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cheryl6of8 's review for:
Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living
by Nick Offerman
If you know anything about Nick Offerman, you know that this book is gently philosophical, offbeat, dryly humorous, ribald, and rated R. Lots of dick jokes and liberal use of the F word; copious amounts of marijuana and sexual frivolity and bodily fluids. That last sentence is a solid list of things that I find off-putting at best. But I knew going in that I would have to tolerate them to experience the book. It was worth it.
I will state up front that I have never watched a single episode of any of this man's television shows, although I may have seen one or more of his guest appearances on others (doesn't stick out in my memory). I have watched only a handful of episodes of the show that made his wife a household name. I would still say that I am a fan. I like the way his mind and heart approach life, even though I am not as interested in the raunchy almost juvenile wrapping they come in. Perhaps it is the solid Midwestern upbringing he describes in this book, but he has a pure soul.
This book tells the story of Nick Offerman's life in roughly chronological order, with each chapter being accompanied by an exposition on his philosophy of life. Prominently on display throughout is one of the things that I love most about him -- his quirky, creative, and inspiring wordcraft (autocorrect wanted that to be woodcraft, one of his other brilliant gifts). I never laughed out loud reading this book, only chuckling a few times, but I smiled and was entranced from beginning to end by the way he plays with language.
This is a man of many layers, like the wood he uses as a creative medium. He played basketball and football in high school. And plays the saxophone. And studied Ballet. He toured the world in college doing kabuki versions of classical Western theater. He believes in treating others as he would want to be treated, but has no use for organized religion. He and his famous wife live in a house with a pool in the Hollywood hills and vacation in the Minnesota woods at a rustic lake cabin with his family. His favorite memories involve soybean farming and canoes even while he is feted at Sundance or singing Lightfoot with George Clooney. This is a man with stories to tell and a world view to make you think.
I will state up front that I have never watched a single episode of any of this man's television shows, although I may have seen one or more of his guest appearances on others (doesn't stick out in my memory). I have watched only a handful of episodes of the show that made his wife a household name. I would still say that I am a fan. I like the way his mind and heart approach life, even though I am not as interested in the raunchy almost juvenile wrapping they come in. Perhaps it is the solid Midwestern upbringing he describes in this book, but he has a pure soul.
This book tells the story of Nick Offerman's life in roughly chronological order, with each chapter being accompanied by an exposition on his philosophy of life. Prominently on display throughout is one of the things that I love most about him -- his quirky, creative, and inspiring wordcraft (autocorrect wanted that to be woodcraft, one of his other brilliant gifts). I never laughed out loud reading this book, only chuckling a few times, but I smiled and was entranced from beginning to end by the way he plays with language.
This is a man of many layers, like the wood he uses as a creative medium. He played basketball and football in high school. And plays the saxophone. And studied Ballet. He toured the world in college doing kabuki versions of classical Western theater. He believes in treating others as he would want to be treated, but has no use for organized religion. He and his famous wife live in a house with a pool in the Hollywood hills and vacation in the Minnesota woods at a rustic lake cabin with his family. His favorite memories involve soybean farming and canoes even while he is feted at Sundance or singing Lightfoot with George Clooney. This is a man with stories to tell and a world view to make you think.