sarahdeborah11's review against another edition
5.0
A quietly funny tale of failure and God. Along to way Phil drops nuggets of faith that hit deep, especially towards the end of the book. The ending made me tear up.
egbella's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, I can look at Veggietales with a whole new perspective after this book.
Now firstly, Veggietales is my childhood. I grew up watching their films and listening to their music, and I remember wishing often that Bob and Larry were real (as awesome as Larry was/is, I'll admit Bob has always been my favorite, haha). As I've gotten older, I've only appreciated and respected their content more. The morals, unashamed teaching of Christianity, clever humor, silly songs...I'm convinced that it's not only for kids, but maybe even more beneficial for adults!
That is, the classic Veggietales. The Netflix version (with the new animation, squeaky voices, and watered-down messages) is almost physically painful to me. I wondered what had happened to Big Idea, and after reading this book, it all makes sense.
While Phil is sometimes a tad wordier than is needed (though I'm one to talk...) and I skimmed over some of the 'numbers' sections, I found his story fascinating. In fact, I binge-read it in one day. The origins and dream that caused him to start Big Idea/Veggietales, the quick growth of the company, the internal struggles of both Phil and the company, and the ultimate downfall were all new to me. I had no idea that any of that had gone on while I was simply enjoying their movies. The part I found most beneficial however was the very end chapters, where Phil talked about 'what he has learned' (you know you want to sing it).
As someone who has a lot of 'dreams' and is all too prone to rationalizing my full steam ahead approach toward those dreams with, "well, they're for God's glory!", I needed Phil's reminders and insights. Just because we may be able to do something, and that thing may be good, it doesn't mean it's the right thing. God's plans are not often the same as ours, and unless we're fully dependent on Him, we may rush ahead in the wrong directions. I greatly appreciated Phil's honesty and humility in admitting how he'd gone wrong in his pursuit of his huge dreams, and his advice for helping others - especially young people - from repeating his mistakes.
In short, I'm very glad I read this book, both for the backstory on my favorite childhood 'fandom', and for the much-needed lessons on walking step by step with the Lord as we seek to do big things.
Now firstly, Veggietales is my childhood. I grew up watching their films and listening to their music, and I remember wishing often that Bob and Larry were real (as awesome as Larry was/is, I'll admit Bob has always been my favorite, haha). As I've gotten older, I've only appreciated and respected their content more. The morals, unashamed teaching of Christianity, clever humor, silly songs...I'm convinced that it's not only for kids, but maybe even more beneficial for adults!
That is, the classic Veggietales. The Netflix version (with the new animation, squeaky voices, and watered-down messages) is almost physically painful to me. I wondered what had happened to Big Idea, and after reading this book, it all makes sense.
While Phil is sometimes a tad wordier than is needed (though I'm one to talk...) and I skimmed over some of the 'numbers' sections, I found his story fascinating. In fact, I binge-read it in one day. The origins and dream that caused him to start Big Idea/Veggietales, the quick growth of the company, the internal struggles of both Phil and the company, and the ultimate downfall were all new to me. I had no idea that any of that had gone on while I was simply enjoying their movies. The part I found most beneficial however was the very end chapters, where Phil talked about 'what he has learned' (you know you want to sing it).
As someone who has a lot of 'dreams' and is all too prone to rationalizing my full steam ahead approach toward those dreams with, "well, they're for God's glory!", I needed Phil's reminders and insights. Just because we may be able to do something, and that thing may be good, it doesn't mean it's the right thing. God's plans are not often the same as ours, and unless we're fully dependent on Him, we may rush ahead in the wrong directions. I greatly appreciated Phil's honesty and humility in admitting how he'd gone wrong in his pursuit of his huge dreams, and his advice for helping others - especially young people - from repeating his mistakes.
In short, I'm very glad I read this book, both for the backstory on my favorite childhood 'fandom', and for the much-needed lessons on walking step by step with the Lord as we seek to do big things.
stephaniebooks's review against another edition
5.0
As a child of the VeggieTale generation, this is a fascinating look inside the man and the company who created it. Vischer's insights into his own life, his parents marriage and his business are invaluable, never mind the fact that it is hilarious.
I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to go into business, but especially those who are looking to run a Christianity-based business.
I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to go into business, but especially those who are looking to run a Christianity-based business.
cogsofencouragement's review against another edition
5.0
I took a long break from this book for no particular reason. Finishing it when I did had me reading, “The impact God has planned for us doesn’t occur when we’re pursuing impact. It occurs when we’re pursuing God.” right when I needed to read it.
patlo's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting story of the creator of Veggie Tales and how he lost the business.
bethgiven's review against another edition
3.0
I first heard about VeggieTales back in 1997 from a friend in marching band. I remember my friend Kim and I watching Silly Songs with Larry over and over again (maybe that is a lame Friday night activity for eighteen-year-olds, but hey). But then the Veggies kind of dropped off my radar. I had no idea that the company had ended up bankrupt only a few short years after that late-nineties heyday. Yikes.
This recounting of the rise and fall of VeggieTales kept my interest all the way through. It was an easy read (Vischer isn't going to get any awards for deep or beautiful writing, but it's succinct and readable -- he comes across as mostly likeable and funny). Still, this was not the upbeat, silly story you'd expect from Larry the Cucumber. Although Vischer tries to show how he grew through the hard times, I couldn't help but hurt a little for everyone who ended up going down with Big Idea and VeggieTales.
It's been a long time since I've read something from an evangelical Christian point of view, and it was interesting to see how his faith influenced his thought processes at varying points of the story.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was "revisiting" Lombard, Illinois. This was the would-be site of Big Idea headquarters (before they realized they couldn't finance it) -- and it was our home from 2006-2008. It's always fun to read about a familiar place in a book.
This recounting of the rise and fall of VeggieTales kept my interest all the way through. It was an easy read (Vischer isn't going to get any awards for deep or beautiful writing, but it's succinct and readable -- he comes across as mostly likeable and funny). Still, this was not the upbeat, silly story you'd expect from Larry the Cucumber. Although Vischer tries to show how he grew through the hard times, I couldn't help but hurt a little for everyone who ended up going down with Big Idea and VeggieTales.
It's been a long time since I've read something from an evangelical Christian point of view, and it was interesting to see how his faith influenced his thought processes at varying points of the story.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was "revisiting" Lombard, Illinois. This was the would-be site of Big Idea headquarters (before they realized they couldn't finance it) -- and it was our home from 2006-2008. It's always fun to read about a familiar place in a book.
josiahdegraaf's review against another edition
5.0
Can a desire to do great things for God ever lead you astray?
I first heard Phil Vischer speak in the Fall of 2010 and was enthralled by his speech. At the time, I hadn't known anything about the events that forced him out of Big Idea. His main points stuck with me at the time, and while 8 years later many of the specifics had faded out of my memory, I still remembered his speech being memorable.
And so of course, when I realized he'd written a book about the rise and fall of Big Idea, I knew I had to get it.
Me, Myself, and Bob is like few other memoirs I've read. It's certainly engaging, funny, and informative. But it's unlike other memoirs because it's a story of failure, and in literary terms, it's basically a tragedy. Vischer pretty much spells this out in the first chapter. This isn't a memoir of success. It's a memoir detailing how Vischer had a colossal fall, lost his dream, and had to learn to pick up the pieces and figure out where he went wrong.
The questions that Vischer asks in this book are not easy questions to answer: Why would God allow a company that seemed to be doing great things for Him to fail? Why wouldn't he reward acts of faith that were done for Him? Why would He allow injustice to take place within the court system? Vischer has clearly spent a lot of time thinking about this and probing different dimensions of this issue. As a result, the answers Vischer provides are deep, thought-provoking, but also splendidly simple in the way that Biblical truths tend to be.
As someone who wants to do great things for God, whether in writing fiction or in helping other Christian writers, this memoir challenged me in my perspective and gave me a lot to think about. I read this book over only two days, and once I'd finished it, I put the book down and spent a good half hour thinking about what Vischer had to say. It isn't stuff you'll hear many other places: secular or Christian spheres alike. But it's true. And it's convicting. And it makes me remember again the importance of humility.
Many people are happy to talk about their successes. Few people are willing to talk about their failures. Even fewer are able to pinpoint why they failed, where they went wrong, and how we can avoid falling into the same trap. Vischer lies squarely in this last camp. The last fifty pages or so of this book have a ton of underlines and are chapters I want to return to again and again. Scratch that. They are chapters I need to return to again and again because the lessons there are lessons I'm too prone to forget otherwise.
This is not a memoir I want to forget about.
Rating: 4.5-5 Stars (Extremely Good).
I first heard Phil Vischer speak in the Fall of 2010 and was enthralled by his speech. At the time, I hadn't known anything about the events that forced him out of Big Idea. His main points stuck with me at the time, and while 8 years later many of the specifics had faded out of my memory, I still remembered his speech being memorable.
And so of course, when I realized he'd written a book about the rise and fall of Big Idea, I knew I had to get it.
Me, Myself, and Bob is like few other memoirs I've read. It's certainly engaging, funny, and informative. But it's unlike other memoirs because it's a story of failure, and in literary terms, it's basically a tragedy. Vischer pretty much spells this out in the first chapter. This isn't a memoir of success. It's a memoir detailing how Vischer had a colossal fall, lost his dream, and had to learn to pick up the pieces and figure out where he went wrong.
The questions that Vischer asks in this book are not easy questions to answer: Why would God allow a company that seemed to be doing great things for Him to fail? Why wouldn't he reward acts of faith that were done for Him? Why would He allow injustice to take place within the court system? Vischer has clearly spent a lot of time thinking about this and probing different dimensions of this issue. As a result, the answers Vischer provides are deep, thought-provoking, but also splendidly simple in the way that Biblical truths tend to be.
As someone who wants to do great things for God, whether in writing fiction or in helping other Christian writers, this memoir challenged me in my perspective and gave me a lot to think about. I read this book over only two days, and once I'd finished it, I put the book down and spent a good half hour thinking about what Vischer had to say. It isn't stuff you'll hear many other places: secular or Christian spheres alike. But it's true. And it's convicting. And it makes me remember again the importance of humility.
Many people are happy to talk about their successes. Few people are willing to talk about their failures. Even fewer are able to pinpoint why they failed, where they went wrong, and how we can avoid falling into the same trap. Vischer lies squarely in this last camp. The last fifty pages or so of this book have a ton of underlines and are chapters I want to return to again and again. Scratch that. They are chapters I need to return to again and again because the lessons there are lessons I'm too prone to forget otherwise.
This is not a memoir I want to forget about.
Rating: 4.5-5 Stars (Extremely Good).