Robin

Robin by Dave Itzkoff  529 pp.

In August of 2014 the world was shocked at the news of the suicide of hugely talented, intelligent, and wildly hilarious actor and comedian, Robin Williams. This biography covers Williams life from his upper middle class childhood, through his days at Julliard and his career as a stand-up comedian which led to a long and varied acting career. He was a man who obsessively worked at his trade to make his improvised lightning wit his stock-in-trade. His near photographic memory and instant recall of things he saw or heard rendered him capable of a spontaneity that brought laughter to millions. Behind the humor was a man with his share of problems; substance abuse, poor choices of film roles, failed marriages, and increasing bouts of depression haunted him. When his body began failing him, first with a heart valve replacement, then a misdiagnosis of Parkinson's disease, Williams became a changed man. Not until his autopsy was it discovered Williams had Lewy Body Dementia, a disease which can affect movement, Altzheimer's-like cognitive, depression, and other problems. Friends and family did their best to help but Williams had never discussed suicide to anyone his choice of that ending came as a total surprise. In spite of the rumors, he was not under the influence of alcohol and drugs when he died. Itzkoff has written a heartfelt biography that describes the man, his faults, and his glories without aggrandizement.