In our May 2020 Zoom meeting of the North Portal Readers, we discussed “I Can’t Make This Up; Life Lessons” by Kevin Hart (2017). Our discussion leader’s 32-year-old nephew had recommended the book to his aunt. While many of us were very familiar with Hart, it was highly unlikely we would have read his memoir. We all thought it well was well-written and presented and worth reading. Two key reasons for this are it helped us understand Hart, the person, and comedian. Also, the book provided an insight into what it takes to be a successful comedian. The memoir’s last section is titled “The Blueprint,” which distills the eight qualities Hart attributes to “putting him in a position to draw aces.” Think of these qualities as ingredients in a recipe. Persistence, patience, class, commitment, learning, passion-centered competitiveness, positivity, and discomfort have to be combined in the correct proportions to create a savory dish—good advice coming from someone who is 40 years old, and very successful. Hart was born in July 1979. I wonder how many of Hart’s 36 million Twitter followers are mixing “the eight ingredients” to create success in their lives? I guess I’ll have “to take to Twitter” to find out.
“I Can’t Make This Up; Life Lessons: A Memoir” By Kevin Hart
