They Call Me Baba Booey – Gary Dell’Abate and Chad Millman

$12.50 in hardcover from Amazon.com

Buy it if: You’re a completist whose bookshelves are already stocked with Private Parts, Quivers: A Life, and Too Fat To Fish

Don’t Buy It if: The only memoirs you read are by celebrities themselves. Who cares about those peons behind the scenes?

Believe me, I am more than aware that a large portion of my ‘audience’ will take one look at the subject matter, smirk at a final confirmation of my obviously lowbrow tendencies and quickly dismiss this modern autobiography. But you shouldn’t and here’s why: Howard Stern has an immediately polarizing, completely galvanizing effect on almost any American clued in to pop culture. The catch? A huge amount of these people react to a name and reputation…having never actually listened to the radio program. Now, believe me, I am not going to advocate that all of my readers purchase a Sirius subscription and become avid followers (though I’m willing to bet some of you might be surprised!) But I will ask that you consider this book on its own merit, because ‘shock jock’ cache aside, it’s a fairly interesting read.

Gary ‘Baba Booey’ Dell’Abate - Yes, the nickname is explained in the book - is Howard Stern’s long time producer. And had he set out to chronicle his time on the show, there is no doubt that his first whack as an author would have been – at minimum - full of entertaining anecdotes. But like the show he produces, this volume is not what it appears to be on the surface. Instead of rehashing glory days of lesbians, butt bongo and Jackie the Jokeman, They Call Me Baba Booey is an honest look at a how a few twists of fate, good work ethic and a sense of humor can deposit a working class kid at the helm of a media juggernaut.

Ironically, it’s the lack of focus on Stern and the show’s content that will captivate both fans and non-fans of Howard. After all, listeners already know what goes out over the airwaves, and haters probably don’t care. Instead, it’s an honest look at the forces that created a man able to withstand Howard’s most barbed attacks and come back stronger than ever. A severely depressed mother, closeted gay brother and angst-ridden boss are only a small portion of the people that formed the author’s personality. His ability to view his life with a (relatively) objective perspective makes for very compelling reading indeed. Even if the prose isn’t the most eloquent literary construction on the market today, the honesty and candor more than make up for it.

Case in a point: a jacket photo that’s as real at it gets. Forget the glossy glamour shots or fashion-coordinated ‘candids’ that grace the fronts of so many memoirs. Dell’Abate put himself out there in all of his mid-puberty, horribly mustachioed glory. It’s a supreme example of unequivocal self-deprecation and truth. In fact, this might the rare instance where you can judge a book by its cover.