Maybe You Never Cry Again
By Bernie Mac  

     There is a serious side to every comedian, and Bernard McCullough is no exception. Bernie Mac takes the time, in this autobiography, to share the intimate portrait of his life and pay tribute to those who influenced, inspired, and encouraged him on his comedic journey. I've enjoyed his comedy when he toured with The Kings of Comedy, and his television show, but to go behind the scenes really enlightened me. Maybe You Never Cry Again isn't your typical chronological display of life events that often has you reading a book to fall asleep. No, if you really listen to Bernie Mac, you can hear him saying the words as you read. This is the closest I've come to an audio book without actually listening to one. The way the words are written is exactly the way your mind imagines that he would say them.

     This book is full of emotion. The title comes from a promise Bernie made to his mother when he was just a little boy. While watching the Ed Sullivan show one evening when Bill Cosby was on, his mother begins to cry. It is upsetting to a child to watch his mother cry. Bernie climbed on her lap to comfort her. The next moment she starts laughing so hard, he has to hold on tight to keep from falling from her voluptuous lap and it is then that he realizes that he never wants to see her cry again and he'll do anything to keep her laughing. It's also the moment that he realizes that laughter is a powerful force. Bernie grew up in Chicago, Illinois and this book tells how life was a normal one for a child of that time period, and how life is still normal for him. Fame hasn't gone to his head. He's the same down to earth person that he has always been. The book isn't so intimate that you feel as if you're invading private space, just enough to let the reader know that humility has its place and has value. Endless fodder for material has come from the life lessons that were passed to him from his grandparents and the "Mac-isms" from his mother. His stage persona doesn't stray far from those lessons of childhood.

     Bernie Mac shares a lot in this book. I like the way the book was laid out - each chapter had a poignant quote that dealt with the theme of the chapter. There was a picture of Bernie and/or his family included in each chapter as well, which further personalized the book and encouraged the reader to see the intimate side. Each reader can pick up something that we can carry forward in our own lives. He's never forgotten from whence he came and he's kept it real throughout his career. He's been true to his craft, his family and himself, which makes Maybe You Never Cry Again, a wonderful read.