How to Talk Dirty and Influence People

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How to Talk Dirty and Influence People is an autobiography by Lenny Bruce, the scathing social satirist and comedian, who died in 1966 at age 40 of a heart attack likely related to his amphetamine habit. In it he discusses the course of his career, which began in the late 1940s. Bruce challenged the sanctity of organized religion and other societal and political conventions he perceived as having hypocritical tendencies, and widened the boundaries of free speech. His performances were intensely controversial for both the subject matter and the vocabulary employed, and his fight for the freedom of expression made it possible for the work of subsequent generations of provocative performers. Critic Ralph Gleason said, "So many taboos have been lifted and so many comics have rushed through the doors Lenny opened. He utterly changed the world of comedy."