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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
I found myself enjoying this book far more than I thought I was going to, and I started with high expectations. I felt like I was able to get to know Nick beyond the roles he plays. I found myself agreeing with a great many things he had to say. I have to really admire him for the hard work he's put into his life to get to the point he's at today. It feels like being a celebrity hasn't changed him much from his Midwest roots. I would certainly buy him a beer if I was ever given the chance.
Not as consistently funny as Offerman's performances as Ron Swanson, but very, very grounded. It was a pleasant surprise to see similar our Midwestern childhoods were. The memoir sections on his early days in the acting trade, from college through breaking through in Hollywood were much less relatable for me, but certainly should provide good, honest advice for aspiring actors. Some of the "fundamentals for delicious living" portions are comic gold, while others are unfortunately foul-mouthed political rants. I guess I wanted more anecdotes about Parks & Recreation, especially given how closely its small-town Indiana setting matches his own old stomping grounds in Illinois. Material on the show comes very late, and doesn't stretch too far beyond generous praise for the people he works with. My copy came signed with the note "To Work," a fitting dedication for a book about the working end of the business.
funny
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
If you gave anyone with average writing skill a few hundred pages to ramble about their average opinions, tell average stories about an average youth while throwing in average levels of profanity, you'd get this, well, average book. I wanted funny, I got boring.
The audiobook is worth every penny. 10+ hours of Ron Swanson talking to you about Hollywood, woodworking, and everything in between.
I loved this book. Was it Very "Ron Swanson"? No, it was not. It was a book by Nick Offerman who happened to play a character named Ron Swanson which I feel many people reading this book forgot. However, if you were a fan of his one-man show "American Ham," then I would check out this book. It has parts taken directly from the show and fleshes them out here.
Offerman chronicles his life and how he managed to get so lucky as to live out his dream of acting (he majored in theater in college and spent years as a theater actor in Chicago). Along the way he gives you his "rules" as it were for how to have a delicious life. I found his writing style smart and a few notches above where I thought it would be. His stories are well told and he doesn't always paint himself in the best light, which just adds to his humble nature.
I found this book entertaining and such a pleasant story about someone who truly knows that despite all his hard work he would not have made it this far had he not had some lucky breaks along the way. It was a wonderful refresher to read.
Offerman chronicles his life and how he managed to get so lucky as to live out his dream of acting (he majored in theater in college and spent years as a theater actor in Chicago). Along the way he gives you his "rules" as it were for how to have a delicious life. I found his writing style smart and a few notches above where I thought it would be. His stories are well told and he doesn't always paint himself in the best light, which just adds to his humble nature.
I found this book entertaining and such a pleasant story about someone who truly knows that despite all his hard work he would not have made it this far had he not had some lucky breaks along the way. It was a wonderful refresher to read.
reflective
slow-paced
This book is perfect for picking up over the course of two years whenever you feel like it. Nick Offerman keeps this book interesting with witty comments and funny stories, it was a joy to read on camping trips and hikes, deliciously surrounded by nature.
I wanted to love this book but did not. While I did appreciate his point of view on various topics like religion and woodworking and the arts, I wanted less of that and more about his life. I enjoyed the last couple of chapters about his life in Hollywood but I could have left the rest.
funny
inspiring
medium-paced