A review by drkottke
Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living by Nick Offerman

3.0

Not as consistently funny as Offerman's performances as Ron Swanson, but very, very grounded. It was a pleasant surprise to see similar our Midwestern childhoods were. The memoir sections on his early days in the acting trade, from college through breaking through in Hollywood were much less relatable for me, but certainly should provide good, honest advice for aspiring actors. Some of the "fundamentals for delicious living" portions are comic gold, while others are unfortunately foul-mouthed political rants. I guess I wanted more anecdotes about Parks & Recreation, especially given how closely its small-town Indiana setting matches his own old stomping grounds in Illinois. Material on the show comes very late, and doesn't stretch too far beyond generous praise for the people he works with. My copy came signed with the note "To Work," a fitting dedication for a book about the working end of the business.