Emperor of Nothing: The Making of Larry David

Summary

The first authorized biography of legendary comedian Larry David, co-creator of Seinfeld and star and creator of Curb Your Enthusiasm. With unfettered access to Larry himself, and featuring exclusive interviews with Larry’s family, friends, and colleagues, author Blake J. Harris chronicles the unlikely and often exhilarating journey of a true, generation-defining icon.

Larry David has built a comedy empire on candid observations, endless self-deprecation, and an endearing brand of selfishness. But the man behind the clever musings has mostly remained a "walking, talking enigma"—until now.

In Emperor of Nothing, Blake J. Harris attempts the impossible: to move past the mystique and paint an honest portrait of the one and only Larry David. From his quirky upbringing in Brooklyn and his early days as New York’s most temperamental and least-likely-to-succeed comic to reinventing himself and forming a legendary partnership with fellow comedian Jerry Seinfeld and later becoming a star himself as well as the brutally honest voice of a generation (without ever trying to be), this book follows Larry’s tumultuous and, ultimately, groundbreaking rise from punchline to icon.

Based on more than five years of meticulous research and full access to and exclusive interviews with Larry, as well as his family, friends, and colleagues, Emperor of Nothing is packed with behind-the-scenes stories, thoughtful reflections, and more awkward hijinks than a Passover Seder gone terribly wrong. Capturing in equal parts the icon and irritant, Emperor of Nothing is the definitive biography of the man who somehow made baldness and neurosis aspirational.

Whether you’re a fan, a fellow overthinker, or just someone who’s proudly never learned a lesson, this book is for you. Larry might not understand why anyone would want to read about him. But that probably means it’s prett-ay, prett-ay, prett-ayyy good.