Book Review: It Takes Balls by Josh Wolf

Weed Lifestyle

May 3, 2013

Anna Diaz

It Takes Balls, by Josh Wolf is damn funny. And, while it may seem like an odd book review for a weedist, I beg to differ. Josh Wolf is a comedian who can be found regularly on the TV shows, Chelsea Lately and After Lately. He has had several character roles in movies and on TV, and he performs all over the country.

I discovered him during my most recent stint of unemployment, when I could stay up late just to catch Chelsea and her round table. I love the irreverence of the show, and I particularly like Josh Wolf. He has an honesty in his humor that I can relate to, and he is clearly a stoner. That is, he is a comedian who is a stoner, rather than a stoner comedian. There’s a difference, and I like both. A stoner comedian bases his comedy on stoner-isms and stoner adventures; a comedian who happens to be a stoner brings that perspective into their comedy, which is not necessarily stoner-based.

So, I developed a celebrity crush on him as I reveled in unemployment, and I conveyed this to my friend and local comedian Todd Armstrong. Todd opened for Josh on April 19th at Portland’s Helium Comedy Club. When he offered me a ticket to the show, I was pretty excited. Actually, I told Todd that I would squeal like a teen aged girl if I got the chance to meet Josh in person! Well, that night, I DID get to meet him, but I managed to maintain my composure and not squeal.

I had heard that Josh was a fan of medibles, so I brought a nice variety, thanks to my girls at Rabbithole Edibles. He gave me an autographed copy of his book in return, which brings us here. I have to be honest; I don’t think I would have read it any other way, even though I am a huge fan. It was a fun read, though, and I am glad that how it came to me is a fun story, too.

The complete title is: It Takes Balls: Dating Single Moms and Other Confessions from an Unprepared Single Dad. The book chronicles Wolf’s early years as a stand-up comedian and single dad. His vivid descriptions and shameless honesty create a fast-moving read that is impossible to set down. As a single parent myself, I identified so much with the struggles Wolf documents in trying to find some kind of balance between single adulthood and parenthood. The humor with which those struggles are described paint a picture of a man who has learned the importance of finding the levity in any given situation.

The book also portrays a man who is pretty charming and a DAWG. Ladies, we all know these men, and we love them and hate them at the same time. Gentlemen, you are most likely all dawgs in one way or another. A dawg loves all women, all the time, and spends a lot of time chasing them. I don’t know if all men are quite so intent in their pursuit of women, and clearly, Josh was on a mission. If the book is really true, he did pretty well.

If you are looking for some fun reading that will make you laugh out loud, then load a bowl and check out It Takes Balls. And, if you get a chance to catch his live show, make sure you see Josh Wolf in person. You will laugh your ass off!