The World’s Worst Assistant

In this career memoir, Movsesian (the long-time assistant to comedian Conan O’Brien, and co-host of his podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend) wonders, “Am I the World’s Worst Assistant because I’m terrible at my job, or do I hold that title because I chose to reject every preconceived notion of what it means to be someone’s assistant?” “If you bought this book specifically for the foreword [written by O’Brien], I don’t blame you,” she tells readers. “Perhaps what has kept me employed all these years has been that I’m an endless well of material.” That being said, Movsesian endearingly pulls her own comedic weight in this narrative, whether she’s attempting to break Robert De Niro’s assistant’s record for the number of Friends episodes binge-watched in four days while at work (55), stalking Leonardo DiCaprio at a gala, or getting O’Brien’s children stuck in a hole on a golf cart on the Warner Bros. backlot. But Movsesian truly shines when she discusses her Armenian heritage, her dating life, and winning a college national speech championship.