EVERYTHING BUT MONEY

Sammy Levenson, whose gentle Borscht humor and anecdotes about Mama and Papa have established him as a television personality and humorist, writes it all down here. And there is enough real life comedy to fill ten TV specials. Mama and Papa as immigrants landed the hard way...in a crowded tenement in East Harlem...""Our neighborhood fulfilled all the sordid requirements with honors."" But Mama and Papa had their own requirements which they extracted from their seven sons and one daughter with unstinting perseverance: respect, honor, disipline, cleanliness, education and strict adherence to the Ten Commandments. But they reciprocated twofold with love and looking after (not to mention lickings). ""My environment was miserable. I was not."" But then Sammy didn't know that a kid was supposed to have his own room, it was more fun four-in-a-bed. And so what if the toilet was down the five flights in the back yard? There was a brother acting as bodyguard...for a penny. After all there was true ""socialized medicine ...when in doubt the neighbors were called in."" After these lovely reminiscences Sammy takes off with some observations about old vs. new family mores where the modern view of ""palisthenics"" can lead to ""justifiable braticide."" And as a final assault he goes totally serious with a cutting commentary on current problems in education and child-rearing. And it's worth listening to since Sam is an ex-educator and the product of a home life that produced a doctor, a dentist, an internationally known artist, a merchandiser, a dental technician and of course, a humorist with a practical wisdom.