I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This! - by Bob Newhart (Paperback)

About the Book

In his bestselling book, the 77-year-old Newhart covers everything in this guided tour through his button-down brain, from his 43-year marriage and fear of flying to fatherhood, Vegas, and assorted antics with celebrity pals.

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"Every comedian I know, including myself, whether they will admit it or not, secretly wishes they were as good as Bob Newhart."

"It just so happens that George Robert Newhart (no, I didn't know his real first name is George) is the funniest person on the face of the planet, probably in fact the funniest person who ever lived...He has added to the pleasure he gives the rest of humanity by writing this exceedingly funny memoir, or autobiography, or whatever. It's an agreeably rambling, discursive book, as low-key as Newhart himself and as funny."

"Newhart's signature comedic style--that of the understated straight man, the island of sanity in a world gone wacky-is particularly welcome at a moment when the sitcom is on life support...I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This! is a charming recollection of his life story, but the book also reveals a quality that the comedy elite has long suspected: Newhart has an edge."

"Some of Bob Newhart's most brilliant monologues and funniest stories appear in this book...A textbook for comedians."

"The same hilarious, conversational style that has made him one of my favorite comics...I loved it."

About the Author

Bob Newhart is one of America's best-loved comedians. His career highlights include The Bob Newhart Show, Newhart, and ten major films, including Catch-22, Legally Blonde and Elf. He guest hosted The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson 87 times, and has more recently earned the most recent of several Emmy nominations for a guest-starring role on ER. He has also earned a Peabody award and a Mark Twain award for Comedy. He has been married to Virginia Quinn since 1963; they have four children and several grandchildren.