Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living

Parks and Recreation actor and Making It co-host Nick Offerman shares his humorous fulminations on life, manliness, meat, and much more in this New York Times bestseller.

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 hand craft (and paddle) their own canoes.

• ISBN10: 052595421X
• ISBN13: 9780525954217
• Publish Date: 1 October 2013
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: E P Dutton & Co Inc
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 352
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780525954217

Reviews

[kerrydarkeyes]

Almost gave up a couple of chapters in when he veered super-preachy but I persevered. Definitely enjoyed the more memoir-y chapters (especially about his move to L.A. and his marriage) but not so much his tips to living, which come off as "I know better than you". Not terrible but probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone!

[elvinagb]

A great read from a great guy. I went to Nick's signing event here in Toronto. He was introduced, told a great joke (three guys, an Englishman, a Frenchman and a New Yorker, wash up on an island and are captured by cannibals.....)and set about signing his book. He was very gracious and of all the signings I've ever been to has been the only writer to ask about my name (an old Welsh Gaelic name). This guy pays attention to details.
The book as I said is great. I wish there were more pictures but the drawings inside were nice. If you get a chance check out the woodshop's web site at http://offermanwoodshop.com/. Enjoy the pictures, smell the wood shavings and don't be surprised at the price, this is what hand crafted costs people.