Publishers Weekly
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Though known today for Breaking Bad, Cranston played a number of roles before becoming an actor. Paperboy, biker, grocery store security guard-each chapter explores a different facet of Cranston's personal history, as though Cranston were teaching another actor how to play him onstage. Deeply personal from the outset, Cranston walks readers through his early aimless years, his moment of Zen inspiration to be an actor, and the obsessive hard work on the soap opera Loving, during which he was also dealing with the fallout from an abusive relationship. Cranston discusses his later success on Malcolm in the Middle; Breaking Bad fans, of course, will fly straight to Cranston's chapters on script changes made behind the scenes and the reasoning behind Walt's underwear choices. But the way in which Cranston's simple, staccato prose invites readers to empathize with every "character" he's played elevates this autobiography to more than just a look behind the scenes-it's a look behind a life. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal
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Cranston, Breaking Bad's Walter White (or Malcolm in the Middle's father Hal), pens a literal compilation of the roles he's played throughout his life. We see not only the television actor but also the parts he's assumed in his family (son, father, husband), the odd jobs he's held (farmhand, lifeguard, dating consultant), and other elements that form the man he is today. The book's organization is fragmented with a new role coming every few pages, but it's presented chronologically and narrative threads connect the many roles. A disastrous elementary school role as Professor -Flipnoodle in The Time Machine haunts him decades later as he prepares to play Lyndon B. Johnson on Broadway. His relationship with his alcoholic mother and absentee father influence his marriage and his parenting. Cranston has led an exciting life, but fans of his biggest roles will be disappointed. His focus on Malcolm in the Middle is largely on Hal's shenanigans and it's a good 250 pages into the memoir before we come to Breaking Bad. His Oscar-nominated turn as Dalton Trumbo barely fills a sentence (whereas Seinfeld dentist Tim Whatley is given a whole section). VERDICT Recommended for people who are more interested in the actor's life than a celebrity tell-all.-Terry Bosky, Madison, WI © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly
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Cranston recalls the highs and the lows of his life, from his early aimless years and his moment of Zen inspiration to be an actor to his acting success on Breaking Bad. Listeners are likely to be fascinated by his growing up in a family of actors and his early career as a police officer. Both his words and tone convey a fitting amount of humbleness and sincerity that are likely to endear listeners all the more. Cranston sprinkles more sobering moments throughout the memoir, including losses, mistakes, and epiphanies, which gives the production depth. As the narrator, it's perfect Cranston, drawing upon his acting skills to determine the right amount of emotional energy in any given passage. Listeners can all but hear the tears starting to trickle when he talks about the loss of loved ones, and he leaves no doubt about how much joy his wife and daughter bring him. A Simon & Schuster hardcover. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

The star of Breaking Bad debuts with a collection of memories and rumination.Cranston (b. 1956), borrowing his title and organization (sort of) from Jacques famous All the worlds a stage speech innbsp;As You Like It, offers a series of mostly short chapters that focus on the roles hes playedin life, in film and TV, and on the stage. For a celebrity memoir, its unusually humble; the author makes no real mention of Golden Globe and Emmy wins, and he shows a determined effort throughout to credit and praise his co-workers. He mentions, for example, an effective gag on one of hisnbsp;Seinfeldnbsp;appearances came via an electrician. His narrative flows forward chronologically, broken only by abrupt shifts of focus to his various roles. His tells us about his parentsneither, especially the father, would ever qualify for a parenthood prizeand his siblings, who have been successful in their various enterprises despite, like the author, enduring a difficult childhood. (Near the end, he enters group therapy with them.) Occasionally, Cranston pauses to talk about the craft of acting, and a few of his observations sound like takeaways from a performance class (Building a character is like building a house). For the most part, the author stresses how skill and talent are fairly pointless without a lot of hard work and thought about the character and thenbsp;words. He does not downplay his failures (a first marriage did not last); nor does he deny us details about his unmoored years, which included a Kerouacian cross-country journey with his brother. We learn as well about the perils and inconveniences of celebrity, his deep affection for his wife and daughter, and loss (parents, others). He ends with an account of his recent stage performance as Lyndon Johnson. The highs hereand there are manyare meth-less but addictive.nbsp; Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

One could be forgiven for being unaware of the soap opera Loving (1983-1995). It's entirely possible to have ignored the mania for Malcolm in the Middle (2000-2006), and certainly understandable to have missed the handful of Seinfeld episodes featuring dentist Tim Whatley. But one would have to have been living in a cave on Mars to be oblivious to the cultural phenomenon that is Breaking Bad. As suburban chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin Walter White, Cranston took whatever viewers might have thought about him as Loving's nice guy, Doug Donovan, or Malcolm's nerdy dad, Hal, and turned that on its head. As Cranston discusses seminal episodes from his past as an estranged son from a broken home, a rent-a-cop security guard, a Universal Life minister, and a struggling actor, he builds the case that, as an actor, every experience shapes each persona you portray. Cranston fans will delight in the intimate revelations in this substantial memoir from one of Hollywood's most introspective stars. And anyone interested in acting will devour Cranston's savvy advice about honing one's craft and building one's career.--Haggas, Carol Copyright 2016 Booklist