It Never Ends: A Memoir with Nice Memories!
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- Create Date：2021-09-21 01:16:21
- Update Date：2025-09-24
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- Author：Tom Scharpling
- ISBN：1419747924
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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
Christopher Steffen
，
I started listening to the best show in December 07。 And went back through the archives。 Huge Scharpling fan so much of this I had heard before。 There is definitely some good stuff for the fans， particularly early Tom history。 The language felt a little loose， particularly in the early part of the book。 This is still light years ahead of most comedian’s books。
Geoffrey Reed
，
Tom being TomTom Scharpling regales us with his funny， and sometimes tragic life。 If you are a fan of anything the man has done， it’s a must read。
Phil
，
A great collection of funny stories and Scharpling observations with a very touching and surprising story of surviving with mental illness。 I am already a fan of Tom Scharpling's Best Show and a number of the TV projects he's worked on， so naturally it has immediate appeal。 Without that knowledge， I'm not sure if it would hook you。 I don't have that frame of reference to know if it's a universal story or a "fans-only" thing。 It is well-written， easy to digest， laugh-out-loud funny at times， and A great collection of funny stories and Scharpling observations with a very touching and surprising story of surviving with mental illness。 I am already a fan of Tom Scharpling's Best Show and a number of the TV projects he's worked on， so naturally it has immediate appeal。 Without that knowledge， I'm not sure if it would hook you。 I don't have that frame of reference to know if it's a universal story or a "fans-only" thing。 It is well-written， easy to digest， laugh-out-loud funny at times， and heartbreaking at others。 I really enjoyed the book。 A must-read for Best Show fans。 。。。more
Sara Goldenberg
，
i don't know his work but i absolutely adored this book！ i don't know his work but i absolutely adored this book！ 。。。more
Downward
，
I love scharpling and this is a cut above most celebrity memoirs; it threads the needle between fun and sad and triumphant， thus doing exactly what scharpling himself sets out as his goals in the beginning of the book。 there's a lot of stuff in here that best show fans will be familiar with， but the real meat of this book is the scharpling origin story， full of difficult passages that make you root for him and maybe relate a little bit， before deflecting with the humor and depth of music knowled I love scharpling and this is a cut above most celebrity memoirs; it threads the needle between fun and sad and triumphant， thus doing exactly what scharpling himself sets out as his goals in the beginning of the book。 there's a lot of stuff in here that best show fans will be familiar with， but the real meat of this book is the scharpling origin story， full of difficult passages that make you root for him and maybe relate a little bit， before deflecting with the humor and depth of music knowledge that brought you to him in the first place。 。。。more
Kevin
，
This is a 7/10 for me but not having the option to rank a half-star makes that harder to convey。Some nice anecdotes and a fun， upbeat tone overall。 Some of the humor hits， and some not so much but this is an easy read all the same。
Susan Rousseau
，
Not my jam。 Connected with the mental health material。 But I felt a lot of “Why is he telling me this？” from the other stories。 Good on you， you’re successful and know lots of funny people。 Who cares？ Sorry， I’m having PMS。 But also， I said what I said。
Hayley
，
king reigns supreme
Christopher
，
It was a little too positive。。。the feeling you get when you are getting all ego， the version a person tells themselves that they are at night while they are trying to sleep。 Its funny at times， I chuckled out loud here and there， but it's not raw and Tom's a little too nice。 But， hey， it's nice memories。 It was a little too positive。。。the feeling you get when you are getting all ego， the version a person tells themselves that they are at night while they are trying to sleep。 Its funny at times， I chuckled out loud here and there， but it's not raw and Tom's a little too nice。 But， hey， it's nice memories。 。。。more
Vincent Scott
，
I really， really identified with this book。 I was one of those who grew up obsessed with reading， comedy， music and movies， obsessions that adulthood has yet to snuff out。 But I also felt a kinship when he vulnerably revealed his struggles with mental health。 It’s rejuvenating and refreshing to read anything that allows you to feel seen and validated， so thank you， Tom， for telling your story， and inviting all of us to tell our own。
Nick Anderson
，
3。75 starsI wasn't familiar with Scharpling before picking this up; saw an online recommendation that intrigued me enough。 Well done and read （for audiobook users）， with good stuff on writing and comedy along with the memoir。 Also， for those with loved ones who deal with depression -- especially those with chronic depression or who deal with suicidal ideation -- Scharpling provides a perspective I wish we saw more of in media。 3。75 starsI wasn't familiar with Scharpling before picking this up; saw an online recommendation that intrigued me enough。 Well done and read （for audiobook users）， with good stuff on writing and comedy along with the memoir。 Also， for those with loved ones who deal with depression -- especially those with chronic depression or who deal with suicidal ideation -- Scharpling provides a perspective I wish we saw more of in media。 。。。more
Chris Anderson
，
This book is truly an Unqualified Triumph。 Why did I capitalize those words？ Read the book and find out。 This book pretty much blindsided me。 I am a longtime listener to Tom's radio show， and his show has gotten me through some bad times in my life。 When I read this book， what I didn't see coming was that a lot of hard times that Tom has experienced and writes about beautifully parallel my bad times。 More specifically， I tuned in and listened to Tom week after week for years， something I realize This book is truly an Unqualified Triumph。 Why did I capitalize those words？ Read the book and find out。 This book pretty much blindsided me。 I am a longtime listener to Tom's radio show， and his show has gotten me through some bad times in my life。 When I read this book， what I didn't see coming was that a lot of hard times that Tom has experienced and writes about beautifully parallel my bad times。 More specifically， I tuned in and listened to Tom week after week for years， something I realize only now was basically therapy for me。 The Best Show buoyed me for years。 But it never dawned on me until now that Tom might have had similar struggles。 He writes about it bravely and beautifully。 I owe him a lot of thanks。 But enough about me， let's talk about Tom。 Tom's one of a kind as a comedian and writer， in the very best sense。 Look， this is a great memoir by any standard。 I doubt that you need to be one of his longtime listeners or even a fan of alt comedy or indie rock to enjoy this book。 If you are， all the better。 And he manages to be hilarious， as usual。 Not easy to do， but for Tom， that's a cinch。 I give this book all the kudos。 Ya done great， kid。 。。。more
Ryan
，
The SOB did it…
Jeremiah Zinn
，
I mean， totally unbiased because I'm a huge fan and have been a listener of the best show for YEARS。 I loved this book。 Very unconventional quirky structure。 Incredibly honest and thoughtful look back on "what happened" in his life but also his interior life。 laugh our loud funny。 Highly recommend。 I mean， totally unbiased because I'm a huge fan and have been a listener of the best show for YEARS。 I loved this book。 Very unconventional quirky structure。 Incredibly honest and thoughtful look back on "what happened" in his life but also his interior life。 laugh our loud funny。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Molly Rosen Marriner
，
a great amount of big reveals—mic drops if you will。 i was not disappointed and am a doubled down friend of tom。
Kyle
，
have never finished an episode of The Best Show nor watched a minute of Monk， but I really enjoyed this book。 Tom is an articulate and lovable fella， what else could you want。
Jason Josephes
，
TomTom tells stories from his life， most of which I had already heard him tell before on his radio show
Jordan Morris
，
Funny and heartfelt！ Tom is a warm and hilarious dude。
Otto
，
Great funny memoir， but it's no Flaubert。 Great funny memoir， but it's no Flaubert。 。。。more
Ryan
，
3。5 Stars
Matt Ogborn
，
I've been in a bit of a reading slump （i。e。， barely reading at all in 2021）， but maybe this book will change that。 I'm a huge fan of the Best Show and Tom Scharpling in general， and this was a joy to read。 I've been in a bit of a reading slump （i。e。， barely reading at all in 2021）， but maybe this book will change that。 I'm a huge fan of the Best Show and Tom Scharpling in general， and this was a joy to read。 。。。more
Eric Nagurney
，
Some crumbum stole my signed copy。 I had gotten over it， but now that I've actually read this incredible book， I'm mad about it again。 Some crumbum stole my signed copy。 I had gotten over it， but now that I've actually read this incredible book， I'm mad about it again。 。。。more
Chris
，
I love Tom。
Harry Smith
，
wow！ enlightening
Teresa
，
Radio comic and television writer Tom Scharpling embodies the spirit of New Jersey as he recovers from depression while learning to write for television in tandem with his weekly comedy improv platform show in his comedic memoir。Tom Scharpling grew up in New Jersey with a family of independent entrepreneurs and access to the New York music scene in the late 1970s through early 90s。 His childhood includes great adventures like setting high scores at pinball， a family court battle against arcade b Radio comic and television writer Tom Scharpling embodies the spirit of New Jersey as he recovers from depression while learning to write for television in tandem with his weekly comedy improv platform show in his comedic memoir。Tom Scharpling grew up in New Jersey with a family of independent entrepreneurs and access to the New York music scene in the late 1970s through early 90s。 His childhood includes great adventures like setting high scores at pinball， a family court battle against arcade bullies， watching a classmate attempt to score a switchblade in Times Square while going to see Billy Joel in 1983 and even auditioning for The New Monkees！ He also worried intensely about his mother’s health and nearly succumbed to depression at the end of high school。 Luckily his life didn’t end there， and he eventually channeled his music obsessions into radio comedy on his weekly platform program， The Best Show on WFMU。 A passion for prank phone calls and rock and roll both indie and hard led to a life changing relationship with punk band Superchunk’s drummer John Wurster and some lively improvised radio comedy like the legendary Rock， Rot， and Rule call about a fake book designed to be the “ultimate argument settler” for music fans。 There’s a lot of heart in his statements about creating and his commitment to trusting his creative instincts in the face of an audience that doesn’t initially understand what he’s trying to do。 At the same time as the platform show， he learned to write humorous content for both The Onion and the entire run of USA’s hit detective show Monk。 There are life lessons on the ethical approach to meeting heroes from encounters with celebrities like Patti Smith， Mickey Dolenz， Adam Sandler， and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson; some professional weirdness with Papa Roach; and some truly great music videos directed for Yo La Tengo and Aimee Mann by Scharpling himself。 His personal growth feels like an uphill struggle through family illness， fear of mental healthcare and its effects on memory recall， and a codependent fixer mentality。 In places there are breaks for garbage food and addiction to gaming machines with even an obsessive knowledge of how to feel broken pinball bumpers and dislodge stuck character cards from a coin pusher game。 There’s a horrible car crash on the eve of a horrible president。 Above all， there is Jersey pride throughout in a music trivia genius who always cheers the little guy and overcomes personal tragedy to summon the courage to make his next show a great party for his culture-savvy listeners。 A lively recharge to affirm sense of purpose for underdogs everywhere。 。。。more
Mathias Pageau
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Should've been titled "The Best Book"。 Truly a missed opportunity。 Should've been titled "The Best Book"。 Truly a missed opportunity。 。。。more
James Baumann
，
I was familiar with Tom’s work persona。 And was familiar with many of the friends-of-Tom。 But only as an entertainer。 This book peels back the layers and tells the story of Tom the person and how it informs his entertainment。 Some of it is pretty bracing but it is also inspiring。 A recommended read for people interested in radio， TV， music， comedy， mental health， life， or New Jersey。
San
，
Tom really changed my life。 I mean， my life is pretty much the same， but Tom added colour。 I’ll always love him for that。 His book opens his world to me。 He has had some bad times， but he still remains such a positive force for so many。 I appreciate him being so open and being an inspiration。 Even if you don’t know him， his book is worth a read。 It’s sad， happy， funny; all the things！ And if don’t want to read it？ Well， that’s because we get it and you don’t。
Mcharles Gunn
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Tom is a great man。 Read his book。 If you didn’t know he was great SPOILER！ He is！
Andrew Morgan
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