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If at Birth You Don't Succeed: My Adventures with Disaster and Destiny
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Humor (2016)Comedian Zach Anner opens his frank and devilishly funny book, If at Birth You Don't Succeed, with an admission: he botched his own birth. Two months early, underweight and under-prepared for life, he entered the world with cerebral palsy and an uncertain future. So how did this hairless mole-rat of a boy blossom into a viral internet sensation who's hosted two travel shows, impressed Oprah, driven the Mars Rover, and inspired a John Mayer song? (It wasn't Your Body is a Wonderland.)
Zach lives by the mantra: when life gives you wheelchair, make lemonade. Whether recounting a valiant childhood attempt to woo Cindy Crawford, encounters with zealous faith healers, or the time he crapped his pants mere feet from Dr. Phil, Zach shares his fumbles with unflinching honesty and characteristic charm. By his thirtieth birthday, Zach had grown into an adult with a career in entertainment, millions of fans, a loving family, and friends who would literally carry him up mountains.
If at Birth You Don't Succeed is a hilariously irreverent and heartfelt memoir about finding your passion and your path even when it's paved with epic misadventure. This is the unlikely but not unlucky story of a man who couldn't safely open a bag of Skittles, but still became a fitness guru with fans around the world. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll fall in love with the Olive Garden all over again, and learn why cerebral palsy is, definitively, "the sexiest of the palsies."
Zach lives by the mantra: when life gives you wheelchair, make lemonade. Whether recounting a valiant childhood attempt to woo Cindy Crawford, encounters with zealous faith healers, or the time he crapped his pants mere feet from Dr. Phil, Zach shares his fumbles with unflinching honesty and characteristic charm. By his thirtieth birthday, Zach had grown into an adult with a career in entertainment, millions of fans, a loving family, and friends who would literally carry him up mountains.
If at Birth You Don't Succeed is a hilariously irreverent and heartfelt memoir about finding your passion and your path even when it's paved with epic misadventure. This is the unlikely but not unlucky story of a man who couldn't safely open a bag of Skittles, but still became a fitness guru with fans around the world. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll fall in love with the Olive Garden all over again, and learn why cerebral palsy is, definitively, "the sexiest of the palsies."
338 pages, Hardcover
First published March 8, 2016
About the author
Zach Anner
1 book117 followersZach Anner is an award-winning comedian, show host, and public speaker. In 2011, he won his own travel show on the Oprah Winfrey Network, Rollin' With Zach. He also hosted the shows Have A Little Faith for Rainn Wilson's media company SoulPancake, and Riding Shotgun and Workout Wednesdays on his own YouTube channel, which has over 8 million hits. Zach lives in Buffalo, NY and Austin, TX, and spends most of his spare time in his underwear, thinking about how he can change the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 368 reviews
January 28, 2023
Zach Anner was born prematurely with cerebral palsy. His memoir displays his wicked sense of humor, dogged determination and life lessons.
My favorite passage is "humor without humanity is not worthwhile." He wants his humor to make an impact but not at the expense of making fun of others.
He auditions for a television show with the OWN network and gets to audition in front of Oprah. He also interviews many celebrities and well known thought leaders.
His writing style is straightforward, transparent, humorous, and engaging.
My favorite passage is "humor without humanity is not worthwhile." He wants his humor to make an impact but not at the expense of making fun of others.
He auditions for a television show with the OWN network and gets to audition in front of Oprah. He also interviews many celebrities and well known thought leaders.
His writing style is straightforward, transparent, humorous, and engaging.
August 9, 2016
I found this to be a decent memoir about an entertainer who is living with physical disabilities. The writing was good and flowed naturally, however I just didn't find this read to be super engaging. I am not sure why since I cannot think of one thing in particular that was bad about this autobiography.
If anything the writing quality is probably higher than most... I think at times it just tried a teensy bit too hard to be funny. But the main reason I feel a little meh about this book is most likely an unfortunate case of “ It's not you, it's me”.
Overall this is a good book but it just wasn't for me.
Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Borrow
Check out more of my reviews here
Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
February 22, 2016
Splendid. Do yourself a favour and read this book.
Zach Anner is out of any doubt a talented comedian and an excellent writer, this book is about an intelligent and sagacious man who has the nuts to live life… for real.
Zach Anner is out of any doubt a talented comedian and an excellent writer, this book is about an intelligent and sagacious man who has the nuts to live life… for real.
May 12, 2016
I wish that I had liked this memoir by Zach (with a H) Anner more than I did.
If you are not familiar with him, Mr. Anner lives with cerebral palsy, and back in 2011 won his own travel show on the Oprah Winfrey Network in 2011. I recall the reality show that Mr. Anner was on that got him his own show, and I honestly don't remember much else besides saying that's cool when I heard who won. Since his show has been cancelled it seems that Mr. Anner has been hosting a web series with Rainn Wilson (Dwight from The Office) and also producing segments on his own Youtube channel.
I had a lot of trouble getting through this memoir in certain parts. I think the most pressing problem that I saw was that the book jumped around a lot and only seemed highly focused on the Oprah Winfrey reality show.
We get tidbits here and there about Mr. Anner's family (which I loved) but he doesn't dwell on them too much besides tossing a bone here and there in the book until we get to Chapter 17: Grandma: The Musical! That is when the book really came alive for me as a reader. Even when we do have Mr. Anner focus on certain aspects of his younger years, he bounces around a lot within a chapter in order to link it to whatever overall theme he wants to discuss.
I did find it a bit....troubling or simply naive that Mr. Anner danced around the issues that many people had with sites like Reddit and 4Chan. I don't think it's old men and women trying to control the internet, it's making sure sites like that don't just go around and do the things that some of the members do. I am glad that Mr. Anner had a positive experience with them, but I found it a bit disingenuous for him to not really delve into why Reddit and 4Chan members voted for him (it sounds like they did it to stick to Oprah because of whatever reasons) and I really couldn't get to what he was trying to say there because I felt like he was being overly cautious to not insult Oprah or Reddit.
I think the big thing was that we don't get a sense of all that Mr. Anner had gone through until the very end of the book when he acknowledges that he had some depression and medical issues in high school which sidelined him and also caused him to question a lot of things that were going on in his life at the time. And once again, I have to say, that was when I felt like I was getting to see the real Mr. Anner. I thought the whole book was him trying to be as funny and witty as possible and trying to gloss over certain experiences he had.
All in all I found it to be a so-so memoir.
If you are not familiar with him, Mr. Anner lives with cerebral palsy, and back in 2011 won his own travel show on the Oprah Winfrey Network in 2011. I recall the reality show that Mr. Anner was on that got him his own show, and I honestly don't remember much else besides saying that's cool when I heard who won. Since his show has been cancelled it seems that Mr. Anner has been hosting a web series with Rainn Wilson (Dwight from The Office) and also producing segments on his own Youtube channel.
I had a lot of trouble getting through this memoir in certain parts. I think the most pressing problem that I saw was that the book jumped around a lot and only seemed highly focused on the Oprah Winfrey reality show.
We get tidbits here and there about Mr. Anner's family (which I loved) but he doesn't dwell on them too much besides tossing a bone here and there in the book until we get to Chapter 17: Grandma: The Musical! That is when the book really came alive for me as a reader. Even when we do have Mr. Anner focus on certain aspects of his younger years, he bounces around a lot within a chapter in order to link it to whatever overall theme he wants to discuss.
I did find it a bit....troubling or simply naive that Mr. Anner danced around the issues that many people had with sites like Reddit and 4Chan. I don't think it's old men and women trying to control the internet, it's making sure sites like that don't just go around and do the things that some of the members do. I am glad that Mr. Anner had a positive experience with them, but I found it a bit disingenuous for him to not really delve into why Reddit and 4Chan members voted for him (it sounds like they did it to stick to Oprah because of whatever reasons) and I really couldn't get to what he was trying to say there because I felt like he was being overly cautious to not insult Oprah or Reddit.
I think the big thing was that we don't get a sense of all that Mr. Anner had gone through until the very end of the book when he acknowledges that he had some depression and medical issues in high school which sidelined him and also caused him to question a lot of things that were going on in his life at the time. And once again, I have to say, that was when I felt like I was getting to see the real Mr. Anner. I thought the whole book was him trying to be as funny and witty as possible and trying to gloss over certain experiences he had.
All in all I found it to be a so-so memoir.
April 22, 2016
Firstly, whether or not you end up reading Zach Anner’s book, it’s definitely worth a trip over to YouTube to check out some of his videos. (Might I recommend this one, this one, and this one?) The guy is goofy and slyly funny. It’s always a happy day when one of his videos shows up in my inbox. He’s the kind of guy who decides to create a video series where all he does is give people virtual high-fives. Often he’ll make a joke that is funny at first, and then a second later, it gets even funnier because it’s got a second level you didn’t even realize was there.
So if you’ve never heard of him, and most people probably haven’t, Zach Anner first popped into the public eye when he won a spot on Oprah’s reality show, the one where she was determined to make the next TV star. He’s also in a wheelchair, and has cerebral palsy (which he calls the “sexiest of the palsies” in his audition video). He actually ended up winning the competition and was given his own show for a year. The show ended up getting canceled, but it gave him some valuable life experiences, namely realizations about the kind of person and comedian he wants to be.
Zach’s main thing in life, and in his work, is to be seen first as a human being and not as a person in a wheelchair. And at that, I believe he succeeds admirably. He tells stories of his life with extreme honesty and it really gets you inside his experience and all the things he has to deal with on a daily basis that non-disabled people never even have to think about. His attitude towards his chair is really interesting. He doesn’t let it define him, and yet he’s not afraid to use it, for gain, for laughs, for whatever. It’s just another tool in his arsenal, right alongside his gift for comedy.
Stories include his misadventures in dating (his first kiss and first kiss happened late in life), his experiences with Oprah, his college years when he was still finding his voice and learning what lines he shouldn’t cross as a comedian, what it was like to have a show on the OWN network (exciting but frustratingly limited), working with Rainn Wilson on SoulPancake, having his own YouTube travel show to finally do what he wanted to do on the Oprah show, and stories from his childhood being in a wheelchair.
This was a fun reading experience, but as a book it wasn’t the best written thing I’ve ever read. I’m very willing to look past that, though, especially considering the circumstances. He explains that he actually doesn’t really read because of his two lazy eyes, and writing is similarly limited. (His girlfriend helped him with the actual putting together of this book.) So of course a person who doesn’t read or write very much isn’t going to produce a perfectly calibrated book. What he did produce is a book that showcases his generosity of spirit, his mischievous sense of humor, his love for his friends, and his attitude towards life (take what comes at you, and don’t worry about what you’re missing out on).
My only regret is that I wish I would have gotten the audiobook. I kept hearing his voice in my head as I was reading, but I know that he’s so good with his delivery when I’ve seen him on video that he would have made it a very enjoyable listen. If I ever re-read, I’m definitely doing the audiobook.
[3.5 stars]
So if you’ve never heard of him, and most people probably haven’t, Zach Anner first popped into the public eye when he won a spot on Oprah’s reality show, the one where she was determined to make the next TV star. He’s also in a wheelchair, and has cerebral palsy (which he calls the “sexiest of the palsies” in his audition video). He actually ended up winning the competition and was given his own show for a year. The show ended up getting canceled, but it gave him some valuable life experiences, namely realizations about the kind of person and comedian he wants to be.
Zach’s main thing in life, and in his work, is to be seen first as a human being and not as a person in a wheelchair. And at that, I believe he succeeds admirably. He tells stories of his life with extreme honesty and it really gets you inside his experience and all the things he has to deal with on a daily basis that non-disabled people never even have to think about. His attitude towards his chair is really interesting. He doesn’t let it define him, and yet he’s not afraid to use it, for gain, for laughs, for whatever. It’s just another tool in his arsenal, right alongside his gift for comedy.
Stories include his misadventures in dating (his first kiss and first kiss happened late in life), his experiences with Oprah, his college years when he was still finding his voice and learning what lines he shouldn’t cross as a comedian, what it was like to have a show on the OWN network (exciting but frustratingly limited), working with Rainn Wilson on SoulPancake, having his own YouTube travel show to finally do what he wanted to do on the Oprah show, and stories from his childhood being in a wheelchair.
This was a fun reading experience, but as a book it wasn’t the best written thing I’ve ever read. I’m very willing to look past that, though, especially considering the circumstances. He explains that he actually doesn’t really read because of his two lazy eyes, and writing is similarly limited. (His girlfriend helped him with the actual putting together of this book.) So of course a person who doesn’t read or write very much isn’t going to produce a perfectly calibrated book. What he did produce is a book that showcases his generosity of spirit, his mischievous sense of humor, his love for his friends, and his attitude towards life (take what comes at you, and don’t worry about what you’re missing out on).
My only regret is that I wish I would have gotten the audiobook. I kept hearing his voice in my head as I was reading, but I know that he’s so good with his delivery when I’ve seen him on video that he would have made it a very enjoyable listen. If I ever re-read, I’m definitely doing the audiobook.
[3.5 stars]
March 24, 2016
I received this book from a Goodreads Giveaway! Yay! I first heard about the book on Facebook when Zach announced it.
I am not sure what I expected. I suppose I expected to read a bunch of words written by Zach Anner. That's exactly what I got.
Zach Anner spends time recounting important events in his life. He writes about his time with Oprah and OWN. He tells stories from grade school, middle school, high school, and college. He made me laugh out loud a few times. I got teary eyed a time or two. Most importantly though, he allowed me into his world. He allowed me to see a man with different challenges than me manage the same emotions as me. And, he does all of this in a way that seems like we're hanging out and talking together.
The book itself is not a chronological telling of his life. It jumps around. A couple times I found myself re-reading just to make sure I was understanding what year he was in. It doesn't read like an autobiography, so it was not something that I found frustrating.
I appreciate Zach's honesty. If you are not already a fan of Zach Anner I suggest watching Workout Wednesday and Have A Little Faith on Youtube.
I am not recommending this to everyone, as pretty much all of Part 2 is not something I think everyone is ready for (I'm thinking that I can't hand this off to my teenager to read even though she loves Zach Anner).
Overall, I very much enjoyed the book, and it is well worth reading even if you are unfamiliar with Zach Anner.
I am not sure what I expected. I suppose I expected to read a bunch of words written by Zach Anner. That's exactly what I got.
Zach Anner spends time recounting important events in his life. He writes about his time with Oprah and OWN. He tells stories from grade school, middle school, high school, and college. He made me laugh out loud a few times. I got teary eyed a time or two. Most importantly though, he allowed me into his world. He allowed me to see a man with different challenges than me manage the same emotions as me. And, he does all of this in a way that seems like we're hanging out and talking together.
The book itself is not a chronological telling of his life. It jumps around. A couple times I found myself re-reading just to make sure I was understanding what year he was in. It doesn't read like an autobiography, so it was not something that I found frustrating.
I appreciate Zach's honesty. If you are not already a fan of Zach Anner I suggest watching Workout Wednesday and Have A Little Faith on Youtube.
I am not recommending this to everyone, as pretty much all of Part 2 is not something I think everyone is ready for (I'm thinking that I can't hand this off to my teenager to read even though she loves Zach Anner).
Overall, I very much enjoyed the book, and it is well worth reading even if you are unfamiliar with Zach Anner.
February 27, 2016
Zach Anner has wrriten a tender, laugh-out-loud funny, coming of age tale of a man determined to be defined by more than his disability. Anner details the ups and downs of the first three decades of his life, from his birth as the less-than-perfect specimen to his rise (quite accidentally) as a reality show host at the University of Texas at Austin and subsequent successes as winner of the Oprah Winfrey Network's "Search for the Next TV Star" and his YouTube channel. He writes with wit, warmth and searing positivity, and while he does get crass at times, overall this is a satisfying and optimistic read.
March 23, 2022
I absolutely adored this book from start to finish. As someone who also has Cerebral Palsy, I found this book not only highly relatable throughout, but also very humourous, (I was laughing to the point of tears in many spots) positive and thought provoking. Zach is not only a gifted comedian, but also a great writer with a contagiously uplifting spirit. I'm definitely recommending this to all my family and friends.
November 1, 2018
Zach's musings on his life with cerebral palsy (the sexiest of the palsies hehe) ... and, more importantly, as a person. I am very particular about humor in books but Zach had me laughing from the opening line! His one liners were hilarious. His stories were equal parts entertaining and touching, while his positive and unique outlook on life was uplifting. Overall, I found this book entertaining, amusing, awe inspiring, and heartwarming and would highly recommend it! Also, please, please, please listen to the audiobook version because you just HAVE to hear his words in his voice. Loved it.
Audiobook
Locations: New York (Buffalo and NYC), California (Los Angeles), Texas, and Germany (Berlin)
Audiobook
Locations: New York (Buffalo and NYC), California (Los Angeles), Texas, and Germany (Berlin)
March 27, 2022
This was a great memoir about life with cerebral palsy and being a wheelchair user. I personally hadn't heard of Zach before but a friend highly recommended this book to me. I really enjoyed learning about his overnight rise to fame winning his own show on the Oprah network. The story is so honest and real and utterly relatable. Zach isn't afraid to share deeply embarrassing and personal stories, from soiling his pants before going on live television to painful experiences with hair trimmers. He also covers more serious topics like the difficulty of finding romantic love as a person with a disability and later having found a partner, the challenges of them being put into a caregiver role. Highly recommended, especially if you want to understand more about one person's experience with CP told with a great deal of humor and heart. Great on audio too read by the author.
September 1, 2016
Not as funny as Workout Wednesdays but an interesting book. I liked the reflections on not wanting his girlfriend to have to be his caretaker but that he was so used to being taken care of that he didn't even see the ways in which it happened at first.
February 11, 2024
Zach has accomplished many amazing things - for his own life and to better the lives of others. I appreciated his willingness to share some very intimate details about his life. We all can learn from his experiences- especially the ones that people don’t want to discuss. Sometimes talking/reading about these aspects of life can bring people closer.
Zach is very thoughtful and funny. This book was a terrific read!
I read this for the 2024 ATY Challenge: a book with a pronoun in the title
Zach is very thoughtful and funny. This book was a terrific read!
I read this for the 2024 ATY Challenge: a book with a pronoun in the title
June 5, 2019
This was such a good read with some hilarious, heartfelt and empowering moments!!
January 13, 2017
"Comedian Zach Anner opens his frank and devilishly funny book, If at Birth You Don't Succeed, with an admission: he botched his own birth. Two months early, underweight and under-prepared for life, he entered the world with cerebral palsy and an uncertain future. So how did this hairless mole-rat of a boy blossom into a viral internet sensation who's hosted two travel shows, impressed Oprah, driven the Mars Rover, and inspired a John Mayer song? (It wasn't "Your Body is a Wonderland.")"
I have a confession. I hate YouTube. If I am forced to watch a video because of a deep interest in the subject, it better be captioned so I don't have to turn the sound on my iPad on. It is no wonder that I'd never heard of Zach Anner before reading this book. It is also a testament to my love for his story that I've watched several of his YouTube videos and shared them with others.
Zach has cerebral palsy which causes him to have limited fine motor skills and poor balance. He describes his legs as mostly decoration. He has a lazy eye and his eyes don't track which makes it difficult for him to read. He also has a razor-sharp mind, a wild sense of humor, and the compulsive need to express himself through pop culture references. This leads to a laugh out loud funny memoir about the unexpected turns his life has taken.
The book is not organized chronologically. I appreciated that. How many memoirs have you read where you know something interesting happens in the author's twenties but first you have to suffer through the minutia of their childhood for many, many chapters? Here we start on a high note. He entered an online competition to win a spot on a reality show on OWN, Oprah's network. The prize? His own TV show on the network.
His video went viral when it was discovered on Reddit and adopted as the favorite by 4chan purely because of the spelling of his name. He went on to win his own travel show on OWN. From there you can only go downhill through cancellation and strangers asking, "Didn't you used to be....?" in stores. He describes how he moved to YouTube to make the realistic traveling with disabilities show that he wanted to make.
Along the way we learn about his attempts to find love, his love for music, his time working at Epcot policing other people's disabilities, and his failures in adaptive P.E. class in 4th grade. Each story is hysterical but ends with a life lesson that manages to be uplifting without being sappy.
This is best experienced by listening to the audiobook. Zach narrates it himself. I can't imagine this book without his upbeat and charming narration or without listening to himself crack himself up retelling the adventures that he's had.
One of the first videos Zach talks about making is this one where his friends torture him at a trampoline park. I had to look it up.
It is even funnier when you hear the background story of what went into making it.
I will be recommending this book to EVERYONE! Do yourself a favor and get the audiobook and step into Zach's world.This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story
I have a confession. I hate YouTube. If I am forced to watch a video because of a deep interest in the subject, it better be captioned so I don't have to turn the sound on my iPad on. It is no wonder that I'd never heard of Zach Anner before reading this book. It is also a testament to my love for his story that I've watched several of his YouTube videos and shared them with others.
Zach has cerebral palsy which causes him to have limited fine motor skills and poor balance. He describes his legs as mostly decoration. He has a lazy eye and his eyes don't track which makes it difficult for him to read. He also has a razor-sharp mind, a wild sense of humor, and the compulsive need to express himself through pop culture references. This leads to a laugh out loud funny memoir about the unexpected turns his life has taken.
The book is not organized chronologically. I appreciated that. How many memoirs have you read where you know something interesting happens in the author's twenties but first you have to suffer through the minutia of their childhood for many, many chapters? Here we start on a high note. He entered an online competition to win a spot on a reality show on OWN, Oprah's network. The prize? His own TV show on the network.
His video went viral when it was discovered on Reddit and adopted as the favorite by 4chan purely because of the spelling of his name. He went on to win his own travel show on OWN. From there you can only go downhill through cancellation and strangers asking, "Didn't you used to be....?" in stores. He describes how he moved to YouTube to make the realistic traveling with disabilities show that he wanted to make.
Along the way we learn about his attempts to find love, his love for music, his time working at Epcot policing other people's disabilities, and his failures in adaptive P.E. class in 4th grade. Each story is hysterical but ends with a life lesson that manages to be uplifting without being sappy.
This is best experienced by listening to the audiobook. Zach narrates it himself. I can't imagine this book without his upbeat and charming narration or without listening to himself crack himself up retelling the adventures that he's had.
One of the first videos Zach talks about making is this one where his friends torture him at a trampoline park. I had to look it up.
It is even funnier when you hear the background story of what went into making it.
I will be recommending this book to EVERYONE! Do yourself a favor and get the audiobook and step into Zach's world.This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story
February 10, 2017
If at Birth You Don't Succeed: My Adventures with Disaster and Destiny is the only book I preordered for 2016. If I could've attended one of the author's book launches in the US, I would've gone just to meet this man in person. That is how incredible I think Zach Anner is.
(Shout out to the author - Zach, if you are reading this, you have fans in Asia. Come do a travel show in Taiwan! )
I have been following Zach Anner's adventures online and have been waiting with anticipation for his memoir to arrive on my Kindle. If you aren't familiar with his work, check out his Workout Wednesday videos or his Have A Little Faith videos on YouTube. He also hosts a Top of the Monday show on SoulPancake.
Zach is every bit as charming and funny on paper as he is on screen. He is one of the most positive personalities out there right now, and he lives by his mantra: "When life gives you a wheelchair, make lemonade."
In his memoir, Zach talks openly about his life with cerebral palsy (the sexiest of the palsies) and the disasters and difficulties he has faced growing up different from everyone else. He is also an expert on finding happiness and making the best of situations.
If you are looking for inspiration on how to find your passion and how to make it work - no matter the odds - look no further. Read this book.
(Shout out to the author - Zach, if you are reading this, you have fans in Asia. Come do a travel show in Taiwan! )
I have been following Zach Anner's adventures online and have been waiting with anticipation for his memoir to arrive on my Kindle. If you aren't familiar with his work, check out his Workout Wednesday videos or his Have A Little Faith videos on YouTube. He also hosts a Top of the Monday show on SoulPancake.
Zach is every bit as charming and funny on paper as he is on screen. He is one of the most positive personalities out there right now, and he lives by his mantra: "When life gives you a wheelchair, make lemonade."
In his memoir, Zach talks openly about his life with cerebral palsy (the sexiest of the palsies) and the disasters and difficulties he has faced growing up different from everyone else. He is also an expert on finding happiness and making the best of situations.
If you are looking for inspiration on how to find your passion and how to make it work - no matter the odds - look no further. Read this book.
May 8, 2017
Zach (with an H) Anner brought his story to life with one of the most comedic, heart-warming recounts that I've ever read. There were scenarios that literally made me laugh out loud whereas others captivated my entire undivided attention, face-in-book and all (including the ending!). I heard of this book from a few coworkers who mentioned it to me, and also mentioned that Zach was coming to my school (aside from the fact that I wasn't able to make it and get a signed copy...boo :/ ). Although this is far outside from my personal realm of preferred reading, I am so happy to have read this and to have had the experience of considering Zach's life and lifestyle with the sexiest of palsey's through his storytelling. Zach is a brilliant writer with great stories and an even better message to his readers. Do yourself a favor and read this, especially if it's not something that you'd go for normally!
May 2, 2016
I grabbed this audio book at the library because the title made me laugh, and am on chapter 6 (3rd cd)....it is hysterical.
The beginning (as I find with every audio book) is partly getting acquainted with the reader's voice/style of storytelling. As this memoir is read by the author --which is always the best version--and he is a comedian, the story telling is laugh-out-loud funny. Content and delivery leave little time to recover from one story to the next.
I lurved this book! Instead of using the dreaded " i " word, I will just say it could be required reading for anyone over the age of 15. Or over the age of 50. Or anyone who is alive/ wants something/ likes people/ can't stand people / enjoys laughing/ thinks the concept of two anniversaries is complete and utter BS.
Any of those categories.
The beginning (as I find with every audio book) is partly getting acquainted with the reader's voice/style of storytelling. As this memoir is read by the author --which is always the best version--and he is a comedian, the story telling is laugh-out-loud funny. Content and delivery leave little time to recover from one story to the next.
I lurved this book! Instead of using the dreaded " i " word, I will just say it could be required reading for anyone over the age of 15. Or over the age of 50. Or anyone who is alive/ wants something/ likes people/ can't stand people / enjoys laughing/ thinks the concept of two anniversaries is complete and utter BS.
Any of those categories.
October 16, 2018
Zach Anner is amazing. Not because he is disabled but because he makes others realize that a disability is nothing to cry over. I have never felt more understood in my life. Everyone with a physical disability needs to read this book!
April 3, 2016
The very first few pages of this book made me smile and chuckle. As I continued, I gradually became bored. I feel terrible for not trying harder to continue this book, but I was bored. No more non-fiction for me. I don't think I can finish memoirs, unless each page has a short paragraph. About 95% of a chapter is a memory and the final paragraph is the lesson. I enjoyed the lessons more than the memories itself.
June 12, 2016
Cute, a little crass, but overall very average.
May 30, 2017
Part comedy, part inspirational biography, Zach Anner's If at Birth You Don't Succeed offers lots of good laughs and lots of reflective moments.
It's hard not to like Anner -- who you might know as "that guy who does the hilarious yet oddly inspirational Workout Wednesday videos". In his memoir he comes off as genuine, hard-working, and optimistic, even when everything that can go wrong does go wrong. In other words, reading this book is sort of like reading the script for a very long Workout Wednesday video.
That being said, some of the chapters in this book take on slightly more somber moments than the Workout Wednesday skits do. Between all the wild stories Anner has to tell, there are quieter moments where he reflects on his life with cerebral palsy, both failed and successful attempts at having a love life, and the deaths of some of his loved ones. He talks about how hard it is to feel like a grown up as a person with a disability, he describes why he sometimes feels like a burden to those he loves, and he talks about the lack of good representation of people with disabilities in the media. But through it all, he maintains that positive outlook on life and that drive to be the best he can be.
What this book is great at doing is showing Anner's more serious side. Though he's still the goofy, sometimes inappropriate joker that he is in his YouTube skits, in this memoir he balances that out by showing other facets of his personality. I didn't laugh as much or as hard as I expected to reading this book, but that doesn't mean it wasn't good. In fact, I really, really liked it.
The cool thing for me is that I grew up in and still live in Buffalo, and also attended Kenmore West High School. (Anner was a couple grades older than my sister, not me; I never knew him.) So any chapters that took place around Buffalo, I could perfectly imagine.
4/5 stars.
It's hard not to like Anner -- who you might know as "that guy who does the hilarious yet oddly inspirational Workout Wednesday videos". In his memoir he comes off as genuine, hard-working, and optimistic, even when everything that can go wrong does go wrong. In other words, reading this book is sort of like reading the script for a very long Workout Wednesday video.
That being said, some of the chapters in this book take on slightly more somber moments than the Workout Wednesday skits do. Between all the wild stories Anner has to tell, there are quieter moments where he reflects on his life with cerebral palsy, both failed and successful attempts at having a love life, and the deaths of some of his loved ones. He talks about how hard it is to feel like a grown up as a person with a disability, he describes why he sometimes feels like a burden to those he loves, and he talks about the lack of good representation of people with disabilities in the media. But through it all, he maintains that positive outlook on life and that drive to be the best he can be.
What this book is great at doing is showing Anner's more serious side. Though he's still the goofy, sometimes inappropriate joker that he is in his YouTube skits, in this memoir he balances that out by showing other facets of his personality. I didn't laugh as much or as hard as I expected to reading this book, but that doesn't mean it wasn't good. In fact, I really, really liked it.
The cool thing for me is that I grew up in and still live in Buffalo, and also attended Kenmore West High School. (Anner was a couple grades older than my sister, not me; I never knew him.) So any chapters that took place around Buffalo, I could perfectly imagine.
4/5 stars.
May 9, 2018
Truthfully, I didn't really love Zach Anner's memoir. I had a hard time getting through it for no good reason.
In my personal challenge of reading more books this year, I have tried to read more memoirs because I feel it is a good way of learning about other people's lives. I don't know a lot about cerebral palsy, and the celebrity reviews on the back made this sound like it was going to be a cutting-edge humor, laugh out loud journey in the life of a man who suffers from cerebral palsy.
Not only did I very rarely see any evidence of "cutting edge" humor, but I just was missing the connection with Zach that I need as a reader. The book is incredibly well written, don't get me wrong-- and I think Zach should write a travel book. His memoir was almost more travel oriented-- but there was just countless chapters about how badly he wanted to have sex. I mean, several chapters about how he wondered if he was going to have sex with this particular woman and how he missed out on these opportunities to have sex with them. There was only one chapter in the book that felt very though provoking to me, and it's where he struggled with his (finally he got one) girlfriend on a trip because he wasn't doing everyday tasks because he's so used to having someone else do them for him. Unfortunately I had to read 17 chapters into the book to get to this point, but when I finally did, I got some satisfaction out of the chapter.
Overall, I don't feel like I learned a lot about people that have cerebral palsy. I learned he wants to be treated like everyone else, he really wanted to have sex with women, and he enjoys traveling. I think Zach's writing style is very upbeat and easy to read, and I think if he had just included a little more emotional meat into his book-- I would have enjoyed it more. He would have been more relatable to me, as a reader, and I would have had that connection made.
In my personal challenge of reading more books this year, I have tried to read more memoirs because I feel it is a good way of learning about other people's lives. I don't know a lot about cerebral palsy, and the celebrity reviews on the back made this sound like it was going to be a cutting-edge humor, laugh out loud journey in the life of a man who suffers from cerebral palsy.
Not only did I very rarely see any evidence of "cutting edge" humor, but I just was missing the connection with Zach that I need as a reader. The book is incredibly well written, don't get me wrong-- and I think Zach should write a travel book. His memoir was almost more travel oriented-- but there was just countless chapters about how badly he wanted to have sex. I mean, several chapters about how he wondered if he was going to have sex with this particular woman and how he missed out on these opportunities to have sex with them. There was only one chapter in the book that felt very though provoking to me, and it's where he struggled with his (finally he got one) girlfriend on a trip because he wasn't doing everyday tasks because he's so used to having someone else do them for him. Unfortunately I had to read 17 chapters into the book to get to this point, but when I finally did, I got some satisfaction out of the chapter.
Overall, I don't feel like I learned a lot about people that have cerebral palsy. I learned he wants to be treated like everyone else, he really wanted to have sex with women, and he enjoys traveling. I think Zach's writing style is very upbeat and easy to read, and I think if he had just included a little more emotional meat into his book-- I would have enjoyed it more. He would have been more relatable to me, as a reader, and I would have had that connection made.
September 18, 2022
I have been a fan of Zach Anner's work for more than eight years now, so lucking into a copy of this book without knowing it exists was immediately exciting. I found Zach through Rooster Teeth and have watched nearly every episode of 'On The Spot' he has been on about ten times. His lightning-fast wit and energetic presence have always been a magnetic force keeping me watching content he's in, and his happy demeanor and upbeat attitude are infectious. This comes across even more so in this fantastic outline of an intriguing and unique life being lived.
Zach has a way of viewing the world and his place in it that just makes me feel lighter. I genuinely adore the positive outlook he has on even the most bleak or embarrassing situations he describes in this book about very intimate and personal life experiences. To view crapping one's pants on set for a TV production as a blessing is nothing short of brilliant. Everyone needs a person in their life like Zach, I'm certain of it.
I often have moments where someone's book reaches me at the low end of the emotional spectrum -a fancy way to say books make me cry easily- but I have never laughed so hard or so frequently at print on paper in my life. Zach is hilarious in his verbal delivery, and none of it is lost in the timing on the pages. Chapter after chapter I found something so funny I had to take a pause from reading to laugh, shake my head, sigh, and return back to the same line to laugh again. I cannot recommend this book enough.
Now that I've finished this book, I'm itching for another. I'd love the chance to personally pick Zach's brain, but I'd settle for even a few more chapters about his life. 100/10 stars, can't wait to hear more from such a brilliant and genuine human being.
Zach has a way of viewing the world and his place in it that just makes me feel lighter. I genuinely adore the positive outlook he has on even the most bleak or embarrassing situations he describes in this book about very intimate and personal life experiences. To view crapping one's pants on set for a TV production as a blessing is nothing short of brilliant. Everyone needs a person in their life like Zach, I'm certain of it.
I often have moments where someone's book reaches me at the low end of the emotional spectrum -a fancy way to say books make me cry easily- but I have never laughed so hard or so frequently at print on paper in my life. Zach is hilarious in his verbal delivery, and none of it is lost in the timing on the pages. Chapter after chapter I found something so funny I had to take a pause from reading to laugh, shake my head, sigh, and return back to the same line to laugh again. I cannot recommend this book enough.
Now that I've finished this book, I'm itching for another. I'd love the chance to personally pick Zach's brain, but I'd settle for even a few more chapters about his life. 100/10 stars, can't wait to hear more from such a brilliant and genuine human being.
July 7, 2019
Solid 3.5. Very funny, well-written. No surprises. A memoir culminating at the age of 30, even of a pretty interesting life such as Zach’s, is a bit over ambitious.
The book is intended for people already familiar with the author’s life. Given the import and global appeal of his message, I feel this is a mistake. The narrative would have benefited from more explanation of his family constellation earlier in the story, as well as a more linear structure.
All this aside, Zach is funny as hell. Even his saddest reflections are recalled from a perspective of wit and inner strength.
The moment I appreciated the most was when he saw the edited version of Oprah’s interview with him, and Oprah crying, saying that she couldn’t imagine going through what he faced every day. Zach’s reaction was along the lines of (I’m paraphrasing): “Uh, I’m a white middle class guy who benefitted from every privilege life could throw at me. I’ve got a disability and tons of accommodations for it. This woman grew up black, in poverty, in 1950s Chicago. I think she had it a LITTLE harder than I did!”
Wow. Floored me. Bravo, Zach.
So definitely a book I recommend. Is it the best book you’ll ever read? Probably not. Is it worth reading? Yes.
The book is intended for people already familiar with the author’s life. Given the import and global appeal of his message, I feel this is a mistake. The narrative would have benefited from more explanation of his family constellation earlier in the story, as well as a more linear structure.
All this aside, Zach is funny as hell. Even his saddest reflections are recalled from a perspective of wit and inner strength.
The moment I appreciated the most was when he saw the edited version of Oprah’s interview with him, and Oprah crying, saying that she couldn’t imagine going through what he faced every day. Zach’s reaction was along the lines of (I’m paraphrasing): “Uh, I’m a white middle class guy who benefitted from every privilege life could throw at me. I’ve got a disability and tons of accommodations for it. This woman grew up black, in poverty, in 1950s Chicago. I think she had it a LITTLE harder than I did!”
Wow. Floored me. Bravo, Zach.
So definitely a book I recommend. Is it the best book you’ll ever read? Probably not. Is it worth reading? Yes.
February 10, 2018
If at birth you don't succeed is a must read for anyone looking for a hilarious, approachable, but very honest look at Life with Cerebral Palsy. CP is as he says the sexiest of all the palsies. He had a show on tv for a bit called Rolling with Zach on which he traveled the world. Life with CP isn't always easy, but we deal with life's bumps just like you. Probably with a lot more good humor. If they're laughing with you they're not laughing at you. Most of my CP friends are quick to make jokes about their gimpy issues because it gives all of you permission to relax. Zach says in his book that basically because of where he ranks in people's minds in terms of ability that of course everything he does is seen as incredible. I get that. I haven't done anything anyone else hasn't done. I chase my dreams and accomplish them. I'll never refuse a curious honest question. I'd rather people know than guess. Plus, we get to have a few laughs along the way!
August 17, 2018
I learned about Zach Anner through Kristina Kuzmic, an Internet personality that I follow. I laughed out loud at parts of this memoir (the apparently not-disabled boy at Disney, for example) and I smiled at much more. I appreciated, Zach's positive outlook and his humanity. I also valued his humility, readily admitting to mistakes he's made in the past. There was a lot to look up to here.
This book wasn't completely riveting but I am definitely glad I read it. I'm not generally into crass humor like fart or penis jokes, while Zach is, so that might have been a contributing factor. But then, while I'm not usually into bathroom humor, the literal story of him in the bathroom with his poop issues WAS funny, so . . . take that for what it's worth.
This book wasn't completely riveting but I am definitely glad I read it. I'm not generally into crass humor like fart or penis jokes, while Zach is, so that might have been a contributing factor. But then, while I'm not usually into bathroom humor, the literal story of him in the bathroom with his poop issues WAS funny, so . . . take that for what it's worth.
November 7, 2020
Four stars because this was a solid coming-of-age memoir with several laugh out loud moments, including the opening!
I've had Zach Anner's book on my to read list for awhile, waiting for an audio version because having enjoyed some of his video series, I wanted to hear the book in his voice. Thank you to my library Libby app for finally adding this one in. It did not disappoint.
Overall, I appreciated Zach's candor with sharing the struggles he faces, even in a humorous way, and moreso his repeated lessons of learning the hard way about what kind of material he is comfortable with putting out in the world. I think he learned some hard lessons that every twentysomething has to go through about being honest with someone and growing from an experience. Not all of his jokes made me laugh, some of his early humor played up his disability and in today's more inclusive-minded, PC world it didn't all hold up. However, that's one of the lessons Zach faces more than once and I appreciated his views on how any minority individual is both stereotyped and asked to play a stereotype or spokesperson for a whole community. I think he found his own way to address the issue and move forward, living his best life.
Would recommend for some solid laughs throughout.
I've had Zach Anner's book on my to read list for awhile, waiting for an audio version because having enjoyed some of his video series, I wanted to hear the book in his voice. Thank you to my library Libby app for finally adding this one in. It did not disappoint.
Overall, I appreciated Zach's candor with sharing the struggles he faces, even in a humorous way, and moreso his repeated lessons of learning the hard way about what kind of material he is comfortable with putting out in the world. I think he learned some hard lessons that every twentysomething has to go through about being honest with someone and growing from an experience. Not all of his jokes made me laugh, some of his early humor played up his disability and in today's more inclusive-minded, PC world it didn't all hold up. However, that's one of the lessons Zach faces more than once and I appreciated his views on how any minority individual is both stereotyped and asked to play a stereotype or spokesperson for a whole community. I think he found his own way to address the issue and move forward, living his best life.
Would recommend for some solid laughs throughout.
June 15, 2017
This book was hilarious! Recommended to me by an OT/PT/SLP therapist group on Facebook, I wasn't sure what I was picking up. But I recognized the voice of the audiobook narrator as the author himself - and a young man I'd seen on YouTube once. Zach tells an out of order but quite compelling story of his life (so far), including having to drop out of high school, winning a travel show from Oprah, finally getting a girlfriend, and just generally making sense of life with cerebral palsy, the sexiest of the palsies. You don't have to be a therapist to enjoy Zach's tell-it-like-it-is memoir, but it does help.
May 7, 2021
I was laughing by page 2; Zach has a really upbeat and funny way to look at the world and the circumstances of his life! The first third is the strongest and follows his journey to getting his first tv show through an Oprah competition. However, the next two sections lose that cohesiveness. The chapters jump around a lot, from childhood to adulthood to family to different media projects, which makes it harder to get sucked in. Once you really get interested in something the chapter’s over and we’re moving onto a different topic, then we’ll come back to this one later maybe. If the next two sections had been edited a little tighter this would’ve been an awesome book, but it’s still a good one that will make you laugh and also encourage you to dream big.
April 22, 2018
I did not anticipate loving this book as much as I did. If any of my crip friends haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it (as well as everyone else).
Zach Anner is just so good. I laughed, then cried, then laughed harder. Disability is strangely isolating, and hearing him pour his soul out there like that made me feel less alone.
Zach, I was right there on the bathroom floor with you in spirit. Because, well, I’ve been there too.
Zach Anner is just so good. I laughed, then cried, then laughed harder. Disability is strangely isolating, and hearing him pour his soul out there like that made me feel less alone.
Zach, I was right there on the bathroom floor with you in spirit. Because, well, I’ve been there too.
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