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Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist

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The paperback reissue of the national best-selling memoir from the M*A*S*H star, with a brand-new introduction by Martin Sheen.

$16.95 $12.71

Available as an e-book for:


What people are saying…

“Mike Farrell proves that ferocious conviction is the organizing principle of an extraordinary life. In his memoir, Just Call Me Mike, Mike describes the fantastic, sometimes painful, and ultimately redeeming journey that his conscience has led him on. Like his life, the book dances seamlessly between his great passions—from fond memories on the M*A*S*H set, to nervous moments at military checkpoints on his way to help refugees in war-torn Central America, to scrubbing-in to real-life surgery on a prisoner of war in El Salvador. In a disarmingly honest and gentle voice, Just Call Me Mike collects an extraordinary diversity of experiences, so diverse that it’s difficult to believe that one person could accomplish so much, in art and in service to others.”
—Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States

“After years of searching and some spectacular professional successes, Mike Farrell made an uncompromising commitment to his fiercest passion—a love of global fairness, collaboration, and civility. This is a fascinating account of that journey.”
—Governor Mario Cuomo

“Mike Farrell is a good man, a superb actor, and an imaginative writer—a witness to the world for what is decent and just in human affairs. This book is his testament to freedom, joy, love, and truth. It is the most revealing and honest personal story that I have read in a long time. A genuine gem.”
—Senator George McGovern

“First of all, Mike Farrell is an honest guy. Then you add in that he’s a stand-up guy as well. The combination means his book, Just Call Me Mike, will entertain and inform you far beyond most autobiographies. Farrell’s life is fascinating and his journey is well worth your time.”
—Bill O’Reilly, anchor, FOX News Channel

“I’ve always just called him Mike. But now I have to call him talented, brave, principled, indefatigable, thoughtful, generous, and a man driven by his conscience. I learned things about him in this book I never knew before. So now I have to call him humble, too. He’s really kind of irritating.”
—Alan Alda

“These pages contain pure, luminous self-revelation. We watch Mike Farrell’s unfurling soul from an unsure, unsteady little boy longing for his father’s approval into a man of integrity and grace as he reaches out to suffering people in Cambodia and Central America, the condemned on death row, and gay people subjected to withering, homophobic prejudice. No one can read these pages and continue to live a narrow, anxious, self-absorbed life.”
—Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking

“Mike Farrell’s personal journey is a wonder in itself. Those in the cultural community who have ever been concerned about the arts and political activism should have all their fears assuaged by this wonderful documentation.”
—Harry Belafonte

“Mike Farrell’s passion to discover, portray, and improve the human condition shines through his book and brings credit to his profession as an artist and as an activist.”
—Warren Beatty

“I have long since come to understand and appreciate Mike Farrell’s sincere devotion and commitment to justice, fairness, and equality. Despite being an accomplished actor and gaining notoriety as a human rights activist, he remains humble and focused. Just Call Me Mike confirms Mike’s love and compassion for people. This book must be read by all of those who profess to be committed to First Amendment rights and human rights, but do not have the courage of their convictions to stand up and speak truth to power. Mike’s work and courage puts us all to shame. We can all do better. Thank you, Mike.”
—Congresswoman Maxine Waters

Just Call Me Mike is a riveting tale of personal, professional, and civic growth from sallow California kid to mature citizen committed to a more just social order. Whether Latin America, the Middle East, the death penalty, or a whole host of other human rights issues, Mike Farrell has confronted government abuse with courage, dedication, and tenacity. It is a life lived in a way that would make Voltaire proud. In short, I loved it.”
—Ambassador Joseph Wilson

“This informative, courageous, and sometimes scary account of the life of a modern American male grabs the attention early and never lets go.”
—Sidney Poitier

“Mike Farrell’s memoir is a sometimes funny but always serious development of a committed artist’s life. Read it and enjoy—and wonder why there aren’t more like him.”
—Julian Bond

“I admire Mike Farrell for his citizen activism. He has used the influence that accompanies his celebrity as a force for doing good, and the lasting impact of his humanitarian work is his legacy. The story of his rise to stardom and his commitment to service is inspiring.”
—Rosalynn Carter

“It’s the illumination, the light that Mike Farrell kindles with his life, and the wonderful complexity of his humaneness that shine through this extraordinary book. It will ennoble and empower all who read it.”
—Rabbi Leonard I. Beerman

“An intimate, compelling memoir by a popular actor and dedicated humanitarian, Just Call Me Mike is even more: It’s an exciting page-turner, a modern spiritual odyssey, and, as the reader discovers, an account of one man’s courageous battle against injustice in all its nefarious forms. Mike Farrell makes the world a better place—and this book may change your life.”
—Donald Spoto

“Mike is one of the most gifted, committed, and interesting people I know. His book is a fascinating perspective on his own remarkable life, as well as our shared history. Full of great stories, valuable insights, and powerful inspiration.”
—Bonnie Raitt

“In Just Call Me Mike, the author tells of his campaigns across our country and around the world on behalf of the poor, the forgotten, and the oppressed. To this battle, our modern Don Quixote brings a skeptical intelligence, a disciplined passion, and an informed contempt for those in authority ever ready to sacrifice human rights on the altar of imperial ambition. Without boast or brag, Just Call Me Mike testifies to the vital role played by citizens who ennoble our nation by their willingness to denounce abuses of power.”
—Ambassador Robert E. White

“With raw honesty as his constant companion, Mike Farrell reveals a journeyman’s stirring quest for truth, which brought him to work tirelessly on human rights, protection of the environment, abolition of the death penalty, and so many other issues on behalf of the voiceless. Just Call Me Mike is a riveting read, and left me inspired by the determination of one person to create a more just world.”
—Kerry Kennedy

“lncapable of putting his conscience on hold, Mike Farrell beautifully articulates why he is a rebel without a pause.”
—Larry Gelbart

“Mike Farrell’s passion for life and compassion for people are formidable. Just Call Me Mike is not merely an autobiography, but rather a roadmap and a book of directions for those desirous of making positive change. He makes believable the principle that one person CAN make a difference—we should all be that kind of citizen.”
—Stanley K. Sheinbaum, economist

“This book never, not for a page, emerges as self-congratulatory, and yet one cannot help but be overwhelmed by Mike Farrell’s principles, his profound commitments, and his extraordinary courage. The account of his life experiences is so real, so moving, it went straight through my heart.”
—Loretta Swit

“Each paragraph inspires . . . each page a sermon . . . the book, a history lesson not generally taught. Mike Farrell is both poet and fighter, his pen a sword that cuts through pretense and hypocrisy and enables each of us to be courageous in pursuit of justice. His greatest role is offstage acting on behalf of those who have been silenced . . . His book is a gift for all. I am proud to ‘call him Mike’—friend to all.”
—Rabbi Steven B. Jacobs, chair of the Progressive Faith Foundation


Description

An RDV Books publication.

From its opening pages, Mike Farrell’s memoir reveals the distinctive voice of a man for whom life is an ongoing odyssey of self-discovery, personal commitment, and uncompromising social engagement. The world-renowned actor offers inspirational and often humorous reflections on his path to fame and progressive activism in this book, which became a Los Angeles Times best-seller and drew tremendous national media attention.

With deep insight and disarming candor, Farrell describes his early years as a timid but restless teenager in West Hollywood, delivering groceries to the homes of Jack Benny, Lucille Ball, Jimmy Stewart, and countless other celebrities, while dreaming of having his own career as an actor. In stark but riveting language, he relates his formative years as a Marine recruit—confused, conflicted, and eager to prove himself as a man. Farrell humorously portrays his professional development from a young soap opera player on Days of Our Lives to the amiable star of two popular television series, M*A*S*H and Providence, to the respected producer of successful motion pictures like Dominick and Eugene and Patch Adams.

At the heart of his story, Farrell narrates his public struggle to be a responsible citizen of the world. From his first-hand accounts of the ravages of war and oppression in Cambodia, El Salvador, Somalia, Bosnia, Rwanda, and the Gaza Strip, to his tireless advocacy against capital punishment, to his deep commitment to environmental causes, Farrell portrays each of these experiences with passion, outrage, and stubborn optimism.


Book Details

  • Paperback: 380 pages
  • Published: 5/1/08
  • IBSN: 9781933354484
  • e-IBSN: 9781936070350
  • Hardcover: 368 pages
  • IBSN: 9781933354088

Author

Best known for his eight years on M*A*S*H and five seasons on Providence, MIKE FARRELL is also a writer, director, and producer. Farrell has served on human rights and peace delegations to many countries around the world. He is the author of Of Mule and Man and Just Call Me Mike, which was a Los Angeles Times best-seller.

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