Me, Myself, and Bob: A True Story About God, Dreams, and Talking Vegetables by Phil Vischer

Fascinating, insightful, thought-provoking and entertaining.

Originally published in 2007.

Much like the original VeggieTales stories, Me, Myself, and Bob: A True Story About God, Dreams, and Talking Vegetables is a well-written story told with lots of humor and with much more depth than you might think.

On one level it's a fascinating story of the rise and fall of a media giant. I was fascinated on that level because I went right along with them - we had VeggieTales videos at our house before we even had kids because we saw them at the Christian bookstores playing on the VCRs in the back just in the way that Vischer describes in the book. 

Our house has the cool Pirates Who Don't Do Anything toy boat from the Jonah - A VeggieTales Movie , the Larry Mr. Potato-Head-type dress up character, stuffed dolls that talk, videogames (including a theme park game which is ironic considering that Vischer talks about how much he wanted to build a real one) and lots and lots of videocassettes and DVDs from all of their various distribution deals that Vischer describes (Word, Lyrick, HIT, and so on). I even have a VeggieTales necktie - something that he brings up as maybe the strangest incarnation of VeggieTales mania.

Phil Vischer

So, following Big Idea on this story of its rise and eventual fall is and of itself interesting reading for a fan. But, like a VeggieTales video, there is a section at the end that tells you what you learned in this story. What Phil learns falls into two categories - how to run a business better and, more importantly, the folly of doing something to please God without actually doing something that God wants you to be doing (okay, I said that poorly, Vischer does a better job so read the book).

I rate this book 5 stars out of 5.

This book can be found on Amazon.com here: Me, Myself, and Bob: A True Story About Dreams, God, and Talking Vegetables

Reviewed on January 17, 2009.

Children at Play: A Cul de Sac Collection by Richard Thompson

Cul de Sac hits the spot left by Calvin and Hobbes and Peanuts

Published in 2010.

If you can while away a pleasant afternoon or evening reading a collection of Calvin and Hobbes or Peanuts add this one to your collection right now!

I only recently discovered Cul de Sac on the internet and have been enjoying it enough that I grabbed this book. Clever lines, interesting art and enough of real life to make me read cartoons to my wife and say, "Who does this remind you of?" (page 24's shopping experience is so much like my own 2 children that I suspect someone may have been watching us at the store...)

Gentle, clever, good-humored, keenly observant...a worthy heir to the position held by Peanuts and Calvin and Hobbes in my mind.

Highly recommended.

I rate this collection 5 stars out of 5. It can be found on Amazon.com here: Children at Play: A Cul de Sac Collection by Richard Thompson

Reviewed on October 27, 2009.