Comedy Sex God

By Pete Holmes

Part autobiography, part philosophical inquiry, and part spiritual quest, Comedy Sex God is a hilarious, profound, and enlightening romp around the fertile mind of stand-up stand-out, podcast king, and HBO superstar Pete Holmes.

Pete Holmes is a sold-out-every-night stand-up comedian with two HBO specials and the host of the hugely successful podcast You Made It Weird, and he was the creator-star of the hit HBO show Crashing. But it wasn’t always roses for Pete. Growing up, Pete was raised an evangelical Christian, but his religion taught him that being “bad”—smoking, drinking, having doubts or premarital sex—would get him sent to an eternity in hell. So, terrified of the God he loved, Pete devoted his life to being “good,” even marrying his first girlfriend at the age of twenty-two only to discover a few years later he was being cheated on. Thanks for nothing, God.

Pete’s failed attempt at a picture-perfect life forced him to reexamine his beliefs, but neither atheism, nor Christianity, nor copious bottles of Yellow Tail led him to enlightenment. Pete longed for a model of faith that served him and his newfound uncertainties about the universe, so he embarked on a soul-seeking journey that continues to this day. Through encounters with mind-altering substances, honing his craft in front of thousands of his comedy fans, and spending time with savants like Ram Dass, Pete forged a new life—both spiritually and personally.

Beautifully written and often completely hilarious—imagine Dass’s Be Here Now if penned by one of the funniest people alive—Comedy Sex God reveals a man at the top of his game and a seeker in search of the deeper meanings of life, love, and comedy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: May 14, 2019
• ISBN: 9780062803993

Pete Holmes

Pete Holmes is a comedian, writer, cartoonist, “Christ-leaning spiritual seeker”, and podcast host. His wildly popular podcast, You Made It Weird, is a comedic exploration of the meaning of life with guests ranging from Deepak Chopra and Elizabeth Gilbert to Seth Rogen and Garry Shandling. Pete also created and starred in the semi-autobiographical HBO show Crashing which he executive produced alongside Judd Apatow. An accomplished standup with three hour-long television specials and innumerous late night appearances, he continues to tour regularly to sold-out crowds. He lives with his wife and daughter in LA.

Reviews for Comedy Sex God

[Michael Lawton · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Pete has always been a comedy favorite but his honest and open discussion about his life elevated him to favorite human! I related to history at many points: Masshole, personal connection to Gordon and knowing many students, cheated on by first wife whom I never should e married in the first place in my mid-twenties…I could go on, I’m only ten years older but I feel we have lived parallel lives ( without the comedic and show business success). That notwithstanding, his discovery of psychedelics, Joseph Campbell, atheism, and discovery of a human spirituality that leaves organized religion in the dust, mirrors my own path. I look forward to exploring Ram Dass and I can tell you as I sit at Hampton Beach after standing in the ocean and just letting my observer observe; this book was a key to a lock I didn’t know was blocking me from discovering the love I didn’t know I wasn’t feeling.

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

nonfiction /memoir (comedian loses faith but regains spirituality)
funny, but he does go on a bit about the spirituality, as these things tend to do.

[alluvia_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Engaging and funny memoir that morphs quite beautifully into an exploration of spirit. Highly recommend.Stumbled onto the HBO show "Crashing" and became quite curious about Pete Holmes and where he might be coming from, philosophically / theologically / spiritually. So then discovered this recently released book and it answered all my questions and sparked all new curiosities! I especially appreciated his forthright description about escaping the traps of fundamentalism / evangelism.

[needmoreshelves · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love a good spiritual memoir, though in fairness I tend to skew heavily toward the female teacher. Pete Holmes, however, completely won me over in this funny and heartfelt account of his journey from evangelical Christian to spiritual seeker. I laughed, I teared up, I wrote down quotes. Definitely a standout of the year for me.