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But America's favorite stoner comedian, Tommy Chong, is back and funnier than ever as he takes us on a nostalgic trip through his career with partner Richard "Cheech" Marin. Over the course of their decades-long partnership, Cheech and Chong performed to sold-out crowds across the country, made nine hit albums, starred in eight blockbuster movies, and created memorable and iconic characters that still resonate with fans today.

But the good life didn't just appear in a haze of smoke. It all started during the late 1960s in a strip club in the fragile heart of Vancouver's Chinatown, where Tommy was winding down his career as a Motown recording artist and starting an improv comedy troupe, and Cheech was a draft-dodging, pottery-throwing, underground music reviewer. Together they came todefine the hippie-era counterculture, and theircelebrated movie debut, Up in Smoke, remains one of the highest-grossing Warner Bros. films ever.

In his very own unauthorized autobiography, New York Times bestselling author and pop culture hero Chong reveals his unique relationship with Cheech and recalls the inspiration for their most beloved bits. He introduces famous guest stars like Peter Sellers, John Belushi, Jimi Hendrix, Dan Aykroyd, John Lennon, Diana Ross, and Jack Nicholson, and examines the influences that had the greatest impact on his comedy -- from R&B musicians and Redd Foxx to Lenny Bruce and (of course) marijuana. Finally, with keen insight and utter candor, he explores the rift that has separated the legendary comedy team for more than twenty years.

From pot smoking to politics to the universe at large, Cheech & Chong: The Unauthorized Autobiography is the closestyou'll ever get to sitting in a van made entirely of marijuana, trading stories with an unlikely legend, and feeling...well...funny. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Not recommended.
I thought it would contain a lot of information about the comedy team that I enjoyed listening to in my youth.However it was more about his personal life than anything and I lost interest.My mistake for buying it.

Interesting, but no laughs
Being a fan from my younger days I found Tommy Chongs bio an interesting read. However, I really was a little let down because there were no good laughs. I was hoping for more humor and more detailed stories of partying with celebrities. Some photos would have been nice too.

Unless you're a diehard...
...and I mean DIEHARD Cheech and Chong fan, unless you have instant recall of all the bits and movie scenes he talks about, skip this book.

Interesting,could have been better.
All in all a fun read, but I couldn't shake the feeling this could have been a lot better written.Mind Bomb

Smoking is Back
With the re-emergence of pot-smoking based humor in mainstream America as seen in such box office and T.V. hits as Pineapple Express, Harold & Kumar go to Guantanomo Bay and The70s Show, one can only help to remember when Cheech & Chong literally blazed the way with their weed-smoking antics on-stage and on film.In the past few years a recent trend has appeared all over the best-seller list; recovering drug addicts baring their souls in tell all memoirs that talk of regret, pain, and death (One Million Little Pieces by James Frey, The Night of the Gun by David Carr, Broken by William Cope Meyers).

Tommy Chong's recent release of The Unauthorized Biography of Cheech & Chong definitely doesn't fit into the recent mold of drug memoirs but is more of an entertaining flashback that takes the reader on a journey from the roots of the entertainers to the triumphant days of Cheech & Chong and finally to the separate individuals Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong as most of the younger generation of America knows them by currently.

Tommy Chong delivers ½ (Cheech Marin doesn't provide any input) of an autobiographical story of the two comedians passage from weed pioneers to wealthy and famous celebrities complete with the inevitable scandals and conflicts. Chong relives the improbable fairy tales where the two were without a dime in their pockets and relegated to performing in dingy clubs for payments in cheap bar food to their eventual explosion onto the Hollywood scene in which marijuana humor became their staple.

Although for the majority of the book, the reader is regaled with the fun-loving, pain free pot-toking memories of the past; this autobiography of the happy go lucky potheads isn't without intimate moments.Cheech decides that the one-sided marijuana comedy act that brought them into national stardom wasn't his thing anymore and mainstream acting would be exactly where his career should lead (Nash Bridges).This attitude coupled with other disagreements between the two begins the rift that eventually leads to their split.Tommy Chong continues to concentrate on stoner humor and eventually gets sent to prison for the exact thing he became famous for, pot.

In Cheech & Chong:The Unauthorized Autobiography, Tommy Chong explores the best and worst of times of the already unforgettable pothead duo of Cheech and Chong.This memoir has been released just in time for...wait for it...the REUNION of Cheech and Chong.The two are on a nation wide reunion comedy tour that will stop by in Detroit on September 20 at the Fillmore
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Simon Spotlight Entertainment Trade Paperback w/218 pages & 8 pages of colored photographs + b/w photos. - Beloved stoner comedian Tommy Chong is now older, wiser, and officially an Ex-Con. When DEA agents launched a nationwide sting called Operation Pipe Dreams, they forced themselves through the door of Tommy's California home with automatic weapons drawn. He was sentenced to nine months in prison for shipping bongs to a head shop in Pennsylvania that was a front for the DEA. Well...now it's Tommy's turn to fight back and tell his side of the story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

The I Ching of Chong's Bongs
It always amazes me how well the stoners, smugglers and dealers can write.Not exactly what I suspected when I got the book - primarily from a spirituality standpoint.I had no idea he had that much spiritual wisdom.But then that is not uncommon in comics whose material shows the hypocrisy in the illusion we live in.They just seem to "get it" and express it in a humorous way.

But when the U.S. government wants to make an example of you for doing just that, you pay the price.Well, that and making artisan quality bongs.Of course everything happens for a reason, and for Tommy, his prison time gave him an entirely different perspective on life, the world and our prison system.

The only downside to the book is that anyone who understands life the way Tommy does, not judging people, since, as he writes, all of our "mistakes" are merely learning experiences to help us get to the truth, should not express a venomous attitude toward all Republicans.I can understand his feelings, but they have lessons to learn too, and you cannot deny anyone their learning experience. It would have been better if he had left it as "politicians" instead. It comes through as too obsessive.To quote Tommy, "Resist no evil."

A thoughtful and open book on his life experiences beyond just the time he spent at Taft. Quick and fun read - I finished it on one airline flight.

Seriously enjoyed reading this.
Tommy Chong is an amazing man of character. He stood for his beliefs and still is. I hope he and his family are doing well. There is one thing about the book that bugs me. He referred to I Ching as having five lines. I have been using the I Ching since 1970 and I have never heard of anyone using 5 lines only 6, a hexagram. It could be a typo. I hope I get to see him perform live some day.

Great Short Reading
I haven never honestly watched an entire movie of Cheech and Chong perhaps at a party or get together at a friend house. And I enjoyed his character on That 70's Show, but truthfully I'm not their biggest fan. However reading this book gave me some great insight on Tommy Chong, I empathize with the man and what he went through. I love his entire outlook and admire his spirituality. He most definitely practices what he preaches. The books speaks of political issues and personal self awareness but he does a fantastic job of "keeping it real". His respect when he speaks of his cellies and family is so touching. I highly recommend you read this book. I don't smoke pot and, as I stated before, not a Chong follower, and yet, I thoroughly enjoyed this reading.

Surprisingly Lucid and Poignant
This is the tale of how Tommy Chong ended up being sent to prison for selling drug pariphernalia, and of the personal changes he underwent and lessons he learned through the experience. Chong's version of the legal process by which he was convicted is at times transparently self-serving, and occasionally borders on paranoid conspiracy-theorization.

On the other hand, the book is surprisingly coherent, poignant, and honest. Chong does not apologize for having a self-serving perspective of how he came to be incarcerated, but the book is in part a story of his overcoming the significant (though simply human) vanity that leads to a victim identity. This story is a chronicle of Chong's transition from being a victim of circumstance to being focused on and aware of all the blessings which have come to him.

I found Chong's sense of humor, particularly about his own failures and shortcomings, refreshing and entertaining. His musings on human behavior learned through his prison experience were insightful and intelligent.

Altogether, this was an entertaining read with some good life lessons presented without getting too thick or clashing too much with the public persona that is "Chong".

Nice quick read
This book is really a nice quick read which really has no focus. Well i take that back the focus seems to be on leading a more positive life. Not necessarily making better decisions, but being more content with your decisions.

When i first picked up the book i expected a pro cannabis book criticizing the United States and it's drug policies with a little comedy thrown in. And while several times he makes this argument (sometimes rambling a little too much) there is much more to this book.

I think Tommy decided to write this book to tell his life's story and how he has changed after the "Pipe Dreams" raid. While for some people this book might be all over the place i enjoy the "stoner" mind stream of jumping from one insightful story to one thrilling story. This book doesn't drag on much (except his 4-5 rants on the screwed up bush administration) and i think the length is perfect. It only takes a few nights of reading.

I would recommend this book to anyone with an open mind or interests in the man behind the stoner from "Up in Smoke" and his other movies. 4 stars out of 5. ... Read more

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THE CHEECH AND CHONG BIBLE is the first book ever written about Cheech and Chong. It features an illustrated biography, a glossary, CC song lyrics, a + question CC movie trivia exam, album and film commentaries, a discography and filmography, and so much more, man! ... Read more

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Movie tie-in paperback with photos from Cheech and Chong's Next Movie ... Read more

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Commentary (music and lyrics not included).Chapters: Los Cochinos, Get Out of My Room, Sleeping Beauty, Where There's Smoke There's Cheech & Chong, Big Bambu, up in Smoke, Cheech & Chong's Wedding Album, Cheech & Chong's Greatest Hit, Let's Make a New Dope Deal, Cheech and Chong. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 32. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Los Cochinos - body{behavior:url("/w/skins-1.5/vector/csshover.htc")} Los Cochinos A parody of the numerous speed reading courses available in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s written by Cheech and Chong that first appeared on the 1973 album Los Cochinos. The title specifically refers to the Evelyn Wood course. Voiced by Cheech Marin, the piece begins with the words delivered phonetically: The short spoken word testimonial style skit was an efficient parody of commercials that were prevalent on the television and radio stations in that era. The album's final track, "Basketball Jones featuring Tyrone Shoelaces", is a music track which features George Harrison on guitar, Carole King, Billy Preston and Tom Scott, with Darlene Love, Fanita Jones, Jean King and Michelle Phillips (The Mamas & the Papas) as cheerleaders. Animated in 1974, parts of this music video were featured in the 1979 movie Being There. This track was also released as the single "Basketball Jones featuring Tyrone Shoelaces" and reached #36 in Canada. ...http://booksllc.net/?id=3316244 ... Read more

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CHEECH & CHONG interview, Tom Petty interview ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 527 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Signed essays ranging from 500 to 2,500 words, written by subject experts and edited to form a consistent, readable, and straightforward reference. Entries include subject-specific bibliographies and textual cross-references to related essays. ... Read more