Dad Is Fat (RP Minis) Hardcover – September 29, 2015

I immensely enjoyed reading this book. It was as enjoyable as eating a delicious sugar-filled delicacy, each chapter like a new cream-filled pastry to inhale leaving me only craving for more. Why am I comparing a book to dessert? Why did this book make me feel so hungry for pizza? I don't know the answers to such important questions or why I can't stop thinking about my bed all the time now. I do know that Jim Gaffigan is an incredibly talented human being and, from what I can tell, a much better father than he'll have you believe.I opened this book hoping to laugh, and I did. I only wish I'd worn diapers and that I didn't read it while trying to put the baby to sleep so I didn't startle him with my outbursts of insane laughter.However, there is something else I wasn't expecting in Jim's entertaining memoir - profound thoughts that cut to the heart of parenthood and reveal a hint of the soft tissue inside. Jim is a genius and his book is as inspiring and encouraging for parents as it is entertaining, maybe even more so...

Good running commentary about parenthood, raising a family in NY city and the inner mental challenges of one of todays best comedians. Gaffigan is unique in the comedy world basing much of his material on the "desert island" basics of food, shelter and family - and more food. Some of his best moments is when he either verbalizes (or in the case of this book - literarily) the inner voices in his head that are always voicing their doubt or dispersions on who he is and what he is doing. The best part of this psychotic interaction is that it reflects what is happening in all of us almost every minute of our waking day - self-doubt, self-questioning and a little self-loathing. As in his stand-up, the voice in the book is the real star of the book by allowing him to make fun of everything about himself, us and society in general.The book tracks his stand-up pretty closely with lots of repeat if you are fan. If your a fan, its like listening to a good James Taylor song for the 50th time - welcome and never tired on the ears. If your not a fan, you will laugh out loud after you figure his cadence and writing style within a couple of chapters. I recommend you read it as if he is talking to you versus a common read. What I found most enjoyable about the book as I went through it is how he really likes having a bunch of kids and being married without resorting to a bunch of flippant and sentimental tripe. Its a book about family, fatherhood and marriage for the most cynical of us and by the end you see a weirdo who has no business having such blessings basking in the joy of the most mundane parts of his life knowing that he has no right to it. Not hardly any comments on "Jim Gaffigan the Really Great Comic", his celebrity lifestyle, name dropping, etc. This guy loves his kids, his wife and has lots of Daddy issues - makes us all feel at home without falling into sappy.I read the book over several weeks of travel a few chapters at a time. As a recent fan, I knew enough about him to fall into the basic context of 5-kids under 8, raising them in NYC and his wife being his manager. Through the book he reveals more about himself that similar to most really good comics is not always good traits. His funny lines about lazy, staying indoors, take-out, etc. show you this guy has some social anxiety issues. He portrays them in the most light-hearted way mostly, but there is some pain and issues there. The cool part is he also reveals how his wife was able to overcome his challenges and not only sneak in - but bulldoze 5 kids (and counting?).Kudos to Gaffigan for writing a good solid comedian book that actually reveals something.

If you're a parent, especially to multiple children, chances are you'll nod your head in agreement with Jim Gaffigan's musings on fatherhood. But even if you're just a fan of his with no kids, "Dad is Fat" is still a great read. You'll recognize quite a few of the jokes if you're familiar with his stand-up. I guess that could be annoying to some, but for me it's fun to read the words on paper and think of that goofy voice he did and that face he made when he told the joke in that one special.The book is a collection of essays that are mostly unrelated (okay, the recurring theme is "living in a two-bedroom apartment with five kids is utter chaos"), and they're not only funny, but heartwarming. Yes, the Hot Pocket guy is an endearing family man. The way he writes about his love for his wife and kids is enough to make you go "aww", but isn't sickeningly sugarcoated. He's brutally honest, but he really seems like a sweet guy and a great husband and father.Hopefully my purchase of "Dad is Fat" will help the Gaffigans towards a bigger place. Sounds like they're a little cramped in that apartment.

This book made me laugh out loud so many times on the train, I'm sure people thought I was nuts. I love Jim Gaffigan because he can be funny without being raunchy, insulting, or obnoxious. He talks a lot about raising kids in this book, and I found it hysterical even though I don't have kids. It's very easy to relate to what he writes about and he's always funny. The book talks about things like how difficult it is to take 5 kids to the park when you live in NYC, how ridiculous and scary some fairy tale books are, how it's impossible to feed 5 kids all healthy foods, how different it is to raise kids today compared to when he was growing up, the embarrassing things his kids say in public, etc. He does it all with a refreshing humor that will make you laugh out loud. Recommended for anyone with a good sense of humor who wants a fast, entertaining read.

Divertentissimo e ottimo per una lettura serale. Strappa risate di continuo. Spero venga anche in Italia per qualche show.

This book is so, so funny. I loved it. There were parts were I couldn't breath because I was laughing so hard. I laughed so hard my family got annoyed with me. I laughed so hard people around me in coffee shops thought I was crazy. I think even if you aren't a parent you can enjoy this book. Gaffigan is a wonderful story teller and makes lots of amusing observations.

If you are a SUPER gaffigan fan like me you'll know all the jokes in the book from his stand up shows. If you've never seen him act, you'll LOVE the book. It's hilarious! But yeah, same jokes as in the live acts.

Jim Gaffigan is a professional comedian who likes kids. His wife more so (liking the kids, not being a pro comic). Which is why they have five of them! A stand-up comedian, Jim's written a book about the funny side of being a father. As is becoming almost common now, this book takes a funny, fond, and yet complaining look at modern parenting. As a father of five young children living in a two bedroom NY apartment, he's got lots of material! As the father of a few young children myself, I found myself both laughing and agreeing with much of what he had to say. His comparisons about life without kids versus life with kids were particularly funny and insightful. Still, Jim's true love for his kids shines through pretty strongly, so it's not hard to get the spirit in which this book is intended.My only complaint is that as the book draws towards a close Jim gets a little defensive/offensive about why he has so many kids. I'm sure it does get annoying when people keep asking questions like "Are you done yet?" or say things like "Wow, do you know about birth control?". But still, you do it to yourself. If you have that many kids, you know you are going to get comments (heck, you get unsolicited comments and advice if you have any kids). You're also asking for a lot more craziness (especially if you only live in a two-bedroom apartment- I'd go crazy!). But that's a minor quibble, as most of this book is just plain funny.So if you like books like  Go the F*** to Sleep  or  Parenting: Illustrated with Crappy Pictures  then this is certain to tickle the same funny bone. I should ask my parents if they laughed about parenting the same why my generation does. Because one thing is for sure, next to loving my kids, one of my favorite things is commiserating with other parents about them. Not because I don't love my angels or I don't love parenting, but because laughing about the rough spots is one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways of getting over those rough spots. And with five kids (have I said they all live in a 2 bedroom apartment!!), Jim's definitely got his share of rough spots to laugh over. Go the F*** to SleepParenting: Illustrated with Crappy Pictures

This book was a great read for in between school run pick ups and babies naps! Made me smile and even laugh a couple of times,would have liked for it to be a tad longer,I felt sad when it was suddenly over.I feel there are many more stories to share,but as a parent,I can appreciate he's short on time! ;)