| Title | : | No Job for a Man: A Memoir |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1639362460 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781639362462 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 304 |
| Publication | : | Published November 1, 2022 |
From his earliest memories of watching Rhoda with his parents in their tiny Hell’s Kitchen apartment, John knew that he wanted to be an actor. The strange, alternate world of television—where people always cracked the perfect joke, lived in glamorous Upper East Side buildings, and made up immediately after fighting—seemed far better than his own home life, with parents on the brink of divorce and a neighborhood full of crumbling pre-war architecture and not-so-occasional muggings. That other world also seemed so unattainable. Besides crippling stage fright (which would take him years to overcome) John's father, ever aloof and cynical, has instilled within him the notion that acting is “no job for a man.”
His father would impart that while theater, film, and television should be consumed and even debated, to create was no way to make a living or support a family. Putting aside his acting dreams, John stumbles through his twenties. He tries his hand at teaching and other traditional occupations, but nothing feels nearly as fulfilling as playing with his fleetingly on-the-map punk band, Egghead.
When the band breaks up, John lands a joyless job copywriting for a consulting firm and slips into a dark depression. He loses weight, begins drinking heavily, and his relationships flounder.
But everything changes when John discovers improv (and anti-depressants). As an early student of New York’s now-famous Upright Citizens Brigade , John not only explores his passion for acting and comedy—and begins to envision himself doing so professionally—he also finds a community and a unique stability in instability.
No Job for a Man follows John’s journey as he tries to make it in the arts, meeting success and failure, wins and losses, despair and hope along the way. Though his father chronically refuses to acknowledge pride in his adult son’s accomplishments, John comes to his own idiosyncratic version of being a man.
No Job for a Man: A Memoir Reviews
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I loved this book. I’ve always enjoyed John Ross Bowie on Big Bang, and especially Speechless, and his Instagram is a good follow as well. I love that his memoir focuses so much on his growing up in 70s-90s gritty NYC as well as his past punk music career. An awesome tidbit for me was just how much he loves theatre and musicals. The underlying theme of trying to please his father really brought out his vulnerability. I appreciated seeing this as there isn’t enough written about the real dynamic between fathers and sons, and I imagine it wasn’t easy for him to write. I would have liked to see a little bit more about his current life, but I understand the need for privacy. I’m glad he made the leap into comedy, but he is such a good writer that I would have enjoyed this book whether he was famous or not. Definitely recommend!
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I had John Ross Bowie read me his memoir. I loved the NYC scene he painted. I was surprised that he was in a punk band. I rooted for his success. I judged him for not being there when his father died. I mourned for him when his Mom died. I hope he writes more about his life. PS. He’s pretty “woke” on Tik Tok.
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Gosh I really loved this book. It’s a wonderfully written memoir with great stories. If you aren’t into pop punk, or tv, or improv comedy I think you’ll still have a great time, in the hands of a fantastic storyteller. If you do like any of those things, you’ll love it even more.
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The first chapter or 2 were a little slow, but I completely enjoyed the rest of book. John shares his struggles with mental health and a not perfect relationship with his father. I would recommend this book.
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Well, then.
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Unlike many celebrity memoirs, this memoir doesn't follow the traditional arc of hard knocks in Hollywood leading to success. Instead, Bowie spends his time failing at regular Joe jobs in NYC before finding almost immediate success in show business. This might have something to do with Bowie's ambitions, which were always mild and practical. He just wanted to WORK. The rest of his memoir is mostly a story of his relationship with his father, which is also a moving tale. I thoroughly enjoyed Bowie's voice, his humor, and his relatability. Also, he gets to become friends with Wil Wheaton, and that makes me all sorts of jealous.
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Thank you to Pegasus Books for a copy of this book.
Fall 2022 stands to be one of the best seasons of memoirs that I can remember and "No Job for a Man" finds itself among them. John Ross Bowie takes us on his journey that begins with him as a young kid in New York City watching Rhoda with his parents, imagining himself as an actor one day. He struggles at home as he watches his parent's marriage devolve into fighting and eventual divorce. His father, while fostering John's love of theater and entertainment, tells him in no uncertain terms that acting is "no job for a man," a quote attributed to Clark Gable's own father, who apparently said it to the acting legend quite often. Bowie's stage fright doesn't help the matter either.
The New York City music scene was John's refuge in his youth and his love of punk music leads him into his own punk band Egghead, which eventually breaks up. After attending college, he briefly tries other jobs like teaching, temping, and copywriting, but nothing feels as right as it did when he was on stage. His personal life isn't going well either. A long term relationship with "High School Sweetheart" may be coming to an end, he's drinking, and finds himself battling depression. But all of this changes when he discovers improv, studies at The Upright Citizens Brigade and begins a path towards achieving what he always felt he was meant to do.
This book was highly entertaining, emotional, and very honest about the difficulties of working in the entertainment industry, but what struck me most was John's openness about his wins, struggles, and lessons learned in the process, not just professionally but in his personal life as well. It is refreshing to read memoirs nowadays that aren't just rosy pictures of success and happiness, but are road maps that show all the detours, side trips and difficult paths that eventually lead to the destination and can help us all find our way in this world. -
This memoir is very interesting and goes way beyond Bowie's acting career (if you are looking for an acting memoir, try Maybe We'll Have You Back by Fred Stoller); in fact, his turn as the "nerd bully" on The Big Bang Theory comes in only at the end. This is more of an autobiography.
Difficult parents? Alcoholism? Improv? College? Punk music? Being in a band? Working jobs you hate? Panic attacks? Teaching? New York City? Bad relationships? All of these are in this book, as well as the acting and Los Angeles.
I listened to the book on Audible and it is read by the author. He did a great job, and I certainly recommend that.
Bowie is open with his faults, weaknesses, and own bad behavior, and only names names when there is something nice to say--no celebrity gossip here. Instead, it is a memoir of his very circuitous route into becoming an actor, with a heavy dose of his relationship with his parents--particularly his father, an abusive alcoholic with lots of issues.
There are laughs in here--quite a few, actually--and also lots of heartache.
If you like memoirs of people whose lives are like the silver ball in a pinball machine--all over the place--you will definitely enjoy this memoir. And if you ever enjoyed punk music and/or the punk scene, you will find a cohort in this author. -
A memoir of his life until now started in NYC, his meaningless jobs and his relationships with his family, friends, and partners. He knew right away he wanted to be an actor, if he could only get rid of his stage fright. His time with friends starting a punk band called Egghead. Then, eventually, mental illness, booze, and failing relationships. Improv and antidepressants changed his life and led him to his future wife and California to become an actor we love to see on screen.
I did the audiobook, so fun to have him as the narrator. Only thing was that it came with a cd rom, and I'll never know what was included on that! -
I have watched Big Bang Theory, but I never really followed the actors.
I happened upon John Ross Bowie's TikTok page, and enjoyed his content. He referenced his memoir in response to some of the questions people ask, so I decided to give it a listen (he narrated the audiobook). BBT is barely referenced, which I appreciated. I think I really connected with his story because we are so close to the same age and several of the references hit home for me. I enjoyed this memoir much more than I expected! -
Great biography. John comically goes through the various stages of his life and gives the reader a real inside look at the man that is John Ross Bowie. He details his love of Punk, including his time with his Band Egghead. He talks about how Punk saved him and help him get through his time in Corporate America. He details his struggle with mental health and how he bonded with other comics who also suffer from depression. He talks briefly but fondly of his time on Big Bang Theory and Speechless where he got second billing and was a co-lead on.
#indigoemployee -
John is a frequent guest on one of my favorite podcasts, so I was excited to read his memoir. It’s honest, funny, and moving, and I highly recommend it even if you only know him from the Big Bang Theory — or if you don’t know him at all. This is one of those rare books that is both heartbreaking and hilarious, and it was a great way to start the year.
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What a fantastic and entertaining read. John didn’t shy away from the deeper, darker parts of his life in this book - Which makes one feel like we’re having a deep, meaningful conversation like friends often times do. His willingness to discuss openly about mental health in his memoir is refreshing, and I can’t wait to fall into the YouTube rabbit hole to find any recordings of his band.
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Even if you don't know John Ross Bowie from his many television shows, you can still enjoy this absorbing memoir. John's openness and honesty about his mental health issues, his family-of-origin issues, and his struggles through childhood, college, being in a punk band, teaching etc all told in a humorous and entertaining way, are sure to enlighten. I'll read anything he writes!
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I thouroughly enjoyed this book! It was funny and interesting! Even better if you listen to the audio book as he reads it himself!
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Great audiobook.
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3.5 stars
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🤘🏻
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A hilarious and thoughtful memoir from a hilarious and thoughtful guy.
