According to Bob Newhart, Don Rickles once described him as "that stammering idiot from Chicago." But he meant it in the nicest possible way! This is just one of the many little tidbits of information you get from Newhart's semi-autobiography, "I Shouldn't Even be Doing This." I say "semi"-autobiography because the material in the book is mostly presented as anecdotes, many of which are actually parts of his standup routine. For example, his sketches on teaching bus drivers how to drive ("Don't pull away too fast, or the person running for the bus loses hope too quickly"), about an incompetent submarine commander ("We still hold the record for fastest submerging, and I maintain those men that got left on the deck are glad we got he record. I'm sure most of them managed to swim to shore"), etc. are written out practically verbatim from his standup routines.

This is not a criticism of the book - far from it. Even those that own all Newharts albums (and have seen every episode of his sitcoms) are going to find new jokes here. And what emerges is more of a self-portrait painting than a photograph. This is how Newhart chooses to present himself to the world, and it gives an insight into his personality far more significant than a dull recitation of facts could. Of course, all good autobiographies serve this purpose, but rarely is one so enjoyable to read.

Newhart's stage humour may not translate particularly well to the written page, at least not his standard kind of routine (the one-sided conversation) because it depends so much on the tone and timing of his delivery. So the best moments in the book are one-off observations about people, most especially about himself. I don't know how much of this book is actually true, but I know I enjoyed reading it. And I could hear that stammering voice of his in my head, reading the book to me.

I enjoyed reading this book by Bob Newhart, it had some great stories and jokes from the great one. I enjoy reading biographies and memoirs from celebrities. I often laughed out loud while reading this book. If you enjoy a good chuckle and like Bob Newhart you will love this book. The book has many of the funny monologues that he has told over the years. While reading this book I often told others some of the amusing stories and got many chuckles from others. In the book Bob Newhart wrote about filming the movie Hell is for Heroes staring Steve McQueen, Bobby Darin, Fess Parker, James Coburn and others. Its a movie that had many young stars before they were well know. Since I have never seen this movie, it really peaked my interest so, I got the movie and plan on watching it soon. I enjoy reading books that expand my horizons and make me want to learn more. For that alone and for the open laughs while reading this book, I would have to say this book was well worth reading. My only criticism is that I would of liked to have read more gossip about some of the fellow actors and comedians that Bob had worked with over the years.

I read this book in just a couple sittings and enjoyed it immensely. My first professional job as a clinical psychologist was as a psychology professor in Chicago and it was fitting that I used to compose lectures while watching reruns of the 1970s "Bob Newhart Show". One of my Chicago psychologist friends even attended Loyola and once dated a woman who lived in the Newhart/Hartley apartment building on the North Side. Newhart recognizes that his character was a lousy psychologist, something I noticed years before I became a psychologist myself. Nonetheless, the show probably did more good than harm to the cause of mental health and no one can forget Mr. Carlin, Mrs. Bakerman, and the rest of Bob Hartley's therapy group. The show was smart and funny and holds up better than more self-consciously relevant series like "All in the Family". Newhart is perceptive about his show's place in tv history and the completely contemporary and groundbreaking relationship his character had with Suzanne Pleshette on the show.

Newhart's early stand-up comedy paved the way for observational comics like Jerry Seinfeld and Richard Pryor. He was more understated and less "blue" or "sick" than contemporaries like Lenny Bruce or Mike Nichols & Elaine May, but he was part of the same transition from joke telling to the more topical, storytelling humor that has remained with us since the 60s. He clearly respects more overtly irreverent people like Nichols & May and recalls their hilarious "funeral director" sketch from the early 60s. Newhart also is respectful toward his comedic forebears, and he recounts what he learned from masters like Jack Benny and how Benny once critiqued Newhart's truncated telling of a classic bit at a nightclub appearance. Newhart is perceptive about his own place in the evolution of American comedy and it becomes clear that many of the things that made his "Bob Newhart Show" and "Newhart" series successful came from him, yet he does not come across as egotistical or self-aggrandizing.

The book is meandering and isn't great literature. I wish Bob had told us more about his family (esp. the son who studied Yeats--on a Biography TV documentary, the son seemed to be funny like his Dad) and was a bit more reflective of himself. Still, the book is blessedly free of the "too much information" and unproductive self-analysis common to many celebrity autobiographies. OTOH, Newhart seems to have lost his Chicago geography--the 70s Bob Newhart Show apartment building is a landmark on Sheridan Road (I just saw it a couple weeks ago) and the opening sequence seems to be on a commuter rail line, rather than the Ravenswood "L". There's also a chapter that seems to end in midsentence. Despite these shortcomings, this is a wonderful book. It's indispensable for Chicago psychologists and people who appreciate Newhart comedy, 1970s television, or "Boomer humor", in general.

What a pleasant, fun and easy read. A breezy trip through the legendary comedian's career, with excerpts from some of his classic stand-up routines and episodes of sitcoms. Lots of funny anecdotes and observations from the comic genius's career. A definitely worthwhile read.