The book examines Martin's childhood, and his first jobs at the Southern Californiatheme parksDisneyland and Knott's Berry Farm. It includes his later stand-up comedy career, which lasted until 1981. In that year, Martin retired from stand-up comedy, feeling that he had achieved as much as he could with it, that his routine had become bloated and old, and that he would rather pursue his burgeoning film career.
Martin goes into detail about his act, including how others viewed his act, the tiny audiences he drew at the beginning of his career, and the huge shows performing in front of tens of thousands of fans at the height of his popularity. Through Martin's spare explanations, the reader comes to understand his love for magic, his early gags like the "Happy Feet", and his trademark three-piece white suit.
The book also deals with Martin's strained relationship with his family, especially his father. It relates how he eventually reconnected with each of his parents, and learned to appreciate them more than he had in his youth. It details his parents' deaths, and how he dealt with each of them.
He also makes observations about how the world was changing around him, from the early days of the "peace and love" culture to the more challenging time that followed it, and how he used his act to work through his feelings about those times.
