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Howie Mandel is a comedian, actor, and host of the worldwide game-show sensation Deal or No Deal. One of the world’s most successful stand-up comics, he is well known to television audiences for his six-year stint on St. Elsewhere, his popular syndicated talk show, and his most recent creative venture, Howie Do It, a contemporary candid-camera comedy series. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Terry, and their three children.

A frank, funny, no-holds-barred memoir that reveals the Deal or No Deal host's ongoing struggle with OCD and ADHD--and how it has shaped his life and career.

Howie Mandel is one of the most recognizable names in entertainment--respected by his peers and beloved by audiences as the host of the enormously popular prime-time game show Deal or No Deal. With a career that spans three decades and many different show-business platforms--he's a renowned stand-up comedian who continues to perform more than 150 sold-out shows a year, he created the award-winning TV show Bobby's World, he's starred in feature films and the hit TV series St. Elsewhere, and he's also hosted his own daytime talk show--he's one of the most versatile performers anywhere. But there are aspects of his personal and professional life he's never talked about publicly--until now.

Eleven years ago, Mandel first told the world about his "germophobia." He's recently started...

Publishers Weekly

In this reflective autobiography, written with verve and passion, actor, comedian and game show host Mandel alternates between funny anecdotes and stories of intense personal problems, opening with a description of his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the situations in his Toronto childhood that shaped his comedy career. Despite little experience, Mandel left Canada for Los Angeles to pursue stand-up comedy, where he eventually moved from the clubs to cable specials, an album, and numerous late-night talk show appearances, success he'd parlay into film roles and a 6-year stint on NBC hospital dramedy St. Elsewhere. Mandel soon developed what he calls "Obsessive Prankster Disorder," a need to stage elaborate practical jokes, some quite amusing. Not all is fun and games, however; Mandel also describes how mental disorders and medical crises have impacted his career, and balances his triumphs with lengthy surveys of failed performances. Mandel's fans will love this book for its intimate revelations, taking readers deep inside the head of the manic star.
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Introduction: In Comedy Nobody Can Hear You Scream ix

1 Welcome To Me 3

2 OCD And Me 19

3 A Sense Of Humor 28

4 Yuk Yuk's 55

5 I Will Support Her With A Rubber Glove 70

6 A Dramatic Turn Of Events 86

7 UH-OH 102

8 Howie Lou's A Friend 113

9 Another Day At The Orifice 130

10 The Litmus Test 139

11 The Five-Mile Radius 151

111/2 UH-OH, It's Worse 167

12 Shit Happens 170

13 Stand-Up And Be Counted 183

14 Here's The Deal 194

Epilogue Goodbye 211

Acknowledgments 219