Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America

by Leslie Knope

Overview

Welcome to Pawnee: More Exciting than New York, More Glamorous than Hollywood, Roughly the Same Size as Bismarck, North Dakota

In Pawnee, Leslie Knope (as played by Amy Poehler on NBC's hit show Parks and Recreation) takes readers on a hilarious tour through her hometown, the Midwestern haven known as Pawnee, Indiana. The book chronicles the city's colorful citizens and hopping nightlife, and also explores some of the most hilarious events from its crazy history — like the time the whole town was on fire, its ongoing raccoon infestation, and the cult that took over in the 1970s. Packed with laugh-out-loud-funny photographs, illustrations, and commentary by the other inhabitants of Pawnee, it's a must-read that will make you enjoy every moment of your stay in the Greatest Town in America.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781401310646
Publisher:	Hachette Books
Publication date:	10/04/2011
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	267,838
Product dimensions:	7.26(w) x 9.08(h) x 0.71(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Leslie Knope has lived in Pawnee since her childhood. The community programs she enjoyed in her youth inspired her to pursue a life of public service and serve the city. Leslie is a member of several action committees in her role at city hall, including the Equal Opportunity Committee, the Fun in the Sun Committee, the Clean Restroom Task Force, the Handicapped Restroom Task Force and the Task Force to Reduce the Number of Public Restrooms.Her goal is to become the first female President of the United States. Leslie is the Deputy Parks Director of Pawnee's parks and recreation department, a mid-level bureaucrat position. She hopes to advance her career (possibly aiming to jump over the department's Director position and become a City Manager) and improve her town. Leslie also has a love for sweets, especially whipped cream, as she usually adds excessively large amounts to coffee, waffles and other food.

What People are Saying About This

Tom Haverford

"Carrying this book around is a good way of picking up girls with glasses." (Tom Haverford)

Andy Dwyer

I have read over four books, and this is by far the one that has me in it the most." (Andy Dwyer)

Chris Traeger

"Literally the greatest endeavor of human creativity in the history of mankind." (Chris Traeger)

Interviews

Dear Person:

If you are reading this, then you would like to know about the book, Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America by Parks Department Deputy Director Leslie Knope. I have read the book and can confirm that it is well written and informative. End of review.

I have been asked to go into further detail with this review. This is not what I signed up for, but fine.

I have lived in Pawnee for many years and so I can also verify that this is an accurate portrait of the town. Leslie Knope is certainly the most qualified person to write a book about Pawnee, because she loves the town, and she is also willing to spend an inordinate amount of time doing pointless things like writing books.

Apparently I am to continue. Four hundred words, is the assignment. Fine. You'll get 400 and not one more.

The book is colorful, using many of the colors found in the color wheel. By asking for contributions from people like Chris Traeger (City Manager), Ben Wyatt (Assistant City Manager), and other humans, Leslie ensured it would cover a broad array of viewpoints. Further, by profiling every aspect of the town - Sweetums, Perd Hapley, Joan Callamezzo, eateries like JJ's Diner and Pete's Pete-zaria, and parks (to just name a few subjects at random) - this book encompasses everything that Leslie says makes Pawnee the greatest town in America.

The best section of the book, in my opinion, is the review of the Pawnee Library. "Don't Bother," begins the section - and that's all I would have said on the subject. I wouldn't have wasted one ounce of additional ink for anything related to the library. But this is Leslie's account of our town, and despite our best efforts, the library is indeed a part of it. Leslie correctly describes it as the soul-sucking, hell fire and brimstone cesspool that it is. My ex-wife, Tammy (the library's she-demon director), even gets a section in the listing of government employees. And while I can't quote anything from it (upon seeing her write-up, I immediately took my carving knife and

Photo by: Michell Haaseth/NBC (c) NBC Universal, Inc.

removed it from my copy), I generally remember it as accurately describing her.

To sum up: I only recommend items I believe in, and I am proud to put the Ron Swanson name behind this book. Buy it. There. Four hundred words, including these.

Cordially,
Ron Swanson

Editorial Reviews

"Carrying this book around is a good way of picking up girls with glasses."—Tom Haverford

"I have read over four books, and this is by far the one that has me in it the most."—Andy Dwyer

"Literally the greatest endeavor of human creativity in the history of mankind."—Chris Traeger

From the Publisher

"Literally the greatest endeavor of human creativity in the history of mankind."

Chris Traeger

"I have read over four books, and this is by far the one that has me in it the most."

Andy Dwyer

"Carrying this book around is a good way of picking up girls with glasses."

Tom Haverford

The mockumentary genre used so effectively in, e.g., Spinal Tap and The Office is showcased in this full-blown over-the-top guide to fictional Pawnee, IN, the setting of NBC's Parks and Recreation. It is written by deputy director of Pawnee's parks and recreation department Knope, the character played by esteemed Saturday Night Live alum Amy Poehler. With a Hoosier-sized cornucopia of photos, illustrations, sidebars, statistics, and footnotes (almost 200...yikes!), Knope leaves no Pawnee ear of corn unshucked in her detailed Parks and Recreation backstories. You might be especially interested in Knope's take on the Pawnee Public Library: "The main reading room is awash in sickening, blindingly light, and features a bunch of terrible human beings staring at you like you're a shoplifter while you try to peruse a book in their putrid repository. Suffer snotty looks and condescending gestures from idiotic women who really and truly believe they are smarter and better than you are but in reality have rat-level IQs. Just stay away. It's the worst place in the world." Ah, we love you, Amy Poehler! VERDICT It's Amy Poehler, and, like the show, it's freakin' hilarious. What more do you want?—Barry X. Miller, Austin P.L., TX

Library Journal