New Fred

How a Middle-Aged Corporate Guy Created a Sitcom, Hired Ed Asner, and Rediscovered Career Passion

By: Fred Knowles, Chris Stezin

Narrated by: Fred Knowles

When you lose a sibling just as you're losing the passion for your life's work, how do you fill the void? You join a dysfunctional band of amateur writers and create a sitcom, of course.

Join Fred Knowles and the late Ed Asner as they tell the improbable story of Fred's transition from corporate life to sitcom producer. This "commuter" book takes a light-hearted approach to dealing with two of life's most challenging events—death of a loved one and a career change. Chock full of lessons (so called "learnings"), this book may very well be the funniest self-help book ever written.

©2017 Fred Knowles (P)2022 Fred Knowles

A refreshing mix of vulnerability and humor + a luck dachshund, a camel and of course Ed Asner!

What a great story! This was truly a refreshing mix of personal insight, vulnerability and humor, dotted with “key learnings” around the importance of being open, working hard, gratitude and finding your passion. This was a timely read and I’d highly recommend it to anyone grappling with personal or professional change or stressors, or anyone that needs a luck dachshund, a pet camel, or wisdom from the late, great Ed Asner. Thanks New Fred (and Old Fred, too)!

Genuine and Genuinely Funny

Fred is an accomplished HR professional and while more accomplished than most, not that of an accomplished sitcom writer/producer. However, he finds a way to interweave his decades of professional experience into useful, sometimes humorous life lessons (“learnings”), which to my ears comes across as genuinely helpful and insightful. Yes, Ed Asner’s inclusion is the hook, but also a genuinely unique story to help augment the underlying message of Fred’s story and journey. A quick and must listen.