How I Got This Way

Patrick McManus, the bestselling author of such hilarious books as A Fine and Pleasant Misery and Never Sniff a Gift Fish, now offers readers solid thoughts on the qualities that define leadership, beginning with the need to be tall, and much more, in this outrageous collection of short pieces that reveals his tortuous trip along the writer's path.

In the unlikely event you've forgotten Patrick McManus, he's the humorist who entertained readers with Rubber Legs and White Tail-Hairs, Never Sniff a Gift Fish, and They Shoot Canoes, Don't They? among other wildly comic works. In this hilarious new collection, McManus examines situational ethics--and himself along the writer's path.

Patrick McManus, the bestselling author of such hilarious books as A Fine and Pleasant Misery and Never Sniff a Gift Fish, now offers readers solid thoughts on the qualities that define leadership, beginning with the need to be tall, and much more, in this outrageous collection of short pieces that reveals his tortuous trip along the writer's path.

Publishers Weekly

There's a smile or guffaw to be had on almost every page of McManus's ( The Good Samaritan Strikes Again ) collection of essays, some of which are original, others reprinted from Outdoor Life . Dealing primarily with growing up in rural Idaho, the pieces introduce boyhood friends such as Eddie Muldoon, with whom McManus dug a pit to catch wild animals that unfortunately caught Eddie's father and a skunk--simultaneously; the priest with a fear of birds who came to dinner before the McManuses had moved their spring crop of chicks to the henhouse; and Rancid Crabtree, who demolished a 400-pound pumpkin at the county fair with the author's monster-sized slingshot. Stories abound about hunting, fishing and arduous treks, including a piece about hiking with George Bush during the 1992 presidential campaign. There's entertainment aplenty here that even indoorsy folk should enjoy. (Sept.)

Patrick F. McManus is a renowned outdoor writer, humorist, and longtime columnist for Outdoor Life and Field & Stream. His most recent books are the Sheriff Bo Tully mysteries Avalanche and The Blight Way. He is the author of many other books, including such runaway New York Times bestsellers as The Grasshopper Trap, The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw, and Real Ponies Don't Go Oink! He lives in Spokane, Washington.