I, Asimov: A Memoir | 
so-soI read a book or set it aside, but this book induced me to skim for long sections. I enjoyed the story of his early life, & even his self-praise and boundless confidence seemed honest rather than just egotistical… for a while. I most enjoyed his portrayal of the 1930s sci-fi scene where pulp mags ruled before novels had much chance of success. I welcomed his short descriptions of other writers and editors, too. He wrote the book in (see comments)
Hamlet 1)…. short 1-3 page chapters for the most part, chatty and informal; it‘s easy to tell that he just wrote as things came to him, relying on his structured mind rather than an outwardly structured, tight plan for the book. I had to skim many chapters on his own life that were boringly self-serving or that added little to my understanding of him as a man or writer. Still, I found enough commentary on his work, the publishing business, & other …. 2y
Hamlet 2)… writers to make the book worthwhile, even with all the fast skimming I had to endure. Asimov wrote hundreds & hundreds of books, hitting every category in the Dewey Decimal system except Philosophy. It‘s no wonder his editors gave him so much freedom after a lifetime of successes, too much freedom in this, one of his last books. I generated a list of sci-fi authors I now want to explore, and that alone makes me grateful for this book. 2y
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