Reviews

Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office by Brian Baumgartner, Ben Silverman

minnejenny's review

emotional funny informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.5

Tou HAVE to be an office fan to really get this book. I loved getting behind the scenes info on one of my favorite shows. It was well paced and insightful. The only downside was listening to it. It was well narrated, but because there were so many guest voices talking for the actors, it was hard to keep up with who was speaking. 

I also loved hearing the theories on why it's even more popular now than when it came out. It was a look at our society and the evolution of entertainment in the last 20 years. 

jennharrott's review against another edition

funny informative medium-paced

5.0

wintrovia's review

4.0

This oral history of The American version of The Office is a great collection of interviews from all the key people from the TV series. It's put together by Brian Baumgartner who played Kevin in the series and he does a good job of getting interesting quotes from his interview subjects. The TV series is wholesome, so it's no surprise that the book celebrating it also stays on the sunny side of things. There are no gossipy stories of backstage failings out or scandalous goings on, so it lacks that juicy element that these sorts of books often have but that's possibly just because everyone on this show got on well and were thoroughly nice people. Even without salacious intrigue, there are enough interesting insights and find memories to make it worth reading.

acsire58's review against another edition

5.0

Definitely a lot easier to follow than connecting all of the podcasts together. The information is organized in a way to connect everyone’s stories which makes it very enjoyable to read. I am not an avid listener of Brian’s deep dive podcast but I do frequently listen to Jenna and Angela’s Office Ladies Podcast. This book covers so much information that I was not aware of and I think it contains information that any fan of The Office would enjoy!

samstopher's review

inspiring lighthearted slow-paced

4.25

Really heartwarming to read! I just wish there were more anecdotes about how things were filmed, but I completely understand that this was difficult to make as it is. The acknowledgements were fun to read which isn't something you can say about a lot of books. This book really made me examine why I enjoy the Office so much and remember how much the show means to me. I really liked the remark on how it reflects a utopia in a capitalistic world that Emily Vanderwerff made. Such a good read for an Office superfan!!!

kenovak's review against another edition

funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.0

ahomelibrary's review

“Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office — As Told by The Actors, Writers, Producers, and Crew” is (imo) the best book about the US show “The Office” yet. It may even be the ultimate one. There are several others out there I’ve read, and I like this one the most!

It’s based off hundreds of interviews and is guided by Brian Baumgartner (played Kevin Malone) and Ben Silverman.

Published in 2021 by Custom House, this book brought the entire Office gang back together after nearly a decade to share their stories, secrets, experiences, and insights.

Style — It’s all about the way it’s presented: thematic chapters, interviews or lifted quotes from sources supporting the bulk of the history. So, you’re getting themed chapters with interview quotes, like a transcribed conversation.

People Involved — Steve Carell, John Krasinkski, Jenna Fischer, Ricky Gervais, Rainn Wilson, Angela Kinsey, Craig Robinson, Brian Baumgartner, Phyllis Smith, Kate Flannery, Ed Helms, Oscar Nunez, Ellie Kemper, Creed Bratton, Paul Lieberstein, and more

Things I Loved ⤵️

jerrysaywhaaa's review

informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

If you’re a fan of reading a podcast, then this book is for you. I would have enjoyed this book way more if it weren’t in a conversational/interview format that I hated. Don’t even try to listen to the audiobook, you’ll never know who is talking because everyone interviewed is being played by someone else. This would have made a better podcast or docuseries than a book. As a fan of The Office, I enjoyed it, but there wasn’t a lot of new information in it either. 

emilyjayne96's review against another edition

funny informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.5

colle_martin's review

4.0

A great, light behind the scenes look at The Office. I found myself wanting to watch certain scenes and episodes again after hearing the stories about them. Kevin is the only actor that actually narrates in the audiobook. Hearing each actor’s story and thoughts on the show made me love it even more.