Me, Myself, and Bob: A True Story About Dreams, God, and Talking Vegetables Paperback – February 5, 2008

Can 40-year-old Phil Vischer, creator of the astounding VeggieTales videos tell a great story in a heartfelt, yet entertaining, manner? Of course he can! And, he does. "Me, Myself, and Bob..." traces Vischer's personal history and gives readers insight into how the lovable Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomatoe rose to continue to have such a startling impact on a generation of young people and their families.Using very touching anecdotes in a style the often punctuates with laughter, Vischer describes his early life in Muscatine, Iowa, his move to Illinois, and his college years. He shares the creative spark that developed from his friendship with Mike Nawrocki.He also narrates in poignant detail the exciting rise and the devastating fall of the company he had lovingly developed to produce the VeggieTales videos.Every young person growing up in a family devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ needs to read this book. Vischer has a unique ability to share his life experiences in a challenging and life-affirming manner. This story will help all young believers develop a firmer hold on the practicality of their faith in a real world.This book will also motivate and entertain anyone who has a dream that remains unfulfilled. And, this book will speak words of both reality and hope to those who face challenges in their daily work environment.I cannot recommend this book more highly. Vischer not only shares moments of spiritual renewal, he also offers clear and concise explanations of the lessons he learned from his business experiences.Perhaps one of the most succinct summaries of the mindset of Phil Vischer comes from his statement: "Life is tricky. God gave us all the freedom to choose, and with that gift comes the freedom to choose poorly...But as I think you'll see in my story, God has an uncanny ability to redeem our mistakes. To use them for good."In Chapter 21, Vischer carefully and insightfully shares some deep spiritual truths that he learned from the experience of seeing his dream come to life and then die. In a poignant yet powerful manner, he shares how God revealed His truth in a life-transforming way. Everyone who reads this book and arrives at this chapter, already filled with heart-wrenching identification with what Vischer experienced, will come away with a significant dose of hopefulness. For it is in this chapter that Vischer provides the "You see, Timmy" moment that flows to the heart of the meaning behind the journey.May God indeed use this most excellent, funny, deeply moving, and practically inspiring narrative for good; to touch the lives of every reader.

At its core, Veggie Tales derived its tremendous success not from mere talking produce, but from the story-telling gift of "Me, Myself & Bob" author Phil Vischer. (He's the one on the left side of the cover.) This story does not disappoint, and neither does Mr. Vischer's tendency toward honesty even at the cost of his own reputation.I will not include any spoilers here (although anyone who doesn't know that Big Idea is no longer owned by Phil Vischer is about a decade behind the times), but I read this with a critical slant in mind: How does a company go from rags to riches and right back to rags immediately after the release of their first movie "Jonah", a film which surprised everyone by doing so well despite not being a Pixar/Disney or Dreamworks production? And if it did so, why should I (or any reader) care?Phil Vischer's ability to draw adult readers into the story of Big Idea's big rise and bigger fall is no less enthralling than his skill in weaving childrens' tales of singing celery and mustachioed gourds. Primary in his narrative is the recognition that in leadership lies the burden of responsibility: If you lead, you get the credit, but you also get the blame.To Mr. Vischer's credit, he takes the reader from the genesis (small "G") of Big Idea's founding (and the seemingly minute corporate architectural failings along the way which paved the road for its demise) into the world of big business- Christian or not, the Veggie Tales motif was a huge model of business sucess. He also answers the question, "Once you hit 'the big time', what then?" with an acknowledgement that there is a HUGE difference between running a business that crawls slowly up toward the landmark acheivement of making a million dollars and one that tops $10M annually.With keen insight and painful lessons learned, this book is worth reading for any family, future entrepreneur or current small business owner.*It should be noted as a post-script that Phil learned from his experiences and did not make the same mistakes with his next venture, a little thing called "Jellyfish Labs", where he is currently producing its 11th DVD of another no-punches-pulled DVD series slowly escalating in kids' circles called "What's In The Bible?"Recommend that one, too, but for serious reading in an entertaining format, I give a big 5 stars to "Me, Myself & Bob."

This is a wonderful story. A great reminder that our goal is not to succeed by our measure but to glorify the Lord.Our plans are not always God's plan. Recommend it.

I'm a former Jesus Freak, agnostic now. I don't fault those still in the fold, not saying I'm right or to follow me. I still love VeggieTales though, still love the songs, still support the message of love, compassion, and acceptance.However I was worried about reading this book, curious as I was about what happened to Big Idea. I really didn't want to be preached at.The book was excellent, a great look back at Phil's life and the creation of and downfall of Big Idea. He covers some of the issues he had dealing with a staff of both evangelical Christians and non- Christians and he is respectful to both. He deserves high marks for his helping of humble pie he eats at the end, acknowledging his contribution to its bankruptcy.The last two chapters get into the nuts and bolts of what he feels God taught him. It's pretty well-tread territory, but you may enjoy the read.I would have liked more background on the actual videos, I really enjoyed his explanation of animation, being a computer nerd myself.A good, worthwhile, read.

Written with humility and insight. Vischer teaches lessons as he was taught ...sometimes through hard knocks!

This guy is great. The way he writes his journey down, inspirational.

This is an honest look at what happened to our beloved VeggieTales. Phil Vischer answers the burning questions we all had. So glad I read it doesn’t make losing VeggieTales any easier, but it puts it to bed for me, though my heart longs for more...my family will be forever thankful for Bob and Larry. God bless

great book.

Well written....clearly written...easy to understand..helped me a lot.