NEW YORK April 14—Simon & Schuster announced today that it will publish The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek on July 21, 2020.

Since debuting as the host of Jeopardy! in 1984, Trebek has been something like a family member to millions of television viewers, bringing entertainment and education into their homes five nights a week. Last year, he made the stunning announcement that he had been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. What followed was an incredible outpouring of love and kindness. Social media was flooded with messages of support, and the Jeopardy! studio received boxes of cards and letters offering guidance, encouragement and prayers.

For over three decades, Trebek had resisted countless appeals to write a book about his life. Yet he was moved so much by all the goodwill, he felt compelled to finally share his story.

“I want people to know a little more about the person they have been cheering on for the past year,” he writes in The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life.

The book combines illuminating personal anecdotes with Trebek’s thoughts on a range of topics, including marriage, parenthood, education, success, spirituality and philanthropy. Trebek also addresses the questions he gets asked most often by Jeopardy! fans, such as what prompted him to shave his signature mustache, his insights on legendary players like Ken Jennings and James Holzhauer, and his opinion of Will Ferrell’s Saturday Night Live impersonation. The book uses a novel structure inspired by Jeopardy!, with each chapter title in the form of a question, and features dozens of never-before-seen photos that candidly capture Trebek over the years.

“Today, when there is so much uncertainty and turmoil in the world, Alex Trebek is a beacon of stability and positivity,” says Sean Manning, Executive Editor at Simon & Schuster, who acquired world and audio rights from Trebek. “This wise, charming and inspiring book is further evidence why he has long been considered one of the most beloved and respected figures in entertainment.”

Trebek is currently in his 36th season as Jeopardy! host. The Answer Is… will be published one day ahead of his 80th birthday.                                                                                                                                                    

 

Alex Trebek has hosted the syndicated quiz show Jeopardy! for 36 seasons, earning him seven Daytime Emmy Awards—including a Lifetime Achievement Award—and the Guinness World Record for most episodes of a game show hosted by the same presenter. Prior to Jeopardy!, he hosted various other quiz shows including The Wizard of Odds and High Rollers. He began his career with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, working there for more than a decade. He graduated from the University of Ottawa and holds honorary doctorates from the University of Ottawa and Fordham University. He has worked with the humanitarian organization World Vision since the early 1980s, and has contributed to various other philanthropic organizations, including the USO, UNCF, National Geographic Society, and the Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission. Originally from Sudbury, Ontario, he resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Jean.

Simon & Schuster, a ViacomCBS Company, is a global leader in general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, and in all printed, digital and audio formats. Its distinguished roster of authors includes many of the world’s most popular and widely recognized writers, and winners of the most prestigious literary honors and awards. It is home to numerous well-known imprints and divisions such as Simon & Schuster, Scribner, Atria Books, Gallery Books, Pocket Books, Adams Media, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and Simon & Schuster Audio and international companies in Australia, Canada, India and the United Kingdom, and proudly brings the works of its authors to readers in more than 200 countries and territories. For more information visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.

Contacts:
Julia Prosser, Vice President, Director of Publicity, 212-698-7529; Julia.Prosser@simonandschuster.com

Margaret Southard, Assistant Director of Publicity, 212-698-7008; Margaret.Southard@simonandschuster.com