Customer Reviews

Me, Myself, and Bob: A True Story About God, Dreams, and Talking Vegetables

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
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Can 40-year-old Phil Vischer, creator of the astounding VeggieTales videos tell a great story in a heartfelt, yet entertaining, manner? Of course he can! And, he does. "Me, Myself, and Bob..." traces Vischer's personal history and gives readers insight into how the lovable Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomatoe rose to continue to have such a startling impact on a generation of young people and their families.

Using very touching anecdotes in a style the often punctuates with laughter, Vischer describes his early life in Muscatine, Iowa, his move to Illinois, and his college years. He shares the creative spark that developed from his friendship with Mike Nawrocki.

He also narrates in poignant detail the exciting rise and the devastating fall of the company he had lovingly developed to produce the VeggieTales videos.

Every young person growing up in a family devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ needs to read this book. Vischer has a unique ability to share his life experiences in a challenging and life-affirming manner. This story will help all young believers develop a firmer hold on the practicality of their faith in a real world.

This book will also motivate and entertain anyone who has a dream that remains unfulfilled. And, this book will speak words of both reality and hope to those who face challenges in their daily work environment.

I cannot recommend this book more highly. Vischer not only shares moments of spiritual renewal, he also offers clear and concise explanations of the lessons he learned from his business experiences.

Perhaps one of the most succinct summaries of the mindset of Phil Vischer comes from his statement: "Life is tricky. God gave us all the freedom to choose, and with that gift comes the freedom to choose poorly...But as I think you'll see in my story, God has an uncanny ability to redeem our mistakes. To use them for good."

In Chapter 21, Vischer carefully and insightfully shares some deep spiritual truths that he learned from the experience of seeing his dream come to life and then die. In a poignant yet powerful manner, he shares how God revealed His truth in a life-transforming way. Everyone who reads this book and arrives at this chapter, already filled with heart-wrenching identification with what Vischer experienced, will come away with a significant dose of hopefulness. For it is in this chapter that Vischer provides the "You see, Timmy" moment that flows to the heart of the meaning behind the journey.

May God indeed use this most excellent, funny, deeply moving, and practically inspiring narrative for good; to touch the lives of every reader.

Phil Vischer had a dream. As he describes in his autobiography, he felt called by God to create Christian alternatives to mass media. And he wanted to be good at it. From an early age, he had an interest in film. As an adult, he transitioned that to computer production and eventually started Big Idea and VeggieTales.

But all was not smooth sailing. The company mushroomed then crumbled, ending in bankruptcy. Just what went wrong? Well, that's what this book is all about.

And it's a highly entertaining read. Phil interjects his narration with the dry wit and funny stories you'd expect from the man behind VeggieTales. But by no means is it a woe-is-me story. Phil takes much of the blame for what happened and goes out of his way to not name many of the players in the story. The last two chapters detail what Phil learned from all this. He talks about business lessons and the Spiritual growth he experienced as a result of losing everything he thought he was to do.

I found the book almost impossible to put down and the last few chapters are very moving. This is a must read for any VeggieTales fan who wants the inside scope on what really happened to their favorite Veggies.

In ME, MYSELF, & BOB, Phil Vischer tells of his meteroic rise to success and fame as the creator of the best-selling, direct-to-video CG hit series VeggieTales and the equally swift collapse of his dream to become the next Walt Disney (or the Christian Walt Disney). And he does it with all the liveliness and wit of a VeggieTales Silly Song. His writing is very visual ("I'd sort of freeze up like a garden hose left outside in a Minnesota winter.") and salty ("Financial resources are like teeth--ignore them and they'll go away.") And, like a VeggieTales video, it's a bit of a morality play--one that makes no apology for being thoroughly Christocentric but, also like a VeggieTale, doesn't become explicitly Scriptural until the last chapter.

This book can be read on a number of levels--as one man's rise, fall, and rebirth; as a critique of (take your pick) American capitalism, corporate managerial fads, hero worship (Vischer's of Disney), the American dream, the shallowness and cynicism of Hollywood, and the Protestant work ethic; or as a theological lesson on the importance of putting God first, last, and in between. While it would be hard to call Vischer humble, he does a good job of examining his motives and mistakes, and he does so with the grace (or good sense) not to blame others (well, at least not to name them or give us enough information so we can easily identify them). The closing chapters in which he recounts what he has learned from his VeggieTales roller coaster ride are sincere and wise. He discusses the difference between dreams and visions on the one hand and "God's revelation" on the other. His description of the pain of losing something you are certain God had led you to pursue is nuanced and convincing. While he never compares himself to Job (the biblical character you would think he would most identify with), his is truly a story of of a man richly blessed by God, stripped naked by the Accuser, tormented, and ultimately restored to God and doubly blessed. A very inspiring story.

I first thought this would be a book entirely about Big Idea Productions, the company Phil founded to make VeggieTales videos. That's true, but there's so much more. Me, Myself, and Bob is the story of Phil and the dream he had to be busy for God.

Phil's story is classic for entrepreneurs of our age and temper. His initial struggle just to earn enough to eat, followed by rapid growth and profit, only to fail via bankruptcy. You can read this book like a classic case of business management, for the lesson learned is timeless. You can't just say "this one thing" caused Big Idea to fail, nor can you say "it's all this person's fault." There were several factors involved. Phil doesn't point fingers at his staff - he hired them after all. No, Phil accepts the blame himself. He does point out the errors that were made by everyone but still manages to bring them all back to himself and his own personal decisions.

You can also read this as the spiritual journey of one man and his search for purpose, acceptance, and ultimately, his search for God.

The book is far stronger as a spiritual journey than as a case study of business management but that's to be expected from a man devoted to telling Biblical stories with talking vegetables.

Fans of Big Idea and VeggieTales will appreciate the inside look at the company and background story for Phil Vischer.

This is a great book. It works on many levels: as a biography, as a business case study, and as an inspirational story about not letting your dreams become your idols. Vischer's casual style and sense of humor will draw you in. The story of how Veggie Tales and Big Idea came into being is fascinating; the story of how Big Idea fell apart is heartbreaking; the lessons we all learn from Vischer's experiences are invaluable.

Talk about getting yourself into a pickle! Phil Vischer, the creative mastermind behind the wildly successful VeggieTales, gives us an inside look at the slicing and dicing of his dream.

"Me, Myself, & Bob" has the trademarks of many a good autobiography: honesty, self-assessment without self-pity, and questions that resonate with us all. From humble Midwest beginnings, to the enchantments of Walt Disney, to the not-so-innocent offerings of MTV, Phil gives us peeks into his isolated childhood and his desire to do something great for God. His parents' divorce drove him deeper into a shell, where he thrived on exploring film and animation. These gifts led him through trials and struggles, but eventually to the formation of a studio which would break sales records and become a household name to many.

The success was proof of God's blessing, wasn't it? In the name of American Christianity, wouldn't it be even more godly to make things bigger and better--a Christian rival to the "valueless" entertainment from Disney?

The story of VeggieTales rise and fall is sobering, full of lessons for all who think they have a "vision." Phil Vischer challenges this way of thinking, presenting his own life as a cautionary tale. He does so with humor, humility, and final thoughts on what it means to truly receive and follow revelation from God. After the stew he got himself into, Phil shows he has learned to serve a God larger and yet much more intimate than the idols of wealth and success. The story reads quickly, but the concepts here are ones to use for a lifetime.

Excellent on so many levels. This enjoyable book is interesting just as much as a story about the business as it is a story about the author's personal process as the business rises and falls. If there were more stars available this book would get them as well. You'll not regret your purchase, in fact, buy two that way you'll have one to give away as you recommend it to your friends. I laughed and I cried and I enjoyed every minute of it.

A very interesting story of a fellow who had a serious dream shattered, but picked himself up, dusted himself off and moved on with a new zeal for life. A classic case of closing doors before new ones open.

This book had to have been an exercise in humility to write. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Phil Vischer after reading his story. My wife and I learned about the Veggie Tales in the late 90's after receiving a recommendation from some of our friends. We've been fans ever since and have 3 kids who have all grown up with Bob, Larry, and the Veggie crew. It's hard to believe so much was going on (good and bac) behind the scenes at Big Idea as we all laughed and sang along with the Veggies at home.

A great story about one man's Christian journey through the world of business and his growing relationship with God! As an entrepreneur in the early stages of several companies, the lessons taught are invaluable. As a Christian who is always dreaming, setting goals, and striving for worldly "success" this book has made me step back and re-evaluate my life and relationship with Him.

On business, Phil talks about the early stages in computer animation world in which he was a revolutionary. He teaches about money and cash flow in relation to running a company. He discusses leadership and his struggle to run a profitable "Christian" company in a secular world with non-believers all around. What's amazing to me that through it all, this is not a book that points blame anywhere but the on it's author. In fact, the names of anyone in which others might have placed blame are not ever mentioned!

On Christianity, it's inspirational to read a true story showing the Christian walk and struggle illustrated by Henry Blackaby in his devotional study Experiencing God. Blackaby writes, "If you start something and it does not seem to go well, consider carefully that God, on purpose, may not be authenticating what you told the people because it did not come from Him, but from your own head. You may have wanted to do something outstanding for God and forgot that God does not want that. He wants you to be available to Him, and more important, to be obedient to Him."

What a powerful book! A must read for Veggie Tales fans, Christians, and business people alike. Lessons to be learned by all.

I just got finished reading this and was totally blown away. I really appreciated his honesty and openness about what happened to Big Idea and this reaffirmed my feelings about the other so-called business books out there: it's easy to look like a genius when you study successful companies and draw contrasts, but the same methods don't work for every company.

Phil is a great storyteller, and I'm pleased to have been let into his world for a few hours.