Voice Lessons: How a Couple of Ninja Turtles, Pinky, and an Animaniac Saved My Life

If you were born in the ’80s or early ’90s, Rob Paulsen is a part of your childhood. From Animaniacs to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Jimmy Neutron, he has voiced iconic characters in some of the most popular animated shows of all time, and just a few words in his distinctive accents, cadences, or pitches are guaranteed to bring back fond memories of afternoon viewing.

And only someone who finds such joy in performance could bring the sheer humor, intelligence, honesty, and soulfulness that Paulsen brings to Voice Lessons, a memoir that explores his life, both successes and setbacks, as well as a harrowing cancer diagnosis that many fans, myself included, never knew about.

How did he do it? How did he make a recounting of his battle with throat cancer — something that threatened not just his life, but the livelihood that brought him into the hearts of millions — so entertaining, encouraging, uplifting, enlightening, and funny?

I can’t answer that. All I can tell you is read this book. I was a fan of Rob before reading it, and I’m a bigger fan, a more appreciative fan, after reading it. Voice Lessons isn’t just about the lessons he learned; it’s also about the ones he offers through his own example.