We swim in a sea of celebrity—a sea that's both shallow and surprisingly wide. There are few people who don't have a "brush with fame" story in their repertoire of personal anecdotes. I've got 100...and then some. This book of short, amusing anecdotes details my "close encounters" with the famous folk I've run across, interviewed, or even occasionally befriended, including Actors (Robin Williams, Meg Ryan), Directors (Robert Wise), Star Trek cast (and creator Gene Roddenberry), Cultural Icons (Joseph Campbell; Tim Leary), Musicians (Grace Slick), and Writers (Philip K. Dick, Norman Mailer)...not to mention Playboy Playmates, Astronauts, Scientists and Billionaires (Steve Jobs was my boss!). These are the backstage stories and candid moments that happen when the tape recorder is turned off, or when Mary Tyler Moore steps on your foot.