As I’ve been waking up my kids with books this school year, I’ve been trying to choose books that have shorter chapters, some life lessons from a Christian perspective, and (if possible) some entertainment to keep things lively.

Recently, we’ve really enjoyed the animal stories from Gary Richmond’s A View from the Zoo (1987) and then explored a ton of questions with Randy Alcorn’s Heaven for Kids (2006). Next up on the docket was this book of memories by Christian comedian, Bob Stromberg (I’d never heard of him either—though he’s apparently still kicking!).

This book is made up of 19 mostly true essays from Bob’s childhood and life as a parent. Some were serious, many were funny, and I found myself laughing aloud with the kids at his occasional turns of phrase, like this:

“It’s remarkable what gravity can do to an unconscious body.” (60)

Some of his writings offer keen historical insights (like why doctors used to send expectant fathers out to boil water while their wives were in labor, Chapter 13), while others focus on quirks of nature, like the titular poem in Chapter 3, “Why Geese Fly Farther than Eagles.”

Almost all the stories share snippets of his own life history, like the longest chapter about his African mission trip in “The Big Retreat Up the Bongu.” In that one, he shares this insight to travel:

Malaria is scary the first time. As the missionaries say, “The first week, you hurt so bad you’re afraid you might die. But by the second week, you feel so much worse you’re afraid you might not.” (118)

It’s hard to pick a favorite chapter from the book, but two sections really stand out in my mind as highly memorable. First is when he describes the birth and raising of his son, about whom he writes:

We named our baby Nathan Issak (God’s gift of laughter). As I write this story, he is the twelve-year-old who has asked if I would please not tell any more stories about him. I explained that it is difficult for me not to write about my own family. “Well, then,” he said, “could you please not use my real name, Dad? It’s embarrassing.”

So to avoid embarrassing my son by using his real name, I will for the rest of this story refer to him as Debbie. (107)

The second memorable section was his fantabulous made-up salvation testimony on page 151, an epic tale he created because he thought his own story of having grown up in a Christian home wasn’t as glamourous as the others he’d heard at summer camp. It’s worth your time to find the book just to read that page. But it’s his conclusion on page 152 that’ll make the book worth the price you’ll pay for it.

Oh, all right. I can’t resist sharing it—because it’s something that I need to remind myself of as well:

The miracle of my life is not the gutter God pulled me from, it’s the gutter God kept me from. (152)

That’s a powerful statement! Unexpected from a comedian but life-changing when you really think about it.

I’m glad we came across this book, and I’m glad I found the guy’s still rolling in the Dry Bar Comedy circuit. I see he published one other book, Finding the Magnificent in Lower Mundane (1994), so I’ll put that on my Wishlist for later.

©2024 E.T.

Check Out These Other Books by Comedians:

• Fatherhood by Bill Cosby (1986)
• Why Geese Fly Farther Than Eagles by Bob Stromberg (1992)
• This is a Book by Demetri Martin (2011)
• Point Your Face at This by Demetri Martin (2012)
• Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan (2013)
• Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan (2014)
• I Must Say by Martin Short (2014)
• Is This Anything? by Jerry Seinfeld (2020)