I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This!: ...and Other Things That Strike Me as Funny [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Bob Newhart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 20, 2006

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Newhart's deadpan delivery, slight stammer and expert comedic pauses make this audiobook memoir an indispensable purchase for fans. Newhart's persona was always the everyman ("Men usually think I was in the army with them. And the women think I was their first husband and usually say, 'Hey, stupid, I haven't had a check...' and then catch themselves."). He modestly explains his comedy origins, which led to a recording career (his first two comedy albums won him three 1960 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year). Nightclub appearances segued to movies (he hilariously explains how he tried to get fired from Hell Is for Heroes) and TV sitcom success (The Bob Newhart Show from 1972–1978 and Newhart from 1982–1990). Newhart peppers his breezy memoir with a sampling of some of his classic comedy routines (including "The Driving Instructor," "Grace L. Ferguson Airline and Storm Door Co." and "King Kong and the Night Watchman"), and his timing remains impeccable.
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Review

"Bob Newhart is a great comedian and a great American." -- David Hyde Pierce --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Audio CD: 3 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; Abridged edition (September 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401384862
• ISBN-13: 978-1401384869
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,265,388 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bob Newhart - Comic Genius and All Around Great Guy, September 30, 2006

By 

George McAdams (Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This!: And Other Things that Strike Me as Funny (Hardcover)

Bob Newhart's book, I SHOULDN'T EVEN BE DOING THIS, is what one would expect from a man of his character: well-written, insightful, humorous, and kind to others. I feel very fortunate that he has been an acquaintance of mine for the past 13 years or so. I say "acquaintance" because we aren't close friends that remember each other at Christmas and on birthdays, but we do e-mail each other from time-to-time. Actually, now that I think about it, he has remembered to snail mail me when I've had an operation or two. However, I digress.

The book is well written, it is brief as compared to most tomes these days; however, it hits on the main points of his life. I have listened to the abridged audio version (I haven't found an unabridged version), and found it to be enjoyable; however, the book has so much more of his antedotes that I would recommend it first to a Newhart fan.

The beginning wasn't always easy and the book describes in detail his evolution from accountant to comedian, sharing comicial moments along the way, and his having the top two albums on the Billboard chart for one year. As Bob describes it, the following year he received a Grammy, a Peabody, and a pink slip (when his first TV show, a variety program, was cancelled). That setback did not deter him as it allowed him to place more emphasis on his stand-up comedy routines.

If you are younger than 45, you probably aren't familiar with his comedy routines, and his book will introduce you to several, notably "The USS Codfish," "Sir. Walter Raleigh," and his "Abe Lincoln PR" routines. If you are familiar with them, he gives you insight into their development. The routines are as fresh today as they were then. The routines are available on CD, and one might be tempted to buy just THE BOB NEWHART ANTHOLOGY, but let me warn you, not all of his routines are on that one, so peruse BEHIND THE BUTTON DOWN MIND, and the other CD's, too.

While Bob touches on "comedy," he tells you that this book is not an esoteric dissertation on what is comedy and how you write it; however, he offered enough insights to make the reader realize that successful comedy is a serious business.

Several highlights for me in his book were:

1. Him talking about his romance with his wife Virginia, Ginny. It gives the reader a true insight into as aspect of him that most don't know about.
2. How the closing scene of "Newhart" came about. I remember it being described by TV Guide's editors as the most famous TV finale, and critics and viewers consistently rank it alike as one of the Top 5 scenes from any TV show.
3. Bob's description of his lack of ability as a handyman around the house. I can also confirm that he is probably not a computer genius just from the manner in which we both evolved from the Prodigy computer network, and its relative friendly way of handling e-mail, to other Internet Service Providers (ISP). I remember it was a long six-weeks (or was it six-months?) before Bob made the transition from replying to my e-mails by just hitting reply to where he had to type-in my new ISP's address. An equally trepidatious moment for me was when Bob changed to a different ISP.
4. His friendship with Don Rickles, which to some may seem unusual, but it gave me new insight to that time he wrote, "sorry to be so long in replying. We went to China with the Rickles and I caught the flu." Now, I can picture Bob, with camcorder, on the Great Wall, head uncovered, taking the shots of everyone else.

I would recommend this book to any and everyone who has enjoyed Bob Newhart over the years. It is not a "tell-all" book, that is not the nature of this very nice man, who over the years has been so kind as to provide so many autographed pictures of himself to all of my relatives that many outsiders to our family think we are related to him. If only we were so lucky.

BTW, for accuracy, since I am a little ADHD, I asked Bob to glance over this review. His comment was..."Thanks for the review. As Fox would say, I found it "fair and balanced" especially the part of about being friends." I guess we're not just acquaintances.

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This, January 28, 2008

By 

Charles A. Reap Jr. (Pittsboro, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This: And Other Things That Strike Me as Funny (Paperback)

Being a long-time Bob Newhart fan I could hardly wait to buy this book. As would be expected, Bob tosses out his genteel type of humor in his telling. It's hard to put down.

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a very funny book, April 20, 2008

By 

Stephen Williams "Stephen Williams" (Hawthorne, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Bob Newhart is one of the funniest people alive. We have been laughing at his droll humor and perfect timing for forty years. His hilarious sketches are delivered with a superb talent and an almost inexplicable gift. His humor is honest and is not delivered at the expense of anyone. This book conveys a real sense of the stage performance that we all love.

This is a very funny book.