The Book on Hosting: How Not to Suck as an Emcee

The Book on Hosting: How Not to Suck as an Emcee

Author : Dan Rosenberg Number of Pages : 140 Publisher : Lulu.com

Product Description

Learn the 25 rules of hosting that should never be broken. Read "Words of Widsom" and stories from some of the top comedians working today.

Customer reviews

How Not to Suck as an EMCEE by .. Intesar Terkawi (Florida)
I did not get the benefits I expected from this book. Amazon.com should not post the book as Book No. 1 on the search subject EMCEE.

Great Book. Buy It Now! by .. Bradley Fenton (Hollywood, FL)
Dan Rosenberg has done a great service to the comedy world by writing this book. Whether you're starting out as a comic or just thinking about performing at an open mic reading this book will help you tremendously. Here's why: There is a natural progression that happens in comedy which is very similar to other professions. Like a doctor (attends high school, college, medical school and residency) a comic's journey begins at open mic's, next hosting, featuring and progresses to headlining. (Although in rare occasions some comics can skip hosting and progress to a feature act.) This journey is usually a very long process because it requires the comic to perfect his/her craft. Unlike becoming a doctor there are no clear cut rules while starting out as what to do and what not to do. But believe me, the rules do exist and you're left on your own as a newbie to slowly figure them out through painful trial and error. Furthermore, most (not all) comics who are more experienced than you will rarely help you learn them all. What Dan has done here is help you speed up your learning curve in a way that will help you become a better comic faster and also help you gain the respect of your fellow comics which should be important to you. If you want to be a respected comic who knows what they are doing onstage read this book ASAP.

Suck or blow; it's just an expression by .. James Blumenfeld (Boston)
In my vast comedy career (that's open for dissection) I've seen all kinds of hosts making all kinds of dunderhead moves. Dan has had the courage (and the lust for stardom) to put together a book to set things on the right path. I don't see a Pulitzer prize (though possibly a "Golden Banana") for this book but it does what it says. Large type, yes; but for me that's a bonus (and he doesn't have to put out a separate edition for the original Borscht Belters). I'm waiting for the book on tape.


But kinda seriously, if you're going to host or put on comedy shows this is a good book to own, read (duh) and then pass around.

That's all; I'll be here all week.

Jim Blumenfeld

Some fluff....LOTS of stuff! by .. Daniel Rosenberg (Santa Monica, CA USA)
Ok, so I am writing a review to a review on my book. The other reviewer didn't like the book. (Come on, a TWO???? You liked the stories from the other comics, no? That's at least a THREE!) Most books are just fluff. You take one topic and expand on it, and viola! A book. What aboutThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People? You can have seven habits written on a business card! If anyone has seen me speak, or been to one of my workshops based on this book, I joke about the large font. It's a COMEDY book for crying out loud! You want to NOT SUCK as an emcee? This book will help. If I called it "How to be the bestest emcee in the entire universe that ever lived" then I would have had to load it with a lot more stuff. Sorry dude, I gotta give it a 5 out of 5! (Honestly, I would give it a 4 and a half, but it won't let me!)

All Fluff and No Stuff by .. Robert G. Currin (new comic)
Not to slam a fellow comic, but this book was nearly all fluff in HUGE type. Rosenberg has a compressed list of all the tips on the last page, and really, that's all it shouldve been. This is nowhere near the value for the money and really shouldve just been an article in some publication- not stretched into 100 pages of giant text fluff. I will say the stories from other comics were cool.