If you faithfully watched The Office–heck, even if you didn’t–you can probably say a lot about Dwight Schrute.  Beat farmer.  Motivated paper salesman.  Volunteer Sheriff Deputy.  And all-around insane human being.

A character as complex and ridiculous as this–someone we come to love and despise throughout the series–can’t be pulled off by anyone.  As unique as Dwight is, the actor portraying him (Rainn Wilson) isn’t too far behind.

In The Bassoon King, Wilson digs into what it was like to “be a nerd before it was cool.”  Set up in 16 chapters, nothing is off limits:  from his awkward teenage years to his struggles as a young actor in New York; from what it means to play the bassoon and what it’s like to be part of a unique religion.

The book manages to maintain several voices, sometimes serious and sometimes absolutely ridiculous (there is, after all, a foreword written by Dwight himself).  Wilson isn’t above self-deprecating humor, but he knows when to take a step back and reflect on what made him the man he is today.

Thanks for reading!

Note: also great in the audio-book version.

• Fun Finds on the Hold Shelf — June
• The Librarian’s Guide to Notable Nonfiction
• Managing Your Mental Health One Day at a Time 
• Ashley is history
• Coming Soon!