Paddle Your Own Canoe

One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living

By: Nick Offerman

Narrated by: Nick Offerman

Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Parks and Recreation 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 woman - who better to deliver this tutelage than the always charming, always manly Nick Offerman, best known as Parks and Recreation's Ron Swanson? Combining his trademark comic voice and very real expertise in woodworking - he runs his own woodshop - Paddle Your Own Canoe features tales from Offerman's childhood in small-town Minooka, Illinois - "I grew up literally in the middle of a cornfield" - to his theater days in Chicago, beginnings as a carpenter/actor and the hilarious and magnificent seduction of his now-wife Megan Mullally. It also offers 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, Paddle Your Own Canoe 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 handcraft (and paddle) their own canoes.

©2013 Nick Offerman (P)2013 Penguin

Critic reviews

“[Offerman] not only explores his Paul Bunyan-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.” (Entertainment Weekly)

“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 doesn’t gloss over embarrassing moments, including his two trips to jail during college at the University of Illinois - 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 rants…” (Chicago magazine)

“Thought-provoking, profane, and frequently hilarious…getting to know Offerman through his stumbling courtship with Megan Mullally and Kabuki theater training is well worth the price of admission.” (Publishers Weekly)

Outstanding book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. His story is so entertaining, I listened twice, so far. His narration of the book makes you not want to turn it off. It would be wonderful if everyone had passion for something like he has for the theater and for woodworking. Inspiring.

Offerman writes eloquently with mouth of a sailor

I've read this before and hearing it in Nick Offerman's voice was "delicious" to say the least! Whether you need inspiration, comfort in this dreary world, or just want to listen to your favorite comedic actor tell his life story, this book does a wonderful job on constantly engaging the listener/reader while making you laugh at a plethora of hijinks. Must read/listen!

Great book

Great book would recommend it. Nick Offerman tells his story the way it is meant to be heard.

Loved it!

this was truly an amazing listen! I cannot recommend this enough. I look forward to using the information Nick Offerman shares to help benefit my life and hobbies. His advice is great and worth listening to. Also, he is just funny as hell and his laugh just makes it all the better.

Good entertainment

could have done without the chapters about how great Will and Grace is... Seemed a bit trite talking about how lucky he was to score his cool wife. otherwise tons of great advice and some moving stories.

Good, funny book

Great listen with the author reading the book. Some repetition to the content of the book, but lots of comic relief which made it an enjoyable listen.

Nick Offerman

Love Nick Offerman and his honest embrace of the industry, power to him for staying so centered to who he is

Pure unadultered excellence

Nick Offerman proves that he is a true Renaissance Man. Compelling, witty, and funny are only a few compliments I can bestow upon this book and the author/performer.

very enjoyable book to listen to

if you like Offerman (or Ron Swanson for that matter) you'll enjoy the laughter and wisdom he brings here in his autobiography.

Loved it!

This book was awesome. I leaned a lot about Nick which I never knew before, discovered his road to acting success, and laughed frequently as he eloquently described his past ventures in acting, woodworking, and life in general. His advice is simply delicious!