I found out about Alex Trebek's passing a day after it happened and my heart broke. I grew up watching Jeopardy like so many others and loved to test my knowledge against the interesting questions featured in each episode. I picked up this book the following day on a whim knowing nothing about his personal life or upbringing. I wasn't sure what to expect and yet this book still pleasantly surprised me.
Alex Trebek wrote this book with the intention of filling in the gaps of what people knew and did not know about his life. He said that he wanted to inspire and uplift others after he received so much support from fans of Jeopardy when he shared his diagnosis of stage four pancreatic cancer. His book is beautifully constructed to tell his life story from beginning to end, with his personal anecdotes and beliefs mixed in throughout the book. He tells readers about his experience working in radio and the many game shows before Jeopardy, all of which interestingly failed. He goes into great detail about Jeopardy and explains how each episode is created by a team of invested and invigorated individuals. People such as Ken Jennings, James Holzhauer and other memorable Jeopardy players are also featured in the book with the author taking time to describe each person and how important they were to the development and popularity of the show. Alex Trebek's wisdom and charm are highlighted by his compassion and respect towards others in the many stories he tells. Funny and lighthearted with underlying tones of sadness, this book provides an enlightening read for anyone at any stage of life.
~Abigail C.
Comments