Book Review: Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America's Gutsiest Troublemakers

Title: Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America’s Gutsiest Troublemakers, Nick Offerman
Print Length: 416 pages
Publisher: Dutton
Publication Date: May 26, 2015

S Y N O P S I S

You may be familiar with the on screen work of comedian and actor, Nick Offerman, but have you read his books? Because if you haven’t, you really should. As a follow up to his popular autobiography, Paddle Your Own Canoe, Offerman brings us Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America’s Gutsiest Troublemakers. Highlighting twenty one of his favorite America heroes; Nick Offerman’s short essays focus on the people who have and continue to inspire him. As would be expected from someone like Nick Offerman, his book is humorous while being simultaneously enlightening. His essays span multiple topics; offering his views on religion, politics, woodworking, agriculture and the arts.

M Y T A K E

While readers may not agree on every single point in Offerman’s book, I believe that there’s something to be taken away from his literary offerings and find it hard not to appreciate his point of view. I actually loved this book and found it to be funny, engaging and thoughtful. I am a huge fan of Nick Offerman – and at first was a little worried that his book may detract from my view of him as a comedian and actor, but his book only made me a bigger fan.

If you’re looking for (what I believe to be) a great book about America’s history and some pretty interesting people’s lives through the lens of an equally interesting American – try this one out.

Also – if you’re not into reading check out the audiobook version, it’s read by the author himself so it’s that much more awesome. #winning.
Buy it at Barnes and Noble
Buy it on Amazon
Listen to it from Audible

A B O U T T H E A U T H O R

NICK OFFERMAN is an actor, humorist, and woodworker. He is married to the most beautiful and talented actress working today, Megan Mullally. They live in Los Angeles, California, with their poodles and an impressive collection of assorted wood clamps.

Memoir Monday: Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem

My Life on the Road

It's Memoir Monday and continuing with works inspired and written by women (it is women's history month after all), this week's memoir was My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem. For those unfamiliar with Steinem, she is in my opinion one of the most influential women's rights advocates and activists in this country. Not only was she huge in the women's rights movement, she was part of the civil rights movement and I found her memoir riveting and more importantly - a must read for humanity. If you are a human being - you need to read this.

Memoir Monday: Hunger Makes Me A Hungry Girl by Carrie Brownstein

Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl, Carrie Brownstein

Happy Monday!

Today is the beginning of a new series on The Book Gawker in which a memoir that I read the past week will be featured every Monday! Memoirs are some of my favorite books to read. They lend a sort of authenticity and relatability to people who we typically see from afar, their stories laid out for us to read or listen to in a such a way that we might understand the experiences that shaped their lives both privately and publicly.

It's Women's History Month, so I found it fitting that this week's memoir was, Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein. Maybe (presently) best known for her work in the comedy series, Portlandia, Carrie Brownstein first made her name known as one third of the indie punk rock girl band trio, Sleater-Kinney. I found her memoir to be funny and insightful as she chronicled her days growing up in Redmond, Washington putting on talent shows with neighborhood children, to haunting record stores as a highschooler and eventually making her way into the indie punk rock scene after leaving college to pursue her career as a musician.