Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson & Mark Schlabach: Book Review

This book will probably only appeal to folks who are already fans of the A & E series Duck Dynasty; the book is really written for those fans. It's Phil's story, the patriarch of the Robertson clan. Phil is a tell-it-like-it-is man, and he doesn't mince words. He doesn't even try to soften the fact that he was not always the God-fearing, God-loving, faithful husband that he is today. In Phil's words, he was an outlaw for a long time, and he was even downright mean and dirty to his wife, the loveable Ms. Kay. Those parts were hard to read.

Phil recounts his childhood, growing up in what was basically a shack in the woods, with no indoor bathroom and the only running water coming out of a 1-inch PVC pipe in the kitchen. They heated water on the stove and bathed once a week or so. It was rough living, but they were content. They lived off the land, in the same way that pioneer families of the late 1800s had, and that was something they were proud of. Phil and Ms. Kay married when he was 16; she was just 15! Ms. Kay attended high school and finished her senior year when Phil was a freshman at Louisiana State Tech, playing football. They had three boys very early on (Alan, Jason, and Willie), and that's when Phil hit his wild stage. Things were bad, and Ms. Kay took her boys and left him. Then he found Jesus, became a Christian, and completely turned his life around.

Things weren't all peachy from that moment on, however. They still struggled and still had problems, including similar "outlaw" behavior by several of their sons (So far Jase is the only one who has stuck on the straight and narrow!). But they also had hope, perseverance, and unconditional love for each other. They took risks and stepped out on faith together, and for the most part, those risks have paid off. Now their family business, Duck Commander, is a multi-million dollar enterprise that includes a TV show, merchandising, DVDs and more, in addition to making several different kinds of duck calls. They also own a bunch of land that was purchased 40 acres at a time so Phil and his boys could have plenty of space to hunt, fish, run wild, and for insurance purposes in case of another Great Depression. But it is also rich in oil, and so they have sweet deals with the local utility companies who want to run their pipes across Robertson land. God has certainly blessed the Robertsons. And it is evident in this autobiography of the man who started it all that he gives all the credit to his Creator and Redeemer.

I was surprised to read that Phil is an ordained minister...and so are Jase, Willie, and Alan. I knew about Alan, but the other two were a surprise to me. And apparently, not only that, but they are all very evangelical and enthusiastic in sharing their faith as well. No doubt the folks at A & E have made them tone down their brand of Christianity for the TV show, because you don't see that much of it in the show. But according to Phil in this book, they are all very outspoken about their faith, and it's apparently a common occurrence for them to baptize people in their back yard, or marry couples in their front yard. They're yard people, I guess.

Phil details how his company came to be, and explained a little how duck hunting and his special duck calls work. I wasn't as interested in that part, but it wasn't so boring that I couldn't get through it. I wanted to hear more about his boys and about their formative years, and about his relationship with Si, his brother. But I guess those parts are reserved for the books written by Willie and Korie, and by Si himself. I guess I need to check those out next.

This is a very quick read; I finished it in a day. If you're even remotely interested in the phenomenon that is Duck Dynasty, you should read it. And if you're not a Christian, don't let Phil's faith put you off. It really isn't preachy or pushy at all. He's just himself - laid back, easy-going...and happy, happy, happy.