Just a Guy: Notes from a Blue Collar Life (Hardcover)

~ Bill Engvall (Author), Alan Eisenstock (Author) "Welcome to the story of my life..." (more)
Key Phrases: fantasy camp, John Wayne, Michael O'Keefe, Bat Boat (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this rather bland attempt at the humorous sensitive-man memoir that seems to be a prerequisite for a certain type of middle-aged comic (e.g., Cosby, Reiser, Romano), Engvall tries to cram his whole life into one book rather than stick to one theme (marriage, fatherhood, etc.). The end result is 46 micro-chapters that never really deliver the same laughs that have made him a part of the successful Blue Collar comedy quartet. But there is interesting material: Engvall reminisces about starting at the bottom of the entertainment business, first as a stand-in and extra on movie sets and later playing chauffeur to some of the biggest names of comedy. But these tales are given short shrift so Engvall can focus on his childhood love of baseball, his favorite car as a teenager and his partying a lot in college. In the end, Engvall realizes that "all guys are the same," and that's why the sensitive parts of the book—Engvall's parents' divorce or the pain of leaving his family to go on the road—are the ones that truly stand out. (May)
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Product Description

What does it mean to be JUST A GUY?
--A guy doesn’t think before he speaks.
--Eating and sleeping always come first. Always.
--A guy may get married, but he doesn’t have to like it.
--It’s tough to admit, but all guys are exactly the same.
 

Blue Collar Comedy Star Bill Engvall is JUST A GUY.  He’s been one his whole life.  He can’t help it.  He was born that way.  And that makes him an expert on the subject.   

For the record, here’s the official definition of a guy:  A person who doesn’t think before he speaks.  He can’t.  He’s not that deep.  Because a guy has only three basic needs: eating, sleeping, and sex.  That’s it.  JUST A GUY chronicles a lifetime in pursuit of those needs.
 
In this hilarious and heartfelt memoir, Bill Engvall takes you on the rollicking ride of his life, beginning with his childhood in Texas and adolescence in Arizona, becoming a fixture in local emergency rooms, the result of massive amounts of non-thinking behavior trying to impress girls or torture his sisters; to high school in Dallas where he dabbled in an array of truly odd jobs, learned the trombone, and came of age, all strangely connected; to college and his tenure as his fraternity’s social chairman, where he masterminded a series of legendary parties and attempted to rescue his pet bird while the house was burning down (not his fault, honest); to following his dream as a standup comic and, gulp, singer; to his brief stint in children’s theater while sharing the stage and the back of a van with the director’s dog, and as a movie extra with forked tongue and cloth claws; to his bumbling and riotous courtship, then marriage to Gail, the love of his life; and, finally, fatherhood, where he remains, to this day, a well-meaning, but flawed parent.
 
Through it all, Bill gamely stumbles along, struggling to maintain a façade of confidence and control.  Far from a superhero, Bill Engvall is an everyday Everyman, the poster boy for normal.  The result is JUST A GUY who is disarming, perceptive, wildly funny, and unexpectedly moving. 
 
JUST A GUY will make you laugh out loud and tug at your heart. 
 
Hopefully, not at the same time.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (May 29, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312362676
• ISBN-13: 978-0312362676
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #789,291 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting, but not particularly humorous., June 6, 2007

By	C. Bedford Crenshaw "the Rebel Rockhopper" (Indiana) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book was very interesting, to say the least. Engvall wrote on his life in many subsections, making each to the point without having to add extra words to fill out a chapter. From his childhood antics, to his college antics, to his start as a comedian, to meeting his wife, this was a book that waqs hard to put down.

However, very little actually made me laugh. This is more an autobiography than an attempt at humor. You shouldn't buy this book because you want humor; you buy this book because you want to know more about Engvall.

4.0 out of 5 stars Fast out of the gate - fades in the homestretch, January 29, 2010

By	Anita L. Wilson "Lynn Hill" (Palestine, Tx) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This review is from: Just a Guy (Kindle Edition)

I found this book to be like a strong sprinting horse - fast out of the gate with hilarious floor-rolling stories from his youth, only to lose my interest as he entered the college and professional years. I was roaring with laughter over the stories of the misadventures of his childhood, but found his tales of college and finding his professional way to be just like a million other 'how I found my comic career' stories.

4.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected!, July 9, 2009

By	Nichole L. Neel "KoliKole" (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

this is a great book about bill's life and what he's gone through to be the man he is today