Just a Guy: Notes from a Blue Collar Life

"His folksy humor...has made him a hit in the heartland...Don't bet a little plain ol' charm won't work just as well on the rest of the country."—Philadelphia Inquirer

For the record, here’s the official definition of a guy: A person who doesn’t think before he speaks. He can’t. He’s not that deep. Because a guy has only three basic needs: eating, sleeping, and sex. That’s it. Just a Guy chronicles a lifetime in pursuit of those needs.

In this hilarious and heartfelt memoir, Bill Engvall takes you on the rollicking ride of his life, beginning with his childhood in Texas and adolescence in Arizona, becoming a fixture in local emergency rooms, the result of massive amounts of non-thinking behavior trying to impress girls or torture his sisters; to high school in Dallas where he dabbled in an array of truly odd jobs and came of age; to college and his tenure as his fraternity’s social chairman, where he masterminded a series of legendary parties; to following his dream as a standup comic and, gulp, singer; to his bumbling and riotous courtship, then marriage to Gail, the love of his life; and, finally, fatherhood, where he remains, to this day, a well-meaning, but flawed parent.

Through it all, Bill gamely stumbles along, struggling to maintain a façade of confidence and control. Far from a superhero, Bill Engvall is an everyday Everyman, the poster boy for normal. The result is just a guy who is disarming, perceptive, wildly funny, and unexpectedly moving.

"The sensitive parts of the book...truly stand out."—Publishers Weekly

“Bottom line: if you like Blue Collar TV or are just looking for some good comedy, this is a great book to pick up.”—Blogcritics.org

A "Blue Collar" take on marriage, fatherhood, and other common conditions of modern guy-hood

Publishers Weekly

In this rather bland attempt at the humorous sensitive-man memoir that seems to be a prerequisite for a certain type of middle-aged comic (e.g., Cosby, Reiser, Romano), Engvall tries to cram his whole life into one book rather than stick to one theme (marriage, fatherhood, etc.). The end result is 46 micro-chapters that never really deliver the same laughs that have made him a part of the successful Blue Collar comedy quartet. But there is interesting material: Engvall reminisces about starting at the bottom of the entertainment business, first as a stand-in and extra on movie sets and later playing chauffeur to some of the biggest names of comedy. But these tales are given short shrift so Engvall can focus on his childhood love of baseball, his favorite car as a teenager and his partying a lot in college. In the end, Engvall realizes that "all guys are the same," and that's why the sensitive parts of the book Engvall's parents' divorce or the pain of leaving his family to go on the road are the ones that truly stand out. (May)

BILL ENGVALL is one of America’s top-selling comedians. He has sold more than two million comedy albums and was part of the hugely successful Blue Collar Comedy Tour, which generated three hit movies, multi-platinum selling soundtracks, DVDs and a television show. Bill is the host of CMT’s Country Fried Home Videos and the star and creator of The Bill Engvall Show on TBS. His latest project is "Bait Shop" which will be released on DVD in the summer of 2008.

ALAN EISENSTOCK is the author of several nonfiction works, including The Kindergarten Wars: The Battle to Get into America's Best Private Schools, Ten on a Sunday: The Secret Life of Men, and Sports Talk. He lives in Pacific Palisades, California.