Bassoon King

“I was bone-numbingly nerdy before there was even a modicum of cool attached to that now overappropriated, worn-out word." Rainn Wilson

Rainn Wilson (best known for playing Dwight Schrute on The Office and founder of the inspirational website and media company SoulPancake) couldn’t be more right about that. His book, The Bassoon King: My Life in Art, Faith, and Idiocy, is a plethora of such tales of his awkward youth and later adventures as a struggling actor in New York and Los Angeles.

This is probably the very first book that won me over right at the Foreword. It’s written in the voice of Dwight - from diapers to Dunder Mifflin. Honestly, the only reason I picked up this book was out of raw curiosity to learn more about how the actor created this famously weird character from The Office, but the amiable actor also offers thoughtful glimpses into the realities of the TV and film industry and an impassioned rationale for living an openly spiritual life.

Wilson is as interesting in real life as on camera, in my opinion. His childhood activities ranging from bassoon playing to marathon games of Dungeons & Dragons must have something to do with that? His “oddball” parents or his collective hobbies around trivia listing and writing extended footnotes could have something to do that? Whatever it is, it moulded one of the most fascinating and spiritually driven people I’ve ever read about. Remember when being a nerd was pitiable? Without giving away much, all I can say is that this book sets the record straight.

If you have a marathon of The Office lined up this weekend, pick this book up right after. If not, say aloud “Beets. Bear. Books.” 5 times just the way Dwight Schrute would.