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James Patterson

James Patterson by James Patterson: The Stories of My Life Paperback – Large Print, June 6, 2022

by James Patterson (Author)

2,066 ratings

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“It's quite a life, Patterson's, and this fizzing, funny, often deeply moving memoir is a perfect way to understand the dizzying world of a best-selling writer." —Daily Mail

“Damn near addictive. I loved it . . . that Patterson guy can write!” –Ron Howard

THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER—How did a kid whose dad lived in the poorhouse become the most successful storyteller in the world?

On the morning he was born, he nearly died.
His dad grew up in the Pogey– the Newburgh, New York, poorhouse.
He worked at a mental hospital in Massachusetts, where he met the singer James Taylor and the poet Robert Lowell.
While he toiled in advertising hell, James wrote the ad jingle line “I’m a Toys ‘R’ Us Kid.”
He once watched James Baldwin and Norman Mailer square off to trade punches at a party.
He’s only been in love twice. Both times are amazing.
Dolly Parton once sang “Happy Birthday” to James over the phone. She calls him J.J., for Jimmy James.

How did a boy from small-town New York become the world’s most successful writer? How does he do it? He has always wanted to write the kind of novel that would be read and reread so many times that the binding breaks and the book literally falls apart. As he says, “I’m still working on that one.”

James Patterson by James Patterson is the most anticipated memoir of 2022.

Print length

464 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Little, Brown and Company
Publication date

June 6, 2022
Dimensions

5.5 x 1.5 x 8.3 inches
ISBN-10

0316445215
ISBN-13

978-0316445214
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Editorial Reviews

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“One of the greatest storytellers of all time, Patterson has led an amazing life. James Patterson By James Patterson brings to mind Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast. I love the pithy, bright anecdotes, and at times his poignant narrative will bring you to tears.”―New York Times bestselling author Patricia Cornwell

“The book was damn near addictive. I loved it. Patterson recounts turning points and life-shaping lessons in short, riveting bursts that inform, entertain, and satisfy—then propel you into the next story. That Patterson guy can write!” ―Ron Howard

“James Patterson does it again. The master storyteller of our times takes us on a funny, poignant, and ultimately triumphant journey through his own life. If you are among the many millions of us who enjoy reading Patterson’s books, or if you haven’t discovered him yet, you’ll love reading this one too.”―Hillary Rodham Clinton

“I felt I was interviewing James Patterson under the highest permissible dose of sodium pentothal, the truth serum, for hours—and he spilled the whole story of his truly astonishing life and experiences and the absolute unlikelihood that he would become the best-selling fiction author of all time.”―Bob Woodward

About the Author

James Patterson is the world's bestselling author. The creator of Alex Cross, he has produced more enduring fictional heroes than any other novelist alive. He lives in Florida with his family.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown and Company; Large type / Large print edition (June 6, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316445215
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316445214
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.5 x 8.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #144,472 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #587 in Business Professional's Biographies
- #758 in Author Biographies
- #1,669 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies

Customer Reviews:
2,066 ratings

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James Patterson

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JAMES PATTERSON is one of the best-known and biggest-selling writers of all time. His books have sold in excess of 375 million copies worldwide. He is the author of some of the most popular series of the past two decades – the Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club, Detective Michael Bennett and Private novels – and he has written many other number one bestsellers including romance novels and stand-alone thrillers.

James is passionate about encouraging children to read. Inspired by his own son who was a reluctant reader, he also writes a range of books for young readers including the Middle School, I Funny, Treasure Hunters, Dog Diaries and Max Einstein series. James has donated millions in grants to independent bookshops and has been the most borrowed author of adult fiction in UK libraries for the past eleven years in a row. He lives in Florida with his wife and son.

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5 star		78%
4 star		14%
3 star		4%
2 star		2%
1 star		2%

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A memoir in short-story form, unique and captivating

Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2022

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This unique memoir is told in the form of many short essays/stories about Patterson's life, as he uses a very informal and conversational writing style to tell his life story. The book has 17 parts/sections, with about 133 different individual (unnumbered) “chapters”, each one containing a short autobiographical story. There are about 328 total pages.

Patterson starts by describing his “colloquial” writing style, and informing the reader that the rest of the book will be written in this very conversational matter-of-fact style. He then dives right in telling these short individual stories about his life; from working in a psych ward, to almost dying at birth, to being an altar boy. The stories aren't exactly in chronological order, but most are generally grouped into themes, like “mad men”, “name dropping”, and “love stories”.

Overall I really enjoyed reading this memoir. The format is unusual for this kind of book, but I think it really works for Patterson's writing style. He builds a comprehensive self portrait by telling one short story at a time, and adding in some humor along the way. Fans of his books will likely enjoy reading these interesting details about his remarkable life, and everyone can appreciate his ability to tell a good story.

40 people found this helpful

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Tucson Jan

THIS IS A GREAT AUTOBIOGRAPHY......!

Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2022

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I don't usually read autobiographies but this one I did and I'm real glad I did! I read it in three days; couldn't put it down. I have always liked James Patterson's books; love the Women's Murder Club series, but this book really is precious. I really did enjoy it and it gave me many laughs along the way. I like this man now; didn't dislike him before, but didn't really appreciate how many books he whips out. He's an amazing human being; sounds like a really good human being and I like the sense of humor he has and the fact that he cares so much about children reading. The world needs more people like James Patterson. I also liked the fact that I've read more than half of the same books he has in the past. Read this book, you won't be sorry! I've already turned some friends and family on to it!

24 people found this helpful

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Charles P. Garcia

I could not put his memoir down ... so unfortunately, it lasted only a day ... highly recommend it!

Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2022

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After reading so many of his books, I was curious to understand what obsession drives a person to write stories at such a prodigious pace. Writing nearly every single day. After reading Jim's autobiography you get the sense that when he takes his last dying breadth it will be with a pencil in his hand writing the final words of his last novel. My conclusion is he just loves telling stories, and also something John Updike once said, "The refusal to rest content, the willingness to risk excess on behalf of one's obsessions, is what distinguishes artists from entertainers, and what makes some artists adventurers on behalf of us all."

26 people found this helpful

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kfromMN

Well worth more than five stars

Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2022

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Mr. Patterson has been my favorite writer since I read Along Came A Spider, yet it seems that I knew almost nothing about him. The stories he tells in this book are great. He could rewrite the phone book and turn it into a bestseller. If you're debating about buying this book, don't hesitate. I don't think you'll regret it. I especially like that he wants to get kids reading. Books can take you anywhere you want to go. Thank you, Mr. Patterson, for years of great books. Keep them coming. Especially Alex Cross.

19 people found this helpful

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Rick Shaq GoldsteinTop Contributor: Baseball

RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: SIT DOWN & RELAX… JIM WANTS TO CHAT WITH YOU ABOUT HIS LIFE STORY!

Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2022

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James Patterson is the world’s most prodigious author with over THREE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FIVE-MILLION-BOOKS-SOLD WORLDWIDE! I used to read his so-called “beach-reads” one after another… but a number of years ago… I will charitably say… I outgrew them and gave them up cold-turkey. But I tried some of his non-fiction work (such as “WALK IN MY COMBAT BOOTS” which totally consumed my emotions tied to my personal experience… my review of that book is still the highest rated review out of over 5,000 reviews posted!) and enjoyed them. So… based on those experiences I purchased this book.

Patterson’s life story is delivered to the reader… not in what I would call chapters… but what would be much more accurately described as “snippets”. The “snippets are approximately 1-4 pages in length. The dissertations are quick (as he said they would be… in a brief preamble by the author) and effectively hit the bull’s-eye of varied human emotions. Some make you laugh… some brings a mist to your eyes… some are simply educational on many fronts… some hit multiple targets.

From his early days in Newburgh, New York… he covers his childhood and unflinching descriptions… frailties… positives and negatives of his family… and Catholic School… and a burst of athletic pride over half-a-century later. And treating the reader like a friend or acquaintance… swears it’s true. Wanting your imaginary “wink-wink” acknowledgement of authenticity… before he spurts forward to the next biographical “snippet”. His almost lifelong love of writing… is pretty amazing… if you correctly clear your head of the accomplishments he’s world famous for now. The blind dedicated dream he kept alive while working totally unrelated jobs. It’s almost shocking what he accomplished in the “BIG-LEAGUE-MAD-MEN-ADVERTISING-WORLD-JUNGLE” at heavyweight ad agency J. Walter Thompson. While handling high pressure high dollar accounts such as Burger King (during the height of the “BURGER WARS”) and Ford Motor Company. Despite the stress and hours during those times… he had the self-imposed discipline… and an eye still on his ultimate dream of writing… and would write before work… during some skipped lunches… and in the middle of the night. The normal weak human frailty… that I admit I have at times and millions of other people have… though they may not admit it… is some form of jealousy… or believing it was “luck” when you view super-super-successful people like James Patterson… but that is no longer the case with me… because I now know he absolutely earned every ounce of success he has. He literally refused to ever let his lifelong dream die. And though ultra-successful in the game of true **MAD-MEN**… he refused to stop juggling his dream while he survived and flourished day to day!

Embedded within the biographical story telling are some great zinging intelligent one -liners. Such as when a mental patient at a mental hospital knocked himself unconscious by running full speed into protective glass… Patterson stated: “HE LEFT US FOR A MOMENT THERE, BLACKED OUT, MAYBE GONE TO HEAVEN FOR A SNEAK PREVIEW.” And sharing some inside industry acronyms regarding Ford: “FORD STOOD FOR “FOUND ON ROAD DEAD”… OR “FIX OR REPAIR DAILY.”

He can also make your heart ache when telling about one of the two great loves in his life Jane who died at thirty-nine years old from a brain tumor. As I am an extremely blessed nineteen-year brain tumor survivor… this powerful “snippet” didn’t hit me… it engulfed me.

Many times throughout this entertaining and educational book… Patterson utilizes the literary version of the way George Burns used to talk directly through the TV to the viewers with a wink of his eye… like it was you and him buddy! And that’s what the author does throughout. He also throws in some self-deprecating humor… and isn’t timid in hinting that you buy other products of his. Besides tidbits from the “Burger Wars”… and Ford frolics.. you’ll get an insider’s look at what it’s like to go on book tours… along with this bit of info former President Clinton told Jim when they toured together… “THE ATTENTION SPAN OF HUMANS IS EIGHT SECONDS… THE ATTENTION SPAN OF BUTTERFLIES IS NINE SECONDS.”

Well… I guess that’s why this book is written in short eight second snippets… I HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY FOR THIS BOOK… BUT THE AVERAGE BUTTERFLY DOESN’T!

16 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Loved it - true Patterson

Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2022

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Just received this Kindle book yesterday which I preordered months ago. Patterson has long been my favorite author so I thought “Why not?” This book does not disappoint. As others have said - it’s like sitting down with the man himself and talking for an afternoon. The humor he interjects is dry but not lost on this Catholic girl! I can certainly relate to all of the stories from his youth being raised in a Catholic household. Highly recommend this book to any Patterson fan. And as the priest said “Who doesn’t like Elvis Presley?”

13 people found this helpful

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S P HOLCROFT

Entertaining, snappy, conversational style you'd expect from JP

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 6, 2022

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Good to hear the back story of one of the most well known writers ever.
Lots of tales from before he was a famous author - being an expert marketeer has certainly helped him achieve record book sales.

jane

Great read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 9, 2022

Verified Purchase

Much looking forward to reading this, i am an avid JP fan so i am keen to read about the man himself!!!!

Kindle Customer

Quick delivery

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2022

Verified Purchase

Arrived quickly. Looking forward to reading with the rest of my summer pile while I'm on holiday from work.

Mandy White (mandylovestoread)

This is a must read for fans of the great man's books

Reviewed in Australia on June 5, 2022

Verified Purchase

I have been reading James Patterson books for as long as I can remember. In fact, his Alex Cross books are some of the first grown up books that I remember reading. Needless to say, I am a big fan and I urge every crime book lover to read his books. When I heard that this book was coming out I just had to read it. It is always fascinating to learn more about the people that you admire, and James has had a very interesting life.

This is a book of stories, in not particular order really. He jumps around his life, telling stories of what he has done, people he has met and how he became the world best selling writer. I enjoyed reading about his time as an advertising executive, his school days, his experience at Woodstock and his lack of confidence at becoming a fiction writer. He talks about his friendship with former President, Bill Clinton and their writing collaboration. It was written in his usual conversational style, with short chapters which makes it a very fast read - just like his fiction novels.

This is a must read for fans of the great man's books. Absolutely recommend. All the stars

Dr. Tim Parker

The not-quite-a-bio bio is an interesting read

Reviewed in Canada on July 27, 2022

Verified Purchase

This autobiography is more a set of rambling James Patterson history chapters than a typical autobiography laden with details of life year over year. Instead this has chapters that bounce around, touching on various subjects in different sections, but weaving an overall high-level biographical picture. This approach, much like his novels, works well here, and anyone who has read Patterson novels will probably enjoy the bio more than they expect. There's not so much an "Aren't I great" attitude as an honest look at how he got to be the best selling author, and there's some aspects of his life that mirror the stories more than a little. I found the book engaging, easy to read, and fun. This not-quite-a-bio is the type of bio I'd like to see more of!

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