Friday, September 14, 2007

"Just a Guy" by Bill Engvall



Anyone who's seen or heard of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour knows the name Bill Engvall. Or perhaps he's better known for his tag-line, "Heeeere's your sign". Either way, he's pretty much made a name for himself in the world of comedy. This book is a bit of biography and a big of comedy rolled into one. And it's got nice, short chapters!

There's nothing really new here, not if you're already familiar with Bill and his work. It was nice to read about his life, I'll admit, especially since he himself says he grew up pretty much normally. He's got three sisters, a mom, a dad, and a step mom. He had his fair share of childhood mishaps (OK, maybe more than his fair share). He grew up in small towns. He went to college and didn't finish. He was a frat brother for a while. See, all normal stuff.

The chapters are basically vignettes of Bill's life, things such as his time on a Little League baseball team, his high-school hi jinks, and meeting his future wife. He talks about his daughter Emily being born. Things like that, the little things that make up a life. And of course he talks about his realization that comedy was to be his life's calling, and how he worked his way up in the business. All interesting stuff made more interesting with his impeccable storytelling and sense of comedic timing.

If you like Bill, you'll like the book. If you don't know who Bill is, maybe it's time you found out!

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