Who hasn't heard of Alex Trebek? Many of us have watched him on Jeopardy for years. Yet, there's a lot we don't know which is highlighted in this book.

He's the boy that came from a simple life in Canada and ended up as a star in Hollywood with a beautiful family. He owned race horses and he had a garage that could be considered as a Home Depot store with all of his tools and gadgets. He was involved with the winery business. He hosted a wresting show, loved hockey and soccer. He studied philosophy in college and was a believer in helping others. He said, "You're there to help other people if they need help and to lend proper perspective in difficult situations."

Much of the book is dedicated towards the TV show: Jeopardy. The author talks about what goes on behind the scenes and the successes of top winners: Ken Jennings who won $2.5 million and James Holzhauer who jumped around and bet the entire pot. What amazes me is how Trebek worked until the end with pancreatic cancer. He said, "the show must go on."

This book was a page turner with all the fascinating tidbits of his life. While my husband is more of the Jeopardy fan, I read this in a day.






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A brief biography on the iconic game host that borders on hagiography. Alex was one of the few game host like Pat Sajak who was able to latch on to a great concept and ride it for an entire career. The sad diagnosis of his disease has impacted the show and those who view just as much for Alex being there. It will indeed be a sad loss when he passes on. The book highlights his life of which there were many, along with the trials and tribulations most of us face in a lifetime. A good way to find out more about the man and his life while gaining a historic perspective on the evolution and broad success of the game itself. ( )

Who Is Alex Trebek? by Lisa Rogak is a biography and also a history of the enduring quiz-show Jeopardy. This is an unauthorized biography which is being published on the same day as Alex Trebek’s own autobiography. This week also marks the 80th birthday of the much-loved and admired host of the popular Jeopardy. We learn of his early days in Sudbury, Canada, his boarding school days and his time at his alma mater, The University of Ottawa. Trebek’s natural charm and genuine interest in people made him a great candidate for his radio and television career. His personal and family life is also highlighted as well as his extensive philanthropy. The reader is also informed about Jeopardy behind-the-scenes: how questions are researched and chosen, how many people work there, who dresses Alex and how it has lasted from 1984 to now. All in all, it was a quick and interesting read. Alex Trebek is battling pancreatic cancer and has found great support in his audience. Jeopardy would not be the same without this charismatic host. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Alex Trebek has A-list name recognition for sure but for the most part he flies under the radar when it comes to his private life. This biography takes a look at his childhood growing up in Canada, his family life, and his career as well as providing a decent history of Jeopardy.

We all know Alex Trebek is the host of Jeopardy. (Although did you know there was a prior version of the show with a different host back in the 1960s and 70s?) It's pretty amazing a show that has been on for decades seems to be as popular today as ever before. I think a lot of that credit goes to Alex. In my opinion he had a bit of a smart aleck, gruff persona back when I was a kid growing up in the 80s and 90s, but somewhere along the way seemed to mellow out a bit. I think it is safe to say we all love him as the host and given his recent cancer battle, we realize the show wouldn't quite be the same without him steering the ship.

The book is informative but I don't know if it will be the most satisfying read for the die hard fans. It is my assumption, and someone correct me if I am wrong, but most of the material in the book came from old interviews with Alex or articles. I don't think he sat down for an interview for this book specifically so while I enjoyed reading the book I didn't feel like I was getting a ton of brand new information. I had watched a tv special about Alex not so long ago and the book was very similar in content. To be fair though that is to be expected, however, I do wish this could have been a more extensive biography.

Like I mentioned, I did enjoy reading the book and would recommend it for those people who are interested in learning a little more about his persona off camera. If you already know quite a bit about the history of the show and Alex, this book probably isn't a must read.

I received a free advance digital copy of this book from Netgalley and Thomas Dunne Books in exchange for an honest review. ( )