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)

Wholehearted Offerman Goodness

If you could sum up Paddle Your Own Canoe in three words, what would they be?

Learn tips on how to please a lady, motivation to get your butt off the couch, and a few other chuckles along the journey.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Paddle Your Own Canoe?

A review of which substances to try in one's life and which one's to avoid.

What about Nick Offerman’s performance did you like?

This really could only be read by the man himself to get the points across in his own words.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

I throughly enjoyed this book.

It was pure pleasure to read Nick's self-bio. It's unusual to hear his mix of optimism, empathy, creativity & determination. He does it all so well & adds a few simple, earthy suggestions to aid others who are struggling to reach for their goals & dreams while navigating their way through this lifetime. I will certainly be reading his next book!

Outstanding book!

Where does Paddle Your Own Canoe rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was one of my favourite audiobooks - funny, charming, interesting and a little inspiring. It makes you want to, not just paddle your own canoe, but build your own canoe first!

What does Nick Offerman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

It's great that Nick Offerman reads his own autobiography. You can hear him smiling as he reminisces - it makes you smile too :)

Any additional comments?

Get this book! It was such a great listen.

A great tale of love, labor, theatre & woodworking

The honest and true story of how Nick Offerman came to be and how to appreciate and live a meaningful life.

Wow

This might just have been the inspiration that I have been earning for. nick my dear sweet nick, the yarn you have spun turn out to be quite the quilt. Keep on keeping on brother.

nick is hilarious

a riot. laughed on my way to work almost everyday I was listening to thjs.

Definitely get the audio version

Really great book, especially when read by Nick Offerman himself. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Awesome!

This is one of the few I will listen to again and again. And this is the only book, out of many, I have liked enough to review.

Masterful truths in a fun to listen package

Mr Offerman's words wrap you in a safe burrito of truth, love and honesty. Maybe a bit too honest at times, but I could have turned the book off or skipped ahead if needed.

Ron's just a character

Very enjoyable and enlightening. Ron Swanson is a character, not an actual person so don't expect a Ron Swanson biography. A story about a hilarious guy is what you get.