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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Okay, caveat: I am probably not this book's intended audience, but I was interested enough to pick it up and Corey probably falls into its intended audience and he shares some of my opinions, so that is what it is.
Corey and I listened to this audiobook on our way back from Myrtle Beach. On the way there, we listened to Amy Poehler's YES PLEASE, which I really enjoyed (and for which I am entirely the intended audience), which might have invited some unfair comparisons.
PADDLE YOUR OWN CANOE is part philosophical musings, part treatise on the acting life, and part personal memoir. Nick Offerman waxes poetic on topics such as religion, mustaches, alcohol, technology overuse, woodworking, and much, much more. He also shares scenes from his life, from growing up in a small farming community in Illinois to theater acting in Chicago to moving to LA to pursue a film/TV career.
I think the biggest problem is that this is at least two separate books crammed into one volume. Corey appreciated Offerman's long rantings about religion, etc. much more than I did. I wanted to dig out the biographical parts and hear about Parks & Rec (which is the show he's most known for... which is probably the reason he gets to publish this book... which is crammed into the last tenth of the book...). (Another caveat: if I'd been reading the print edition, it would have been much easier to skim and pick out the parts I was actually interested in. I tried to talk Corey into skipping ahead to new chapters, but he would not stand for that...)
Another problem is that the book is just overlong and very repetitive. Even Corey, who I think enjoyed the book more than I did, admitted that it was repetitive. I would have been satisfied (and probably enjoyed it more) with 100 pages less. I am a pretty liberal person and I agree with a lot of Offerman's philosophies and idealogical rantings, but it was a bit much even for me because he just kept going on and on and then he would still repeat himself later in the book.
And it just wasn't as funny as I was expecting it to be. While Amy Poehler's book had both Corey and I laughing out loud at multiple parts, this one got just one or two big laughs and some chuckles from us. It makes sense, Poehler being a comedy writer, but it was disappointing in comparison. (Again, that is probably not terribly fair to compare them!)
As an actor, it makes sense that Nick Offerman would narrate his own book, and I think he does it pretty successfully. We had trouble adjusting the volume at first and he has a tendency to lower his voice at the end of sentences, which made it hard to hear and understand in the car. But Corey seemed to hear it better than I did, so maybe it's just my hearing.
For superfans of Ron Swanson or woodworkers or anyone with a big interest in how theater and the LA acting business works, this might be a good choice. If you're only a superficial Ron Swanson fan or just wanting to know about Offerman's relationship with Megan Mullaly, pick up the print edition instead so you can skip around. ;)
Corey and I listened to this audiobook on our way back from Myrtle Beach. On the way there, we listened to Amy Poehler's YES PLEASE, which I really enjoyed (and for which I am entirely the intended audience), which might have invited some unfair comparisons.
PADDLE YOUR OWN CANOE is part philosophical musings, part treatise on the acting life, and part personal memoir. Nick Offerman waxes poetic on topics such as religion, mustaches, alcohol, technology overuse, woodworking, and much, much more. He also shares scenes from his life, from growing up in a small farming community in Illinois to theater acting in Chicago to moving to LA to pursue a film/TV career.
I think the biggest problem is that this is at least two separate books crammed into one volume. Corey appreciated Offerman's long rantings about religion, etc. much more than I did. I wanted to dig out the biographical parts and hear about Parks & Rec (which is the show he's most known for... which is probably the reason he gets to publish this book... which is crammed into the last tenth of the book...). (Another caveat: if I'd been reading the print edition, it would have been much easier to skim and pick out the parts I was actually interested in. I tried to talk Corey into skipping ahead to new chapters, but he would not stand for that...)
Another problem is that the book is just overlong and very repetitive. Even Corey, who I think enjoyed the book more than I did, admitted that it was repetitive. I would have been satisfied (and probably enjoyed it more) with 100 pages less. I am a pretty liberal person and I agree with a lot of Offerman's philosophies and idealogical rantings, but it was a bit much even for me because he just kept going on and on and then he would still repeat himself later in the book.
And it just wasn't as funny as I was expecting it to be. While Amy Poehler's book had both Corey and I laughing out loud at multiple parts, this one got just one or two big laughs and some chuckles from us. It makes sense, Poehler being a comedy writer, but it was disappointing in comparison. (Again, that is probably not terribly fair to compare them!)
As an actor, it makes sense that Nick Offerman would narrate his own book, and I think he does it pretty successfully. We had trouble adjusting the volume at first and he has a tendency to lower his voice at the end of sentences, which made it hard to hear and understand in the car. But Corey seemed to hear it better than I did, so maybe it's just my hearing.
For superfans of Ron Swanson or woodworkers or anyone with a big interest in how theater and the LA acting business works, this might be a good choice. If you're only a superficial Ron Swanson fan or just wanting to know about Offerman's relationship with Megan Mullaly, pick up the print edition instead so you can skip around. ;)
Brilliant read. I loved it. Nick Offerman is a truly funny man, and an absolute legend.
I tried to read the hardcover edition of this book in November 2016. I listened to Offerman's joint memoir with his wife, Megan Mullally, [b:The Greatest Love Story Ever Told|42384569|The Greatest Love Story Ever Told|Megan Mullally|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539865229l/42384569._SX50_.jpg|60487199] this year and it prompted me to take another look at this book, just in a different format. I would highly recommend listening to this book on audio, with Offerman narrating, if you are interested. I found the hardcover edition to be very dry and boring. However, I found myself more intrigued by having Offerman reading directly to me. I usually prefer my memoirs in an audio format anyway.
He’s just so fkn awesome and funny and cool and smart and just.. awesome!! The whole package for sure.
When I first started the audiobook I thought, shiiiit it’s 11hours, no thanks! But after like 5min, I realized I was in for a wild ride of amazingness haha. I’ve never heard an actor/writer/artist SO articulate/verbose!! You can tell he’s a big reader, sooo smart!! Which lends to his hilarity even more bc he crafts all his sentences perfectly hah. I love how he has a really intelligent sentence that ends in “pizzazz” or “fun bags” etc lmao. His deadpan nature lends so well to his comedy, even if he seems like a 85 year old with the way he talks hah. He’s opinionated but never in an offensive or dismissive way, and his outlook on life is legit #goals. I loveee how in love with MM he is, beyond adorable :). I can’t believe how much Ron Swanson is basically just Nick Offerman!! It’s totally all him lol. Except nick is even better! I love how stereotypically manly he is, mixed with all the best attributes of being a badass/honest feminist and socially liberal and emotionally open! What a gem :)
I already liked him but now I LOVE HIM!!!
When I first started the audiobook I thought, shiiiit it’s 11hours, no thanks! But after like 5min, I realized I was in for a wild ride of amazingness haha. I’ve never heard an actor/writer/artist SO articulate/verbose!! You can tell he’s a big reader, sooo smart!! Which lends to his hilarity even more bc he crafts all his sentences perfectly hah. I love how he has a really intelligent sentence that ends in “pizzazz” or “fun bags” etc lmao. His deadpan nature lends so well to his comedy, even if he seems like a 85 year old with the way he talks hah. He’s opinionated but never in an offensive or dismissive way, and his outlook on life is legit #goals. I loveee how in love with MM he is, beyond adorable :). I can’t believe how much Ron Swanson is basically just Nick Offerman!! It’s totally all him lol. Except nick is even better! I love how stereotypically manly he is, mixed with all the best attributes of being a badass/honest feminist and socially liberal and emotionally open! What a gem :)
I already liked him but now I LOVE HIM!!!
I'll be honest and say I didn't finish it. I wasn't enjoying it so I decided to move on to bigger and better things. Unlike other negative reviews, I am not offended by Offermans view of religion... I just found his voice to be really boring. That's it, that's all.
I enjoyed hearing about Nick's life and hearing his opinions.
I was hoping for humor but got preached at instead. Disappointing.
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Why haven't I read this book sooner! Nick Offerman is such an amazing human, because he is a real ass human. He doesn't pretend to be anybody but himself and isn't scared to tell you his opinions or life events. I found a lot of what he talked about in the book to be super relatable.
I honestly have a weird crush on Nick now. He's such a romantic human it's kind of hard not too. He talks about love a lot on this book and I really love, love. I love when people are in love, when they are falling in love and when they do adorable things together. Nick and Megan are too cute together. The part where they travel to Paris made me giggle like a crazy person. Me and My Boyfriend went on a similar trip to Paris & London which made it even better.
The main reason I listened to this book on audiobook is because I love Parks and Rec. Nick Offerman plays Ron Swanson. There are a lot of parallels to Nick and Ron but Nick isn't Ron. I love hearing about the behind the scenes at Parks and Rec and I openly laughed in public while listening. If you are planning to read this book I highly recommend the audiobook. Nick reads it himself which is the best way to hear anyones memoirs. You also get to hear his hilariously amazing giggle which is awesome.
Conclusion: I am a Nick Offerman fan, so clearly this was always going to be well rated. I recommend to anyone who enjoyed Parks and Rec or just some hilarious mussing about the world.
I honestly have a weird crush on Nick now. He's such a romantic human it's kind of hard not too. He talks about love a lot on this book and I really love, love. I love when people are in love, when they are falling in love and when they do adorable things together. Nick and Megan are too cute together. The part where they travel to Paris made me giggle like a crazy person. Me and My Boyfriend went on a similar trip to Paris & London which made it even better.
The main reason I listened to this book on audiobook is because I love Parks and Rec. Nick Offerman plays Ron Swanson. There are a lot of parallels to Nick and Ron but Nick isn't Ron. I love hearing about the behind the scenes at Parks and Rec and I openly laughed in public while listening. If you are planning to read this book I highly recommend the audiobook. Nick reads it himself which is the best way to hear anyones memoirs. You also get to hear his hilariously amazing giggle which is awesome.
Conclusion: I am a Nick Offerman fan, so clearly this was always going to be well rated. I recommend to anyone who enjoyed Parks and Rec or just some hilarious mussing about the world.
I’ve always loved Offerman but this book is so full of his half baked and over confident philosophies, I could barely muscle through it.