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355 reviews for:
Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America's Gutsiest Troublemakers
Nick Offerman
3.73 AVERAGE
355 reviews for:
Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America's Gutsiest Troublemakers
Nick Offerman
3.73 AVERAGE
“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
This is Offerman’s gushing love letter to some amazing Americans who’ve inspired him. From George Washington to George Saunders, it’s a pretty fascinating list. Don’t worry, there are some ladies in there as well! Superb audio narration as always.
This is Offerman’s gushing love letter to some amazing Americans who’ve inspired him. From George Washington to George Saunders, it’s a pretty fascinating list. Don’t worry, there are some ladies in there as well! Superb audio narration as always.
I could listen to Nick Offerman's soothing narration all day. I'm also seriously impressed by his vocabulary and appreciate the usage of "perspicacity" and "follicular homage" in the same chapter.
To quote Conan, who made this assessment about Nick Offerman's inimitable wife Megan Mullally, "I would listen to her read from the Yellow Pages and all for an encore." While absolutely true about Mullally, I'd like to add that this statement - pronouns appropriately changed - is equally true about her estimable husband, at least in my book. Nick Offerman's sweet, syrupy voice could make the most monotonous of subjects enjoyable.
This book is especially delightful however. I'll admit that I listened to this one on audiobook but I don't regret that decision one bit. Listening to Offerman wax poetic on his favorite Americans was a truly pleasurable and mind-expanding experience. I learned me things about people I too admitted greatly, but more surprising was how easily Offerman could convince me to think differently about people for whom I had once held nothing but disdain. (I'm looking at you, Yoko...)
I plan on buying this beautiful tome to add to my library, but before you do the same I encourage you first to listen to Nick Offerman read it to you himself. Especially if you have as deep a respect for Amy Poehler, "Parks and Rec" and Ron Swanson as I do. Your life will never be the same.
This book is especially delightful however. I'll admit that I listened to this one on audiobook but I don't regret that decision one bit. Listening to Offerman wax poetic on his favorite Americans was a truly pleasurable and mind-expanding experience. I learned me things about people I too admitted greatly, but more surprising was how easily Offerman could convince me to think differently about people for whom I had once held nothing but disdain. (I'm looking at you, Yoko...)
I plan on buying this beautiful tome to add to my library, but before you do the same I encourage you first to listen to Nick Offerman read it to you himself. Especially if you have as deep a respect for Amy Poehler, "Parks and Rec" and Ron Swanson as I do. Your life will never be the same.
I LOVED the first two parts, but couldn’t make it through the third. Lost interest and was dragging. Stopped reading and just couldn’t pick it back up.
Nick Offerman whispering in your ear for 13 hours is a very pleasurable experience, but the execution here is spotty and some of the themes become grating. Historical luminaries 10/10, Yoko Ono, Carol Burnett, Wendell Berry, Barney Frank ditto. Offerman's perspective as a guy who had every demographic reason to grow up as a gun-toting Red State stereotype but got seduced by the liberal side of things is measured and unique. He's a much better celebrity spokesman than Madonna for instance. You can tell he's been exposed to both sides and he's really thought about his point of view and how to get it across without alienating people. I especially liked the chapters on Teddy Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt and Burnett. Those are people with gumption.
Not as much of a fan of the friends and family inclusions like the Wilco guy, Michael Pollan and Conan. The interviewees aren't that worthy and the entries devolve into his personal axes to grind. He doesn't like people being on their phones too much, getting taken in by advertising, or the tug of war between art and commerce. We get it. The same points are floating around both as tired complaints and in more convincing format as real books. Read Amusing Ourselves to Death, Michael Pollan's books and Naomi Klein's No Logo instead.
In general, Offerman is a class-A privilege confronting white guy, but he's a little off in a couple of areas.
1. Straight people should not joke about being in gay relationships. I get that it's supposed to show you're very comfortable with your own sexuality, but it comes off as trivializing at best and insulting at worst. We are not your costume.
2. I would love to follow Offerman's advice and buy everything locally-made by deeply inspired artisans. However, I do not have 40,000 dollars to blow on furniture for my apartment. As a young person, I live a deeply impermanent life. Toting around a kitchen table crafted seamlessly from a crosscut of tree trunk or a similarly loved object is not in the cards for me. Offerman seems to have not overly cared about these things when he was young and struggling and begun to care after he and his wife made it. If he could address this instead of being dismissive and insulting towards people who are "taken in" by the disposable/essential products of Ikea and its ilk I would appreciate it. Aren't there ways to consume intentionally without being fantastically wealthy?
Not as much of a fan of the friends and family inclusions like the Wilco guy, Michael Pollan and Conan. The interviewees aren't that worthy and the entries devolve into his personal axes to grind. He doesn't like people being on their phones too much, getting taken in by advertising, or the tug of war between art and commerce. We get it. The same points are floating around both as tired complaints and in more convincing format as real books. Read Amusing Ourselves to Death, Michael Pollan's books and Naomi Klein's No Logo instead.
In general, Offerman is a class-A privilege confronting white guy, but he's a little off in a couple of areas.
1. Straight people should not joke about being in gay relationships. I get that it's supposed to show you're very comfortable with your own sexuality, but it comes off as trivializing at best and insulting at worst. We are not your costume.
2. I would love to follow Offerman's advice and buy everything locally-made by deeply inspired artisans. However, I do not have 40,000 dollars to blow on furniture for my apartment. As a young person, I live a deeply impermanent life. Toting around a kitchen table crafted seamlessly from a crosscut of tree trunk or a similarly loved object is not in the cards for me. Offerman seems to have not overly cared about these things when he was young and struggling and begun to care after he and his wife made it. If he could address this instead of being dismissive and insulting towards people who are "taken in" by the disposable/essential products of Ikea and its ilk I would appreciate it. Aren't there ways to consume intentionally without being fantastically wealthy?
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I listened to this right after Paddle Your Own Canoe so I felt pretty friendly with Nick Offerman at this point. He was a constant voice of reason and chucklesmith (his term, not mine) for a few solid weeks and it was great. I really enjoyed Gumption. I love the premise of focusing on people who worked hard and have great ideas to better the world. Even if they were sometimes controversial.
I think this book is best experiences on audiobook. Offerman is a great narrator!
I think this book is best experiences on audiobook. Offerman is a great narrator!