Just a Guy

Notes from a Blue Collar Life

By: Bill Engvall, Alan Eisenstock

Narrated by: Bill Engvall

Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Blue Collar Comedy star Bill Engvall is just a guy. He's been one his whole life. He can't help it; he was born that way. And that makes him an expert on the subject. For the record, here's the official definition of a guy: a person who doesn't think before he speaks. He can't. He's not that deep. Because a guy has only three basic needs: eating, sleeping, and sex. That's it. Just a Guy chronicles a lifetime in pursuit of those needs.

In this memoir, Bill Engvall takes you on the rollicking ride of his life, including his childhood in Texas and adolescence in Arizona (where he became a fixture in local emergency rooms, the result of massive amounts of non-thinking behavior while trying to impress girls or torture his sisters); following his dream as a stand-up comic and, gulp, singer; and his brief stint in children's theater while sharing the stage and the back of a van with the director's dog. You'll also hear about his bumbling and riotous courtship of, and then marriage to, Gail, the love of his life. And finally, Bill talks about fatherhood and remaining, to this day, a well-meaning but flawed parent.

Through it all, Bill gamely stumbles along, struggling to maintain a facade of confidence and control. Far from a superhero, Bill Engvall is an everyday Everyman, the poster boy for normal. The result is disarming, perceptive, wildly funny, and unexpectedly moving. Just a Guy will make you laugh out loud and tug at your heart.

©2007 Bill Engvall (P)2007 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC

Just a Guy

Entertaining, fun and insightful. A great book that also lets you get to know the real man behind the comedy. Some good, life lessons.

Absolutely funny

I’ve watched the blue collar comedy videos, so I figured I’d download this book and give a listen on my road trip, I could stop listening, Bill definitely keeps you entertained.

Just another Guy that can Relate

Its good to know that I'm not letting down the human race in my mind wanting to prefect the John Wayne stride.

Just A Guy

I just purchased and listened to this book. I like Bill Engvall as a comedian and thought I'd enjoy the book. I was not disappointed. There were some very sad parts, but for the most part the book was breezy and funny like the author. I don't normally review books, but thoroughly enjoyed this one. It is refreshing also to see the love and respect he has for his wife and the love he expresses throughout for his children and family.

hysterical...

If you like his standup, you will enjoy the book. I hope he is as nice as he paints himself to be.

Awesome!!!

Love listening to Engvall. Had the chance to meet him during one of his shows back in the early 2000s; awesome guy and really entertaining. This is one of my favorite non-fiction books in par with Tim Allen’s “Don’t Stand Too Close to a Naked Man”. Definitely worth the read/listen.

Much better than I expected

I downloaded this book, thinking it would be about Bill's time with the "Blue Collar Comedy" tour. I was pleasantly surprised to find it really is about his life *before* he was "discovered". In fact, this book showcases Bill's talent of taking the absolutely mundane and making you laugh. I couldn't help but laugh and smile as I listened. People in the grocery store probably thought I was a bit out there as I walked the aisles grinning and chuckling while I listened. Bill's comedy, like many others, has always included his family, but now I feel as though he has let the reader into his life in a much more personal way. It is refreshing to realize that this is no "tell all" book, instead it is a story about a guy.

I recommend this book to any of Bill Engvall's fans!

honesty + humor =Bill Engvall

laughed every minute. A true testimony of a guy being a guy. everyone will enjoy this book

Just a Guy!!

Enjoyed this book very much. Bill was right. You're going to laugh and cry. I did both.
Bill you're human. Thank you

Unexpected breakaway from stand-up

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, it was heart-warming supported by Engvall's humorus view on life.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Just a Guy?

Dinner with his stepmom

Have you listened to any of Bill Engvall’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have seen and heard many if his on-stage stand up shows. This differs as it is not a few lines, then funny. He talks about his life but ties in humor along the way.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

My extreme reaction was being able to see my husband's point of view/ a man's reasoning.

Any additional comments?

Recommended for easy listening.