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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
It's his story, and an interesting one..... but so much sex and weed. SO MUCH :D Probably best heard in his own voice.
This is a 2 star read, bumped up by good narration. I learned far more about Offerman's sex life than I had any desire to, and he spends a lot of time griping about office jobs and how you should follow your passion..... that unrealistic advice always grates. How do you expect society to function if everyone followed this advice? Pass.
It's good. Better than most celebrity memoirs, I'd say. It's funny, and there are a few moments of good insight here. Too often, though, Offerman makes a point that is obvious but twists it as if it were a piece of open rebellion towards conformity. For example, when he says that the church has no business in the US government. Or when he says that people should be able to marry whomever they choose. Or when he says that people should work hard and be proud of their jobs, whatever their jobs may be. Not controversial stuff, but it's pitched that way.
There's several turns of phrase that he relies on, and they stick out because they are not part of common vernacular. "Mirth", "Please and Thank You", "Delicious" come up again and again and again. It's funny/fun the first few times.
But at the end of the day, PADDLE YOUR OWN CANOE has its heart in the right place. It's an amiable book written by an amiable fellow. I liked it enough that I'll check out GUMPTION the next time I'm between big books and need to let my mind have some comfort food.
There's several turns of phrase that he relies on, and they stick out because they are not part of common vernacular. "Mirth", "Please and Thank You", "Delicious" come up again and again and again. It's funny/fun the first few times.
But at the end of the day, PADDLE YOUR OWN CANOE has its heart in the right place. It's an amiable book written by an amiable fellow. I liked it enough that I'll check out GUMPTION the next time I'm between big books and need to let my mind have some comfort food.
I struggled with this audiobook as his voice is so reassuring I'd often zone out. I did enjoy his recollections of his farmland upbringing and married life, the show business sections not so much. He's much more animated and passionate about his personal recollections of growing up and falling in love compared to his clinical work history.
Unsurprisingly, Mr. Offerman has led quite an interesting life. This was quite an enjoyable read.
I've been meaning to read this for ages now and, at long last, I finally have. When I told my brother how much I adored Nick Offerman's comedy special, American Ham and he told me it's basically like a condensed version of this book, I mentally added it to my perpetually-growing stack of books to be read.
It took this book going on sale on Audible for me to finally read it, but I'm glad it took me this long to get around to it. I just barely got done rewatching all of Parks and Recreation and fell back in love with the show and its players all over again. I also started watching Making It, which Offerman and his former costar, Amy Poehler, host together, and it is one of the most wholesome, inspiring, and heartwarming shows ever. So that, combined with the Audible sale, meant it was time for me to find out how to paddle my own canoe.
This can be said of just about any human being, but I truly believe Nick Offerman is a one of a kind person. His values, his humor, and his history all combine into what is, in my opinion, one of the most interesting human beings ever. The reverence with which he speaks about the people he cares about (especially his wife, Megan Mullally) is unmatched in any other memoir/autobiography such as this that I've yet read and, of course you can hear it in his voice when you hear it in the audiobook, but that love and respect is in each and every single word choice. Offerman isn't just the incredibly talented and hilarious actor we all know and love, he's also a very gifted wordsmith with great respect for the English language.
I love Nick Offerman more now that I did before and I thought that was impossible, considering his laugh, which I maintain could probably cure cancer, his demeanor, which is jovial and positive, and the amazing comedic timing he has, and yet, here we are. I want to read all his other books, but I'm specifically excited to read The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which comes out next month and is co-authored by Offerman and Mullally. Great work, Nick; I'm definitely going to take into account many of your wise words, stories, and sentiments as I go forth with my life and, even though I don't know how to literally paddle my own canoe now, I do now figuratively have some great advice on how to manage the metaphorical canoe of my life and that's thanks to this book.
It took this book going on sale on Audible for me to finally read it, but I'm glad it took me this long to get around to it. I just barely got done rewatching all of Parks and Recreation and fell back in love with the show and its players all over again. I also started watching Making It, which Offerman and his former costar, Amy Poehler, host together, and it is one of the most wholesome, inspiring, and heartwarming shows ever. So that, combined with the Audible sale, meant it was time for me to find out how to paddle my own canoe.
This can be said of just about any human being, but I truly believe Nick Offerman is a one of a kind person. His values, his humor, and his history all combine into what is, in my opinion, one of the most interesting human beings ever. The reverence with which he speaks about the people he cares about (especially his wife, Megan Mullally) is unmatched in any other memoir/autobiography such as this that I've yet read and, of course you can hear it in his voice when you hear it in the audiobook, but that love and respect is in each and every single word choice. Offerman isn't just the incredibly talented and hilarious actor we all know and love, he's also a very gifted wordsmith with great respect for the English language.
I love Nick Offerman more now that I did before and I thought that was impossible, considering his laugh, which I maintain could probably cure cancer, his demeanor, which is jovial and positive, and the amazing comedic timing he has, and yet, here we are. I want to read all his other books, but I'm specifically excited to read The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, which comes out next month and is co-authored by Offerman and Mullally. Great work, Nick; I'm definitely going to take into account many of your wise words, stories, and sentiments as I go forth with my life and, even though I don't know how to literally paddle my own canoe now, I do now figuratively have some great advice on how to manage the metaphorical canoe of my life and that's thanks to this book.
For some reason, I expected this to be a comedy book. Instead, it's really a memoir, but fortunately it's a funny one. The Ron Swanson stuff is mostly left for the end, so you have to learn about Nick Offerman's life. This means you have to come to terms with no, he is not actually Ron Swanson in real life. He's a sensitive artist who cries on a number of occasions in these fair pages. He just also happens to love woodworking, meat, and good whiskey. A fun, quick read by a man with an appreciable vocabulary!
Laugh out loud funny, insightful and in a strange way, calming listening to Offerman narrate his audiobook. Highly recommend.