First published 2013
Nick Offerman examines what it means to live authentically in modern America. The Parks and Recreation star combines personal stories with practical wisdom about craftsmanship, relationships, and self-reliance. Offerman traces his journey from a cornfield childhood in Minooka, Illinois through Chicago theater to Hollywood success. He shares how he courted his wife Megan Mullally and built his woodworking business alongside his acting career. The book delivers Offerman's philosophy on topics from grilling meat to growing facial hair to disconnecting from technology. He argues for hands-on skills, outdoor activities, and creating things with your own hands. Offerman offers readers a blueprint for rejecting digital distractions in favor of tangible pursuits like woodworking and canoeing.
Genres: american, autobiography, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, self-reliance
Vibes: inspirational, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-journey, self-reliance
Setting: Minooka, Illinois, Chicago, Hollywood
Period: 21st-century
340 pages · Hardcover · Dutton