Synopses & Reviews
Parks and Recreationand#160;actor Nick Offerman shares his humorous fulminations on life, manliness, meat, and much more in his first book. Growing a perfect moustache, grilling red meat, wooing a womanand#151;who better to deliver this tutelage than the always charming, always manly Nick Offerman, best known asand#160;Parks and Recreationand#8217;s Ron Swanson? and#160;Combining his trademark comic voice and very real expertise in woodworkingand#151;he runs his own woodshopand#151;Paddle Your Own Canoeand#160;featuresand#160;talesand#160;from Offermanand#8217;s childhoodand#160;in small-town Minooka, Illinoisand#151;and#147;I grew up literally in the middle of a cornfieldand#8221;and#151;to his theater days in Chicago, beginnings as a carpenter/actor and the hilarious and magnificent seduction of his now-wife Megan Mullally.and#160;and#160;and#160;It also offersand#160;hard-bitten battle strategies in the arenas of manliness, love, style, religion, woodworking, and outdoor recreation, among many other savory entrees.
A mix of amusing anecdotes, opinionated lessons and rants, sprinkled with offbeat gaiety,and#160;Paddle Your Own Canoeand#160;will not only tickle readers pink but may also rouse them to put down their smart phones, study a few sycamore leaves, and maybe even hand craft (and paddle) their own canoes.
Review
"Carrying this book around is a good way of picking up girls with glasses."--Tom Haverford
Review
"I have read over four books, and this is by far the one that has me in it the most."--Andy Dwyer
Review
"Literally the greatest endeavor of human creativity in the history of mankind."--Chris Traeger
Review
Praise for Paddle Your Own Canoe
and#8220;[Offerman] not only explores his Paul Bunyanand#8211;like image with tongue-in-cheek lessons on manliness, complete with illustrations and advice, but also offers poignant memories of his childhood growing up in Illinois and hilarious anecdotes from his career.and#8221;and#8212;Entertainment Weekly
and#8220;Offerman touches on everything from his days as a break-dancing, football-playing farm boy in Minooka (about 50 miles southwest of the Loop) to his freewheeling, hedonistic 20s in Chicago to the inevitable Hollywood struggles that followed. But he doesnand#8217;t gloss over embarrassing moments, including his two trips to jail during college at the University of Illinoisand#8212;one for shoplifting Ronnie Milsap cassettes from Kmart as a joke; the other, he says, a convoluted case of mistaken identity. Between anecdotes, he delivers impassioned pleas and rantsand#8230;and#8221;and#8212;Chicago magazine
and#8220;Thought-provoking, profane, and frequently hilariousand#8230;getting to know Offerman through his stumbling courtship with Megan Mullally and Kabuki theater training is well worth the price of admission.and#8221;and#8212;Publishers Weekly
and#8220;Ron Swanson is a mustachioed, breakfast-food-loving, woodworking red-meat connoisseur. Nick Offerman is a mustachioed, breakfast-food-loving, woodworking red-meat connoisseur but, more important, also a real personand#8212;a grateful, gracious, bemused actor in love with his wife, Megan Mullally, and the earnest simplicity of his not-so-Hollywood existence. Not only does he recall his life, but he also offers chuckle-worthy anecdotes, diagrams, even a haiku (aboutand#8212;what else?and#8212;bratwurst) to help his readers find their own ways toward delicious living. Ron Swanson would be proud.and#8221;and#8212;Booklist
and#8220;Equal parts memoir and advice for grabbing life by the gonads. Itand#8217;s funny, highly nostalgic, and will make you seriously contemplate taking up carpentry. Itand#8217;s sort of like reading Garrison Keillor if he wrote for Playboyand#8230;itand#8217;s fun, itand#8217;s visceral, and I learned things. When I finished the tome I had to take a long walk to soak everything in. We should all be so lucky to one day drink with this man, or at least purchase a table from him.and#8221;and#8212;ManCave Daily
and#8220;Offermanand#8217;s funny advice book offers practical tips about living more successfully, with the sort of dry and laconic delivery that comes through in his role on Parks and Recreation.and#8221;and#8212;Time Out New York
and#8220;Uniquely honest and consistently hilariousand#8230;Fans of Offerman may not be surprised by his candor, however this book is not specifically written for the fans. [It] will be enjoyed by many, specifically those who have the capacity and the will to wonder, and to want more out of life, while maintaining a degree of simplicity and happiness; just like Nick Offerman.and#8221;and#8212;Rare
and#8220;A hilarious walkaboutand#8230;teeming with tasteful vulgarity, self-deprecating hilarity and a most humble wisdom bordering on sage-like. Itand#8217;s rare to find a memoir that is all at once touching, funny as sh*t, and capable of schooling you in basic modi operandi: like not being a total assand#8230;and#8221;and#8212;Newcity Lit
and#8220;Offerman is a funny manand#8230;But what is special about Paddle Your Own Canoe is the ability it gives Offerman to reveal himself as more than just the character he plays. He believes, and has always believed, in nonconformity. He believes in humility, honesty, hard work, and loyalty and#8212; values he attributes to his parents and two favorite teachers. He believes those qualities are what truly define and#8216;manliness,and#8217; but that any person, regardless of gender, should aspire to them. Paddle Your Own Canoe is a delight.and#8221;and#8212;TheManual.com
and#8220;You donand#8217;t have to be able to properly work a table saw (I canand#8217;t) or be in the market for a custom-made chair (Iand#8217;m not) to buy what Parks and Recreation star/woodshop owner Nick Offerman is selling in his memoirand#8230;[a] modulated and admirable concept of what it means to live well and be a man. Offerman writes hilariously and honestly about boyhood chores and collegiate shenanigans, Chicago theater dues-paying and sobbing and#8216;for, like, 20 minutesand#8217; when receiving the call about landing the Parks and Rec joband#8230;[he] offers a vivid look at how he charted the course for real happiness. Itand#8217;s nothing if not inspiring.and#8221;and#8212;RedEyeChicago
Review
and#8220;It is thought-provoking, profane, and frequently hilarious.and#8221; -and#160;Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
Welcome to Pawnee: More Exciting than New York, More Glamorous than Hollywood, Roughly the Same Size as Bismarck, North Dakota
In Pawnee, Leslie Knope (as played by Amy Poehler on NBC's hit show Parks and Recreation) takes readers on a hilarious tour through her hometown, the Midwestern haven known as Pawnee, Indiana. The book chronicles the city's colorful citizens and hopping nightlife, and also explores some of the most hilarious events from its crazy history--like the time the whole town was on fire, its ongoing raccoon infestation, and the cult that took over in the 1970s. Packed with laugh-out-loud-funny photographs, illustrations, and commentary by the other inhabitants of Pawnee, it's a must-read that will make you enjoy every moment of your stay in the Greatest Town in America.
Synopsis
Parks and Recreation actor Nick Offerman shares his humorous musings on life, manliness, meat, and much more in his first book. Growing a perfect moustache, grilling red meat, wooing a womanwho better to learn from than the always charming, always manly Nick Offerman, best known as Parks and Recreations Ron Swanson? Combining his trademark comic voice and very real expertise in woodworkinghe runs his own woodshopPaddle Your Own Canoe features sage advice in the categories of love, etiquette, time management, diet, grooming, and self-confidence.
Filled with laughter, wood shavings, and kisses,” Paddle Your Own Canoe includes stories from Offermans childhood in small-town Minooka, IllinoisI grew up literally in the middle of a cornfield”to his beginnings as a carpenter/actor and to the hilarious seduction of his now-wife Megan Mullally. And if that wasnt enough, Offerman also shares a haiku. About bratwurst.
A mix of amusing anecdotes, opinionated rants, and offbeat gaiety, Paddle Your Own Canoe will not only delight readers but may also rouse them to put down their smartphones, study sycamore leaves, and maybe even hand carve (and paddle) their own canoes.
Synopsis
Parks and Recreationand#160;actor Nick Offerman shares his humorous fulminations on life, manliness, meat, and much more in his first book. Growing a perfect moustache, grilling red meat, wooing a womanand#151;who better to deliver this tutelage than the always charming, always manly Nick Offerman, best known asand#160;Parks and Recreationand#8217;s Ron Swanson? and#160;Combining his trademark comic voice and very real expertise in woodworkingand#151;he runs his own woodshopand#151;Paddle Your Own Canoeand#160;featuresand#160;talesand#160;from Offermanand#8217;s childhoodand#160;in small-town Minooka, Illinoisand#151;and#147;I grew up literally in the middle of a cornfieldand#8221;and#151;to his theater days in Chicago, beginnings as a carpenter/actor and the hilarious and magnificent seduction of his now-wife Megan Mullally.and#160;and#160;and#160;It also offersand#160;hard-bitten battle strategies in the arenas of manliness, love, style, religion, woodworking, and outdoor recreation, among many other savory entrees.
A mix of amusing anecdotes, opinionated lessons and rants, sprinkled with offbeat gaiety,and#160;Paddle Your Own Canoeand#160;will not only tickle readers pink but may also rouse them to put down their smart phones, study a few sycamore leaves, and maybe even hand craft (and paddle) their own canoes.
About the Author
Leslie Knope has lived in Pawnee since her childhood. The community programs she enjoyed in her youth inspired her to pursue a life of public service and serve the city. Leslie is a member of several action committees in her role at city hall, including the Equal Opportunity Committee, the Fun in the Sun Committee, the Clean Restroom Task Force, the Handicapped Restroom Task Force and the Task Force to Reduce the Number of Public Restrooms.Her goal is to become the first female President of the United States. Leslie is the Deputy Parks Director of Pawnee's parks and recreation department, a mid-level bureaucrat position. She hopes to advance her career (possibly aiming to jump over the department's Director position and become a City Manager) and improve her town. Leslie also has a love for sweets, especially whipped cream, as she usually adds excessively large amounts to coffee, waffles and other food.