Vacationland
Tom Scharpling is good at being funny， which is a miracle， considering what he's survived。 Like hitting a deer and narrowly escaping with his life on the night of the 2016 election。 But that's nothing compared to the struggles he had earlier in his life。
It Never Ends is his memoir of a life writing comedy amidst a lifelong struggle with mental illness， a story he has never told before。 It’s the heartbreaking account of his intense coming-of-age， and the lengths he's undertaken to pull away from the brink of self-destruction。 Scharpling brought himself back to life first with punk zines and NBA coverage， then through the world of comedy， writing and executive producing Monk， and creating one of the most beloved， longest running comedy radio broadcasts/podcasts， The Best Show。 Of course， there are also the tangents into auditioning for The New Monkees， why Billy Joel sucks， the siren call of the Sex and the City slot machines， and how he made a fool of himself in an elevator with Patti Smith。
Tom is the quintessential underdog， and he wears that status on his sleeve as a badge of honor。 With this memoir， he lifts the curtain to let the light in on the turmoil that still follows him， even as he racks up accolades and achievements。 But most importantly， he reminds us that while many of us carry trauma and shame， we are not alone。 It Never Ends is about rising above whatever circumstance you find yourself in and getting the most out of your life， while steamrolling the chumps along the way。
Reviews
Austin
，
Tom's story is funny and inspiring。 Looking forward to hearing about his Secret Santa trick in the next one。 Tom's story is funny and inspiring。 Looking forward to hearing about his Secret Santa trick in the next one。 。。。more
Matt Vears
，
It probably shouldn't have surprised me that someone with such a solid writing career would be a great writer， but 1） I'm not really a memoirs person and 2） it's his first book。 When Tom said he was writing a book， I ordered it， because for all the free laughs over the years， of course I did！ After I ordered it， I started thinking about what I actually knew about Tom after so much time listening to The Best Show/Double Threat/etc。 Nothing， really。 Tom and Jon's work intentionally blurs the line It probably shouldn't have surprised me that someone with such a solid writing career would be a great writer， but 1） I'm not really a memoirs person and 2） it's his first book。 When Tom said he was writing a book， I ordered it， because for all the free laughs over the years， of course I did！ After I ordered it， I started thinking about what I actually knew about Tom after so much time listening to The Best Show/Double Threat/etc。 Nothing， really。 Tom and Jon's work intentionally blurs the line of what's real and fake so often that you sort of just let it go。 Curiosity mounted。 I tore in。 It did not disappoint。 So it was really great to get to read an honest， funny collection of stories about the guy。 There were a lot of "oh， so that's why I like him" moments。 There are very few of us who were janitors at our high schools while we were also students at said high school， but we exist， and at least one of us has done something with his life and wrote a great book that you should read if you like things that are funny or inspiring or both。 。。。more
Adam Maid
，
Tom warned us that we would both laugh and cry and， dammit， he was right。
Joe
，
Truly amazing and funny and jaw dropping if you're a Best Show fan such as myself。 Put at the top of your to-read pile。I think I audibly said， "Oh Tom， no，" when he detailed his entry into the world of coin-pushers。 Truly amazing and funny and jaw dropping if you're a Best Show fan such as myself。 Put at the top of your to-read pile。I think I audibly said， "Oh Tom， no，" when he detailed his entry into the world of coin-pushers。 。。。more
Adam
，
Fastest I’ve read a book in a long time， but I love everything Scharpling。
Ollie
，
I don’t think I’ve ever waited so long in anticipation for a book。 Being a Best Show listener for years now （which would still make me a junior， by most standards）， I’ve been looking forward to this book since host Tom Scharpling first mentioned it in 2019。 I can’t believe it’s been so long， but here it is， It Never Ends is among us。Listeners of the Best Show know that the show is really its host Tom Scharpling。 The comedian and writer has made a 3 hour broadcasting chunk his own for several dec I don’t think I’ve ever waited so long in anticipation for a book。 Being a Best Show listener for years now （which would still make me a junior， by most standards）， I’ve been looking forward to this book since host Tom Scharpling first mentioned it in 2019。 I can’t believe it’s been so long， but here it is， It Never Ends is among us。Listeners of the Best Show know that the show is really its host Tom Scharpling。 The comedian and writer has made a 3 hour broadcasting chunk his own for several decades now， and the show has been evolving since its inception。 What started as simply hours of music became music with the occasional comedy bits with his comedy partner Jon Wurster， then adding Scharpling’s candid remarks， and then callers also building the Best Show universe。 The show was way ahead of its time and is now all of these things reflected through the eyes of Scharpling。For a show that’s been around for so long， it’s interesting to note that we don’t know much about its host。 As a private person， we get only the slightest glimpse into his life， and his occasional moaning （OK fine， make that constant moaning） about menial things like candy bars and how pizza should be sliced， but really， the man is still an enigma， which is what makes him so intriguing。 What’s underneath this on-air persona， this self-described crabapple？ This is what It Never Ends helps uncover。 In a dangerous move， Scharpling dedicates the entire first chapter to how he set out to make this a truly great book。 Scharpling is a gifted writer， but I became worried he would raise the bar too much。 What would he have to do to write a book that would interest or appeal to a reader who had never heard of him？ The answer is to put it all in and see if it sticks。It Never Ends is a treasure trove of stories for fans of the Best Show。 In its 280 pages Tom tells stories that we’ve heard on the show before or that he’s alluded to， but he also drops major bombs on the reader， like his struggles with mental health， his multiple hospitalizations in psychiatric wards， and even…brace for it…that Tom Scharpling is not his real name。 The book jumps back and forth between stories that are sweet， triumphant， hilarious， and heartbreaking。 As a fan， it truly gave me an insight into Scharpling I never throught I’d get。 And， as much as it can be frustrating for me as a listener hearing him basically punch in the dark on his show， this got to the root of all that。 He’s just a guy working hard to fulfill his dreams。 The very next show I listened to after reading this book， it felt like I was hearing a completely different person。 It Never Ends just got to me。 And like he said on Marc Maron’s podcast， I just wanted to walk up to him， open my arms， and say， “come here， you。” I’m not quite sure this is mission accomplished for Tom。 This is a book someone unfamiliar with him might not be able to appreciate。 But why would he want to appeal to the masses？ Mass appeal doesn’t mean “good。” Look at Billy Joel。 But， if you know who he is， you’ll find his unique voice all over these pages and you’ll laugh and cry。 And if you’re a fan of the Best Show， this book is simply essential。 。。。more
Dylan
，
A heartfelt and meaningful comedic memoir that may not be the book of revelations for someone who has listened to a hundred plus hours of the man talking on various podcasts， but it is a true delight to see that voice on the page。 This book will make your lerf and provide a more nuanced look behind the tears of a “clown。” Scharpling is way more than just a funny podcast guy， he’s a representative of an America that no longer really exists: One of upward mobility rewarded by seriously hard work。 A heartfelt and meaningful comedic memoir that may not be the book of revelations for someone who has listened to a hundred plus hours of the man talking on various podcasts， but it is a true delight to see that voice on the page。 This book will make your lerf and provide a more nuanced look behind the tears of a “clown。” Scharpling is way more than just a funny podcast guy， he’s a representative of an America that no longer really exists: One of upward mobility rewarded by seriously hard work。 The work ethic that Scharpling nonchalantly carries around him is inspiring because he’s not one of these people that Work hard to make himself feel superior to others， but works hard to make a connection， and to provide a lerf for the other underdogs and mutants。 Scharpling effectively expands beyond his curmudgeonly persona， blending it with a little bit equal parts self-effacement and blustering bravado， which makes the 200+ pages breeze by like a charm。If you’re a fan of comedy， comedy podcasts， comedy writing， New Jersey， And mental health advocacy then you gotta read this book and maybe you’ll want to join one of the sweetest fan bases around。 There’s plenty of room to be a friend of Tom。 。。。more
Andrew Horton
，
I'm not going to spoil anything until everyone gets to read it， but; I knew it would be great， but I had no idea just how perfect it would be。 I'm not going to spoil anything until everyone gets to read it， but; I knew it would be great， but I had no idea just how perfect it would be。 。。。more
Lincoln Flynn
，
Full disclosure: I have been a fan of Tom Scharpling and THE BEST SHOW for over ten years now， and I have even met him！ So I'm in the tank for the man。 Even biased， one could say。 Nonetheless， *I* can say with confidence that his memoir did not disappoint。Sure， the word "hero" gets thrown a lot these days， so much that me using "heroic" in this review could come across as disingenuous or ironic， but， seriously， the guy's story-- which involves perseverance and reinvention in the face of signific Full disclosure: I have been a fan of Tom Scharpling and THE BEST SHOW for over ten years now， and I have even met him！ So I'm in the tank for the man。 Even biased， one could say。 Nonetheless， *I* can say with confidence that his memoir did not disappoint。Sure， the word "hero" gets thrown a lot these days， so much that me using "heroic" in this review could come across as disingenuous or ironic， but， seriously， the guy's story-- which involves perseverance and reinvention in the face of significant personal and psychological setback-- is heroic in a down-to-earth， relatable， hang-tough kind of way。 Similarly， reading the more personal passages IT NEVER ENDS reminded me of the times when I've had a longstanding friend， learned about their past directly from them， and thought "oh so *that's* why I feel a kinship with this person。" Intertwined with the harrowing， personal stuff is the funny stuff; Scharpling has an inimitable comedy mind after all。 Many stories shared in this book are ones that he has shared or mentioned on THE BEST SHOW， but they are the Director's Cut versions in that they're more detailed and thorough。 Furthermore， the previously untold material is just as good！ In fact， IT NEVER ENDS feels like the comedy version of Neil Young's redefining compilation album DECADE-- it serves as a good introduction or summation of Scharpling's body-of-work and worldview while also including enough undiscovered territory to satisfy longtime fans like yours truly。（Yet， if I may lob a couple of complaints: I don't get Tom's fixation on coin pusher arcade machines and an entire chapter should have been dedicated to BEST SHOW associate producer A。P。 Mike and his tavern Massa's。） 。。。more
Heather
，
The vulnerability Scharpling exposes is extraordinary。 As a FOT I enjoy his wit， humor like anyone else。 This captivated me in a rare way。
Chris Scales
，
Tom Scharpling declared to listeners of The Best Show that when he tells his life story， there won't be a dry eye left in the house。 I thought he was kidding！ He has now revealed more of that story， and the joke's on me。 I expected this book to be laugh out loud funny， and it is。 It's open and honest about trauma and struggle though， relating life events I couldn't have imagined that put the author and his achievements in a different light。 We all have our struggles， we all know people who are f Tom Scharpling declared to listeners of The Best Show that when he tells his life story， there won't be a dry eye left in the house。 I thought he was kidding！ He has now revealed more of that story， and the joke's on me。 I expected this book to be laugh out loud funny， and it is。 It's open and honest about trauma and struggle though， relating life events I couldn't have imagined that put the author and his achievements in a different light。 We all have our struggles， we all know people who are fighting just to hang on through another day。 I found myself truly grateful for this book's open discussion of mental health while relating the author's childhood and adolescence， his creative career， and his mastery of a number of arcade games。 The book is so well written - once I settled down and dug into it， it was a genuine page-turner。 If you're a Best Show listener， you'll recognize a number of the anecdotes here， fit into the larger context of the author's life。 No surprise how well it all works; Tom Scharpling is just a great storyteller with a strong voice， who always leaves his audience wanting more。 I expect the book to find an audience beyond card-carrying Friends of Tom - it's a great， moving read that will break your heart， even while it keeps you laughing。 Jeez that sounds trite but， this is a brave， engrossing， and honest book that I hope is read and discussed far and wide。 New to Tom Scharpling？ A great jumping on point！ Read this and when you're done， as you lower your book and look at the world around you， you too will be able to say to yourself: "We get it。 They don't。" 。。。more
John
，
Like most fans of the “Best Show，” I would’ve enjoyed reading pretty much any book by Tom Scharpling—even if he’d pulled a Dennis Leary and done the difficult work of compiling his tweets。 Thankfully， that’s very much NOT what Tom has done with this incredibly honest and very funny memoir。 As promised， Tom wrote a book。 Turns out it’s as good as he said it would be。
Jessica Gentile
，
I knew this book would be funny， but I didn't expect such raw vulnerability and emotion。 Great stuff。 I knew this book would be funny， but I didn't expect such raw vulnerability and emotion。 Great stuff。 。。。more
Pramod
，
IT NEVER ENDS – A MEMOIRBY TOM SCHARPLINGPUBLISHER ABRAMS PRESS#NETGALLEY，#ABRAMS PRESS， #TOMSCHARPLING， #NONFICTIONI like to read about people who strive to fulfill their dreams。Tom Scharpling， a very funny man， wanted to be a writer。 And not any kind but a comedy writer。He achieves his goal， despite many adversities in the journey。 IT NEVER ENDS， is a well-written memoir， with lots of humor， sadness， and triumph。 Despite a few bumps along the way， Tom does eventually gets his talk show and bec IT NEVER ENDS – A MEMOIRBY TOM SCHARPLINGPUBLISHER ABRAMS PRESS#NETGALLEY，#ABRAMS PRESS， #TOMSCHARPLING， #NONFICTIONI like to read about people who strive to fulfill their dreams。Tom Scharpling， a very funny man， wanted to be a writer。 And not any kind but a comedy writer。He achieves his goal， despite many adversities in the journey。 IT NEVER ENDS， is a well-written memoir， with lots of humor， sadness， and triumph。 Despite a few bumps along the way， Tom does eventually gets his talk show and becomes a very popular character in the New Jersey area。。I enjoyed the book though I struggled to get through a few chapters where he mentions the pinball machines and video games。 I I will recommend the book to all nonfiction lovers and fans of Tom。Thanks to Tom Scharpling， Netgalley and Abram's Press for the chance to read the ARC。 。。。more
Scott Steinhardt
，