A review by egbella
Me, Myself & Bob: A True Story about God, Dreams, and Talking Vegetables by Phil Vischer
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.