As Charles Grodin says, "If you don't get wiser as you get older, then you just get older." The core of this book is about identifying our mistakes, learning from them, and not repeating them. Charles Grodin, a very funny individual who has appeared in movies, television and currently is on WCBS Radio every day, has asked his friends (and friends of friends)--from Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Shirley MacLaine, Alan Alda, Regis Philbin, Ben Stiller, and others--to share sometimes very revealing memories of the biggest mistake they've made.

Rosie O'Donnell looks back to her college days and her inability to express her love for a close girlfriend. Regis Philbin learned to trust his instincts when an early talk show got cancelled. Irwin Redlener, the Co-founder of The Children's Health Fund, examines a near-mistake--how he almost cancelled a trip to see a grown son who soon after died in a skiing accident. Dr. Nicholas Perricone learns to shift his perspective after witnessing the bravery of a young girl during his internship. Senator Orrin Hatch discusses his mistaken vote against making Martin Luthor King Day a national holiday. And Carol Burnett's hilarious essay explains why meeting Cary Grant turned out to be a big mistake!

If I Only Knew Then...offers intimate insights into dozens of celebrated figures' lives....

In his candid and engaging new book HOW I GOT TO BE WHOEVER IT IS I AM, successful actor, author, and activist, Charles Grodin, looks back at the major events and private moments that have shaped his life. And, since Grodin is one of the best storytellers around, he can't help but entertain while offering insight gained from a wealth of experience.

The combination of being impeached as class president by his fifth grade teacher (and then winning many school elections thereafter) with being thrown out of Hebrew School for asking too many questions (only to find a much better teacher as a result) informed Grodin's view of himself and made him adept at dealing with rejection--an important skill for an actor. Grodin's success in plays in high school and adventures in college theater led him to a career in acting, studying with the great teachers like Uta Hagen and Lee Strasberg.

Grodin shares behind-the-scenes tales of working on plays like Same Time Next Year and movies like The Heartbreak Kid and Midnight Run--even how close he came to playing the lead in The Graduate. His stories feature the many actors, directors, writers, and producers, with whom he's worked, such as Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman, Johnny Carson, Orson Welles, Warren Beatty, and other colorful characters.

Grodin's greatest work isn't limited to stage and screen, however. He has been an award winning talk show host and commentator on Sixty Minutes II, and he reveals insights about the political and personal side of journalism and some of the larger-than-life characters he's interviewed.

Still, it is the personal aspects of Grodin's life that are truly revealing and funny. He shares intimate anecdotes of humorous dating experiences during the carefree 70s along with stories of what it was like to be a young actor then with friends and colleagues like Robert Redford, Gene Wilder, and Dustin Hoffman.

But it is Grodin's tales of the lives he's helped save with his relentless advocacy work that make you realize what a great guy Charles Grodin really is. We are lucky that the nice guy his friends call, "Chuck" brings us along to share a little of his journey of how he got to be who he really is!

The author is donating 100 percent of his royalties from sales of this book to Mentoring USA, a New York City based nonprofit that forges powerful, transformative connections for young people through the advocacy and involvement of mentors. ...