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Man, what a loss. What a career! The book is a great read, very funny and spry.
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I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This and Other Things That Strike Me as Funny
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The first book ever from an icon of American comedy -- a hilarious combination of stories from his career and observations about life That stammer. Those basset-hound eyes. That bone-dry wit. There has never been another comedian like Bob Newhart. His comedy albums, movies, and two hit television series have made him a national treasure and placed him firmly in the pantheon of comedy legends. Who else has a drinking game named after him And now, at last, Newhart puts his brilliant and hysterical world view on paper. Never a punch-line comic, always more of a storyteller, he tells anecdotes from throughout his life and career, including his beginnings as an accountant and the groundbreaking success of his comedy albums and The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart , which gave him fifteen years on primetime television. And he also gives his wry, comedic twist to a multitude of topics, including golf, drinking, and family holidays. Today, Newhart appears on Desperate Housewives , in hit movies such as Elf , and in theaters around the country. Reruns of his shows air constantly on Nick at Nite -- have recently been released with great success for the first time ever on DVD. With this book, Bob Newhart gives his millions of fans a first ever opportunity to sample his unique brand of humor -- including excerpts from some of his classic routines -- on the printed page.
239 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1,2006
This edition
- Format
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239 pages, Hardcover
- Published
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January 1, 2006 by Hyperion
- ISBN
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9781401302467
- ASIN
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1401302467
- Language
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English
About the author
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George Robert Newhart was an American comedian and actor. Newhart was known for his deadpan and stammering delivery style. Beginning his career as a stand-up comedian, he transitioned his career to acting in television. He received numerous accolades, including three Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2002.
Newhart came to prominence in 1960 when his record album of comedic monologues, The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, became a bestseller and reached number one on the Billboard pop album chart and won two Grammy Awards for Album of the Year, and Best New Artist. That same year he released his follow-up album, The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back! (1960), which was also a success, and the two albums held the Billboard number one and number two spots simultaneously. He later released several additional comedy albums.
Newhart hosted a short-lived NBC variety show, The Bob Newhart Show (1961), before starring as Chicago psychologist Robert Hartley on The Bob Newhart Show from 1972 to 1978. For the latter, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Male TV Star. He then starred as Vermont innkeeper Dick Loudon on the series Newhart from 1982 to 1990, where he received three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. He also starred in two short-lived sitcoms, Bob (1992–1993) and George and Leo (1997–1998).
Newhart also acted in the films Hell Is for Heroes (1962), Hot Millions (1968), Catch-22 (1970), Cold Turkey (1971), In & Out (1997), and Elf (2003), and voiced Bernard in the Disney animated film The Rescuers (1977) and its sequel (1990). Newhart played Professor Proton on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory from 2013 to 2018, for which he received his first-ever career Emmy Award, for the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. He also reprised his role in The Big Bang Theory prequel spin-off series Young Sheldon (2017–2020).
Newhart came to prominence in 1960 when his record album of comedic monologues, The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, became a bestseller and reached number one on the Billboard pop album chart and won two Grammy Awards for Album of the Year, and Best New Artist. That same year he released his follow-up album, The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back! (1960), which was also a success, and the two albums held the Billboard number one and number two spots simultaneously. He later released several additional comedy albums.
Newhart hosted a short-lived NBC variety show, The Bob Newhart Show (1961), before starring as Chicago psychologist Robert Hartley on The Bob Newhart Show from 1972 to 1978. For the latter, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Male TV Star. He then starred as Vermont innkeeper Dick Loudon on the series Newhart from 1982 to 1990, where he received three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. He also starred in two short-lived sitcoms, Bob (1992–1993) and George and Leo (1997–1998).
Newhart also acted in the films Hell Is for Heroes (1962), Hot Millions (1968), Catch-22 (1970), Cold Turkey (1971), In & Out (1997), and Elf (2003), and voiced Bernard in the Disney animated film The Rescuers (1977) and its sequel (1990). Newhart played Professor Proton on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory from 2013 to 2018, for which he received his first-ever career Emmy Award, for the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. He also reprised his role in The Big Bang Theory prequel spin-off series Young Sheldon (2017–2020).
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Rating(4 / 5.0, 100 votes)
5 stars
38(38%)
4 stars
28(28%)
3 stars
34(34%)
2 stars
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This was a pleasant surprise, mainly because I am not a big Bob Newhart fan. I'm not even a medium Bob Newhart fan. I got this book out of the library for my mother and was curious enough to read it for my own pleasure. And this is a pleasurable book to read for those of us who grew up during the 1970s and 1980s. You do have to be familiar with Bob Newhart's TV and stand-up work in order to get all of the in-jokes.
Newhart goes beyond simple autobiography and recopying some of his stand-up bits to explain his version of comedy and the comedians who have influenced him the most. This doesn't get five stars, though, because sometimes Newhart starts an explanation or story and then it just peters out or stops. Well, no one can be perfect.
Newhart goes beyond simple autobiography and recopying some of his stand-up bits to explain his version of comedy and the comedians who have influenced him the most. This doesn't get five stars, though, because sometimes Newhart starts an explanation or story and then it just peters out or stops. Well, no one can be perfect.
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I love, love, love Bob Newhart, but the book wasn't great. It was good and crossed the okay border, but it wasn't great. I'm not sure what I expected, but I think it was more of a narrative of life and less of his comedy bits. They were good, but it's not why I bought the book. Okay, maybe this is me being cranky. I've read a lot of biographies and auto biographies and books that aren't biographical but are written by the subject - not sure where this one fits.
Anyway, I'm not sorry I read it. It just didn't blow me away.
Anyway, I'm not sorry I read it. It just didn't blow me away.
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The title is accurate.
Bob Newhart is simply one of the greatest comedians of all time. So I was excited when I found out that he had written a book -- and an autobiography, no less! But the book is a major disappointment, eschewing the careful construction he puts into his comedy with unfocused rambling and filler. LOTS of filler. Not once, but over and over again, Newhart (perhaps to fill some contractual obligation regarding word count?) recreates his most successful comedic monologues word for word, without bothering to attempt to provide any insight or segue into the material. It's insultingly lazy as a writer, and worse, it repeatedly illustrates
how very different the two art forms are: comic routines that are brilliant as stand-up material on the stage or on a record album fall flat over and over in this book. Stand- up requires precise delivery and timing that just don't translate into book format ( or at least they don't in this book). Furthermore, the anecdotes are treated as an after thought. At one point, for example, Newhart tells an anecdote about a sketch he did on Saturday Night Live, and confuses Chris Elliott with David Spade. If his memory is failing with age, couldn't his editing team at least hire a fact checker?
Bob Newhart is simply one of the greatest comedians of all time. So I was excited when I found out that he had written a book -- and an autobiography, no less! But the book is a major disappointment, eschewing the careful construction he puts into his comedy with unfocused rambling and filler. LOTS of filler. Not once, but over and over again, Newhart (perhaps to fill some contractual obligation regarding word count?) recreates his most successful comedic monologues word for word, without bothering to attempt to provide any insight or segue into the material. It's insultingly lazy as a writer, and worse, it repeatedly illustrates
how very different the two art forms are: comic routines that are brilliant as stand-up material on the stage or on a record album fall flat over and over in this book. Stand- up requires precise delivery and timing that just don't translate into book format ( or at least they don't in this book). Furthermore, the anecdotes are treated as an after thought. At one point, for example, Newhart tells an anecdote about a sketch he did on Saturday Night Live, and confuses Chris Elliott with David Spade. If his memory is failing with age, couldn't his editing team at least hire a fact checker?
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This was a nice book. Not really an insightful book about Bob Newhart and what he thinks deeply about life, more of a comedy. I liked the book. I wanted to love it because I like Bob Newhart, but it missed something. He didn't reflect much on his childhood, but did go into detail about how he got into comedy. He focuses especially on his friendship with Don Rickles. He puts many of his comedy bits from the 'Button Down Mind' album, but when you read them in print, it misses something. Made me want to get the albums. He commented in passing on the slights and his dislike of some other comedians, which was interesting. I'd recommend this book and it's a quick read. It's a nice book. Not a great one, but a good book.
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This was a surprise little-free-library find and I really liked it. The whole thing reads perfectly as Newhart's voice, and it's full of jokes, observations and even entire classic comedy routines. I laughed out loud a few times which reading this, and there are some great little stories, and it's completely unpretentious and affable. A little kids-these-days crankiness doesn't detract from how pleasant my experience with this book was overall. Thanks Bob!
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I love Bob Newhart and his career, so it disappoints me to give his book a low rating. While it does have a few funny lines spread about, I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This! was dull, lack-luster, and mediocre.
My main problem was that it's not really a memoir at all. Bob spends %95 percent of time recounting transcripts of old comedy sketches (that would be more entertaining if performed and not in written form), stories from other people's lives, and hardly any reflection on his personal or professional life. I'm sure some of it would have been more enjoyable had I chosen the audio version instead. Newhart's iconic voice is largely what makes him funny, and comedy is all about voice and deliverance.
This made for a short read, and it was nice hearing about Bob's close friendship with Don Rickles, but I'm dismayed how he barely touched upon his life. Newhart is one of my favorite shows and I wanted to learn more about it, Bob's life, his co-workers, and other ventures.
My main problem was that it's not really a memoir at all. Bob spends %95 percent of time recounting transcripts of old comedy sketches (that would be more entertaining if performed and not in written form), stories from other people's lives, and hardly any reflection on his personal or professional life. I'm sure some of it would have been more enjoyable had I chosen the audio version instead. Newhart's iconic voice is largely what makes him funny, and comedy is all about voice and deliverance.
This made for a short read, and it was nice hearing about Bob's close friendship with Don Rickles, but I'm dismayed how he barely touched upon his life. Newhart is one of my favorite shows and I wanted to learn more about it, Bob's life, his co-workers, and other ventures.
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I'd heard good things about this book, especially if you could get the audio version read by Bob Newhart. I couldn't get the audio, but I did read it and since I'm familiar with his comedy routine, I heard the bits in his voice.
He's always seemed a kind, pleasant person with a funny perspective and manner, and this book was consistent with that persona. There were no shocking revelations, no true confessions, nothing distastefule or even deeply gossipy. It was a pleasant read.
He's always seemed a kind, pleasant person with a funny perspective and manner, and this book was consistent with that persona. There were no shocking revelations, no true confessions, nothing distastefule or even deeply gossipy. It was a pleasant read.
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