"And So It Goes": Adventures in Television

1987, Berkley [sic] edition with new material (originally published in '86)
Linda Ellerbee
"And So It Goes": Adventures in Television
Possibly bought newish for $4.50
Very worn paperback
B

I used to love this book and I still have a soft spot for it, but Ellerbee doesn't seem quite as witty and insightful as she did back when I used to read this book a lot and watch her on Our World regularly.  (It was short-lived, like so many of her TV stints to that point.)  I haven't really kept up with her life, other than she survived cancer and turned to producing acclaimed news programs for children.  I still found the book better than Donaldson's.  (And so did he, judging from the quote, "I wish I had written this book.")  Not only does she talk more about her non-TV-life, but she tells better stories.  I've giving her the "television criticism" tag that I didn't give him, not only because she's more critical, but because she talks more about specific shows.  And, yes, I found her use of "so it goes," much less annoying than Vonnegut's, because she uses it sparingly and more meaningfully.

The update here is in some ways the best chapter, since it tells of the ups and downs that followed the first publication of the book, so if you get this, go for the paperback.