Benchwarmer: An Anxious Dad's Almanac of Fatherhood and Other Failures Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Josh Wilker (Author), Chris Lutkin (Narrator), Dreamscape Media, LLC (Publisher)

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For most of his life, Josh Wilker has been on the sidelines. Spending his days in a cubicle in the far reaches of Chicago and his nights in front of Red Sox games, he has been content to let others take center stage. From childhood onward he sought comfort from anxiety and depression in the archival pages of sports almanacs and stat sheets: a place where forgotten players lingered and time seemed to stop - a welcome relief from worldly problems. He found joy in the trivia of long-lost athletes, like the former NFL player Walter "Sneeze" Achiu. But when his first child was born in 2011, Wilker found his anxieties put to the test: How do you remain on the sidelines when a tender, fragile baby needs everything from you?

Listening Length

9 hours and 55 minutes
Author

Josh Wilker
Narrator

Chris Lutkin
Audible release date

May 19, 2015
Language

English
Publisher

Dreamscape Media, LLC
ASIN

B00X6GKZUK
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	9 hours and 55 minutes
Author	Josh Wilker
Narrator	Chris Lutkin
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	May 19, 2015
Publisher	Dreamscape Media, LLC
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B00X6GKZUK
Best Sellers Rank	#499,935 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #226 in Sports Writing #455 in Fatherhood (Audible Books & Originals) #3,931 in Sports Essays (Books)

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3 star		14%
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David H. Ebenbach

Fatherhood (and Sports) For Real

Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2015

Verified Purchase

This has got to be the most honest book about fatherhood ever written. The first year with a new child is hard as hell, at least if you're actually involved in your kid's life, and there's all kinds of doubt and confusion. You flail around for something, anything to help you make sense of the experience. That's what this book does---it's a memoir about being a new father that somehow manages to move chronologically through the experience while also taking the form of an alphabetical anthology of sports failure. There's a lot of funny stuff in here, and a LOT of truth. And even though some of that truth is dark, I think ultimately the take-home is that there's something noble about the benchwarmer---the guy (the father) who dresses for the game (who steps forward to be a dad) and tries, tries his damnedest to be ready for what's coming.

2 people found this helpful

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J. K. Campbell

Fatherhood

Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2015

Verified Purchase

Josh Wilker and I have an abiding passion for the Boston Red Sox and a decided lack of personal athletic success. I have enjoyed previously reading his blog entries and literary efforts and find his brand of ribald and wry humor to my taste. He seems like Bob Costas being channeled through Woody Allen.
In his latest book he addresses the much more universal subject of parenthood and finds his lifelong angst magnified by parental responsibility. Those of us who are fathers can appreciate the absolute terror and sublime joy he describes. Using examples from his exploration of sports trivia and his unique childhood experiences he is able to illustrate his progress in raising a child.
Eventually we realize that the stone, leaf, and unfound door that Thomas Wolfe sought may sometimes be accessible through baseball cards, newspaper clippings, or U-tube videos. His book is one to share with your own father or son.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Brian Whitman

A worthy follow-up to Cardboard Gods

Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2015

Verified Purchase

This is an incredibly beautiful and sad memoir of a first year of fatherhood. I loved Cardboard Gods, the author's preceding book as well. This feels similar but is not a mere retread. While sports are completely embedded in Cardboard Gods, here they fill out the story of someone just getting through normal life. Great book!

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Mark V

has been any better that Josh's

Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2016

Verified Purchase

Not sure that my life, including the sporting one, has been any better that Josh's, but his take on his certainly makes me feel that way. So, I found the book to be curiously uplifting.

Helpful

Amazon Customer

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2017

Verified Purchase

Honest and heartbreaking and beautiful.

Helpful

Rene Boulay

Woe Is Me

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2015

Verified Purchase

Very good reading at the beginning. The " Poor me " tone got a little old toward the end

Helpful

Jason Hall

I would recommend this book to a new a father

Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2015

The book covers the first year of fatherhood from an avid sports fan's point of view. As a father, and a sports fan, I found this book quite enjoyable. The blend of sports history, combined with his honesty involving his first year as a parent is quite refreshing. He paints a very honest picture of parenting, and how clueless we are the first year. As a positive thinking person, I thought the book could have had a slightly more positive outlook on things. However, it wasn't negative, either. I just thought the over all message would have been more uplifting, but then again, the book is about parenting and monumental sports failures, so I guess it makes sense to have gone the direction he did. Overall, I would recommend this book to a new a father, a sports fan, or both! It kept me entertained, and I learned a lot of new sports info that was quite intriguing. Brilliant style of writing, and an honest read from cover to cover. Well done! I look forward to more in the future.

Helpful

Andrew Forbes

Full of heart

Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2015

Josh Wilker writes with heart and tremendous insight. Benchwarmer is an examination of both the love we have for our families, and the love we harbor for our favourite teams, and the ways in which those loves can both braid together and, at times, painfully collide. Both this book and Cardboard Gods have a lot to tell us about the importance of sports and fandom in the larger scope of our lives. Highly recommended.

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Benchwarmer: An Anxious Dad's Almanac of Fatherhood and Other Failures Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

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