Life Isn't Everything

Mike Nichols, as Remembered by 150 of His Closest Friends

By: Ash Carter, Sam Kashner

Narrated by: Stephen Bel Davies, Suzanne Toren

"Superb narrators Stephen Bel Davies and Suzanne Toren make the listening informative and entertaining... A perfect vehicle for audio." (AudioFile Magazine) 

An up close and personal portrait of a legendary filmmaker, theater director, and comedian, drawing on candid conversations with his closest friends in show business and the arts - from Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep to Natalie Portman and Lorne Michaels.

The work of Mike Nichols pervades American cultural consciousness - from The Graduate and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? to Angels in America, The Birdcage, Working Girl, and Primary Colors, not to mention his string of hit plays, including Barefoot in the Park and The Odd Couple. If that weren’t enough, he was also one half of the timelessly funny duo Nichols and May, as well as a founding member of the original improv troupe. Over a career that spanned half a century, Mike Nichols changed Hollywood, Broadway, and comedy forever.

Most fans, however, know very little of the person behind it all. Since he never wrote his memoirs and seldom appeared on television, they have very little sense of his searching intellect or his devastating wit. They don't know that Nichols, the great American director, was born Mikail Igor Peschkowsky in Berlin and came to this country, speaking no English, to escape the Nazis. They don't know that Nichols was at one time a solitary psychology student, or that a childhood illness caused permanent, life-altering side effects. They don't know that he withdrew into a debilitating depression before he "finally got it right," in his words, by marrying Diane Sawyer.

Here, for the first time, Ash Carter and Sam Kashner offer an intimate look behind the scenes of Nichols' life, as told by the stars, moguls, playwrights, producers, comics, and crew members who stayed loyal to Nichols for years. Life Isn't Everything is a mosaic portrait of a brilliant and original director known for his uncommon charm, wit, vitality, and genius for friendship; this volume is also a snapshot of what it meant to be living, loving, and making art in the 20th century.

©2019 Ash Carter, Sam Kashner (P)2019 Macmillan Audio

How Mike Nichols affected his actors.

It’s not about Mike Nichols personal life. It’s about his work and his different projects.
But, if you like theatre or film, it’s very interesting.

The pure genius that was Mike Nichols

Some of the narration was a bit stilted, queeny …..but above and beyond, the book was filled with anecdotes that are unbelievable and unforgettable.
Mike Nichols was larger than life.

Best audiobook in recent memory

The readers, the unique format of the entire book being taken from interview quotations that were effectively read, the powerful content of Nichols’s life, and the message of humanity within his approach to his direction and his relationships combined to create an extraordinary experience.

Wonderful biography

Fascinating detailed description of Mike Nichols many talents and particularly his genius as a director of plays and films. Told through the words and reminiscences of the creative artists who felt privileged to work with him. I enjoyed it greatly.

So fun & interesting

I did not realize how little I knew about Mike Nichols. He had a fascinating life. I binged this book as I enjoyed it so much. Great information for actors and people who love the creative process