I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This: And Other Things that Strike Me as Funny
Written by Bob Newhart
Narrated by Bob Newhart
4/5
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Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
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.
A Hachette Audio production.
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Reviews for I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This
186 ratings20 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Excellent. I love Bob Newhart's comedy. His stories here are wonderfully funny...I was surprised at how many sections I highlighted. Some had me laughing out loud (literally...not the acronym thing). I got a chuckle from the part where he was sharing that he never understood why The Bob Newhart Show never won an Emmy:
We also didn't do shows on the heady material that Emmy voters seem to prefer. Our idea of a serious issue was when Emily and I were having a costume party at our apartment and Jerry arrives wearing an Uncle Sam costume. Then Marsha comes in wearing an Uncle Sam costume. Finally, Howard enters in the same Uncle Sam costume.
"That's weird," Jerry says, "We all rented the same costume."
"Howard replies, "What do you mean 'rented'?"
I could be Howard, because I don't have to rent my own Uncle Sam costume. The book reminded me how much I liked his two (successful) shows. Time to pull out the wayback machine and binge. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I have always enjoyed Bob Newhart and this was a great book. It was nice to learn a bit about his real "life." His writing is almost as funny as his live comedy.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Great read that sounds like a long conversation with Mr. Newhart. Well recommended.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bob as always is understated and amusing. Thoroughly enjoyed this one.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Love bob !! This is fabulous!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bob’s brand of humor is quick witted and timeless. How wonderful!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Loved it! Bob newhart is one of the greatest no doubt!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Love Bob Newhart! His book shares his journey, brings back terrific memories of catching him in various shows when I was a kid, and gives pointers on how - or how not - to get into stand up comedy. Who knew Bob Newhart could do impressions too?! Great listen.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5I just couldn't get into this. I was turned off by the story of the book's title and I guess if I didn't have the cd (Something Like This) reading the jokes would have been interesting. But what makes them funny is Newhart's delivery.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A sort-of autobiography of Bob Newhart, with various incidents from his life and career. Funny (though not laugh out loud funny) and informative (although not as insightful as you might wish). Still worth reading.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5While I enjoyed reading this book, I found it a little disjointed. It felt a bit as if the author was uncomfortable sharing his life in it. The comedy sketches fell flat for me on paper. I enjoy Newhart's deadpan delivery, his exquisite timing, and that doesn't come through on paper. Still there were some laugh-out-loud moments. It was interesting and I enjoyed the read.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Bob Newhart and Don Rickles are best friends! That was the most important information to be had in this book (don't get me wrong, that is certainly important to me.) It's one of the better comedy-memoirs I've read this year, though not earth-shatteringly insightful. Fun, though, for sure!
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Legendary comedian Bob Newhart, famous for his character-driven monologues, offers a breezy account of his life in his inimitable style in "I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This! And Other Things That Strike Me As Funny." Difficult to classify, the book is part autobiography, with a mix of some of Newhart's most beloved routines and an assortment of anecdotes. In some ways, the book reads like a written version of a full-length stage production of Newhart's life story.Fans of Newhart will appreciate many of the routines and anecdotes included here; younger people may be surprised to learn about Newhart's history, including the uncanny – even unimaginable – success of his first album, "The Buttoned-down Mind of Bob Newhart." In particular, Newhart's description of an exchange with Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show" is both hysterical and highly revealing of Newhart's personality and the mechanics of his comedy.Unfortunately, the rest of the book lacks similar depth, for the most part. Perhaps a lifetime of standup comedy, with a necessary detachment required of the comedian, prevents Newhart from offering more insight into his upbringing or his career; at times, though, it simply seems like Newhart is just trying to fulfill his book contract. Whatever the reason, the book feels like a missed opportunity to learn about the actual mind of Bob Newhart, recipient of the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.Instead, the book is simply an offering of funny stories and funny routines, pleasantly written and fairly brief. The time spent reading it would likely be better spent listening to one of Newhart's albums or watching one or two episodes of his beloved eponymous sitcoms.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Not very personal (like Steve Martin's autobio was), but still filled with pretty funny stories.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I remember the Bob Newhart show as kind of a background TV program as I was growing up. The adults watched it, but I was too young to appreciate it at the time, & it was something I associated with the Mary Tyler Moore Show. And then I have somewhat newer memories of commercials for the more-recent Newhart show, with the "Darryl, and my other brother Darryl" shtick, but I never really watched that series either. Still, I was interested enough to give this audio a go. So for me, while it was moderately humerous, it was more of an informative audiobook, filling me in on the man I never really got to know. And so now I do want to go back & watch both of the Newhart series', as I think they're something I'd both appreciate & enjoy.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I enjoyed this humorous look into the adult life of Bob Newhart. I learned some interesting things about his stand-up career and his famous monologues. I would place him right up there near the top of the comedians' hall of fame. Current day "humorists" seem to think that they have to be overtly vulgar to be funny, but the true humorists like Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Johnny Carson (and Bob Newhart) did not have to resort to that ploy.I would recommend this book as "must" reading for anyone hoping to make it as a comedian. The book left me with a pleasant feeling.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Have always been a "Bob" fan. I liked the tales of his days in Vegas where he seemed very much the fish-out-of-water. Would have been an interesting time to hear him and his contemporaries in live performances. Was more of a skim than a close read. Better to "rent" from the library than to buy.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This book is very low key like Bob Newhart's comedy. Much of it is retelling his stand-up acts and highlights from his TV shows and movies. Since I am such a big fan, this material was not new for me. There is a little insight into Bob's life and career. I was a little disappointed but I still love Bob.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This book was thoroughly enjoyable - Bob Newhart has always been a gentleman and is incredibly humble. "I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This" is a comfortable stroll down memory lane and a look into the mind of the talented comedian and actor.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I basically enjoyed this book, though - I really wish (and had thought I was going to get) more of an autobiography than I did. This is a memoir that is studded from beginning to end with long chunks of comedy routines Newhart has performed over the years. Sometimes he even recounts routines of his fellow comedians. Reading his stand-up really highlighted to me how brilliant a performer he is - because frankly - they aren't that interesting to read - but I know that if they were being performed by him, they would have been much much funnier. I loved his anecdotes about being on the road and I just wish he had written more about his life than spending so much time recounting his routines. Still - I found it to be a comfortable, light read.