Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America

by Leslie Knope

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.

Praise for Pawnee:

"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

Genres: Humor, Fiction, Comedy, Tv, Pop Culture, Reference, Media Tie In

240 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2011

About the author

Leslie Knope is currently the Deputy Director for the Pawnee City Parks and Recreation Department and candidate for Pawnee City Council. PAWNEE: THE GREATEST TOWN IN AMERICA is her first book.

(Leslie Knope is a fictional character on NBC's PARKS AND RECREATION and is portrayed by Amy Poehler.)

Reviews

[Gretchen Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is LITERALLY the greatest book about Pawnee that I have ever read. A must-read for fans of Parks and Recreation. (And, really, if you aren't a fan, you need to change that immediately. I'm going to paraphrase Dwight Schrute who once said, "Do you watch [Parks and Recreation]? No? Then you are an idiot.")

[Terence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pawnee, Leslie Knope's hometown and the setting for Parks and Recreation was immortalized in the show and in real life with her book Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America.

I have to say I'm a little disappointed with the book. This is one of those books where it would be better in audio book or acted out if the actors reprised their roles. The lines are there and I can hear their voices in my head, but it's missing the magic the actors bring to the lines.

All the main characters in the series wrote entries in the book. The lines are well written and it's easy to hear the characters voice in them.

The book also includes awesome entries directly from the show like The Swanson Pyramid of Greatness where anyone can easily read Ron's wisdom.

Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America is a fun read for any fan of Parks and Recreation.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a more recent convert to the Church of Parks and Recreation, I have to admit that I had no clue what I was missing before. The show is hilarious, packed with laughs and oohs and aahs and even moments where I tear up a little. When a friend purchased this book for me as a birthday present, I dug into it impatiently and reveled in each and every moment. Savoring this book was out of the question. The only answer was to eat up each page voraciously and then feel sorry for myself when I reached the end and found there to be no more laughs and fun tidbits that only add to the story.

PAWNEE: THE GREATEST TOWN IN AMERICA is the perfect companion piece to a show that is so perfect in so many ways. So so so so so! PAWNEE incorporates characters from the show with back story on the town that we’ve never seen or heard before, such as historical information on the founding of Pawnee to the guide to the city’s restaurants and famous raccoon-infested parks. Although I generally don’t read television or movie tie-ins outside of books about the creation of a film along the line of LORD OF THE RINGS or ALIENS (my favorite movie ever, just saying), I was drooling over the chance to read this book.

If you are a fan of Parks and Recreation, trust me – you need this book. You just need this book, and really, that’s all I can say about this book. And if you haven’t seen Parks and Recreation, go buy a month’s worth of Netflix and watch the first few seasons. Fall in love with Pawnee and the characters. And then buy this book and fall in love with it.

VERDICT: Although focused on seasoned Parks and Recreation fans, this book is a diehard fan’s new best friend, combining tidbits from the show and new information that you NEED to know! A great companion.

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to Pawnee, Indiana - First in Friendship, Fourth in Obesity. (Must have something to do with all that corn syrup in the water supply...)

Allow the ever-cheerful Leslie Knope to take you on a tour of her beloved hometown. Learn all about the town's rich and deeply disturbing history, including the townfounder who refused to wear breeches on the Sabbath. Sample the world's greatest waffles at JJ's Diner, or stop in at The Snakehole Lounge and enjoy a "Him-osa" - a Mimosa topped off with a sour cream-filled potato skin.
Mmmm...that hits the spot!

This book is simply a must for all Parks and Recreation fans. I'm pretty sure anything that has ever been mentioned on the show is included in these pages. Li'l Sebastion, all the previous names of Andy's band, the raccoon problem, Perd Hapley, The Swanson Pyramid of Greatness...it's all here!

Note: If you've ever wished for a closer look at those City Hall murals - here it is - a collection of some of the most politically incorrect paintings ever displayed. My favorite is the Sunday Boxing mural. Probably the first, and hopefully last time I will ever laugh at a pioneer woman getting punched in the stomach.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chock full of the same amount of humor and heart and inside jokes and craziness, Pawnee, IN is clearly the best fictional small town since Stars Hollow, CT. Actually, it's even better. Pawnee wins with the Reasonableists, the glorious rubber nipple factory, and the corporate giant Sweetums which helps makes Pawnee fourth in obesity. The book is hilariously in character, and my only complaint is that I wish it were a little longer.

If you're a fan of the show Parks & Recreation, this book is a must-have and a must-read.

If you like this book and haven't watched the show, WATCH THE SHOW.

If you don't like this book and don't watch this show....then I feel sorry for how sad your life is.

[Hayden Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is LITERALLY the best book i have ever read.

240 pages of laughs, pawnee: the greatest town in america embodies everything awesome about the best television show ever***, parks and recreation, in book form. worried about losing the unique voices of the characters? don't worry, they are mentioned plenty in this amazing, hilarious book.

actually, "hilarious" doesn't begin to cover it. my brother and sister were asking my parents, "why is he laughing so much?" for real. every page brought a new laugh or seven, and while i admit the book did lose a bit of steam toward the end, that's just because i read the whole thing in one sitting, and my eye became increasingly impatient.

lots of stunningly hilarious visuals and essays from your favorite characters in pawnee combine with a rich historical background to paint a picture of everyone's favorite town.




***result gathered in a 2014 study by me

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to make a statement, and the statement is this: This is literally the greatest book in America. I can't overhype it enough. And, its pretty unapologetic...

Spread your wings and fly!

Seriously, Parks and recreation is the greatest show in America. A lot of the book is directly from the show, not much new, but I love it anyway.

[fatma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pawnee is really somethin else

[Owen · Rating 3 out of 5]

How interesting...

I've been a fan of the hit show Parks and Recreation since it started airing in 2009.
That's a lie, I watched the first three (four?) seasons on Netflix this past summer in like a week. I also watched so many other shows on Netflix over the summer... I have an addictive personality, coupled with a newfound TV addiction, so that's fun. Anyway, I fell in love with the show and it became one of my favorite shows. Sadly, I have decided to not continue watching the current (fifth) season on TV right now because it is on Thursday nights and I would rather finish homework/studying or go to bed early, if I am given the chance (which I am not but that might be partly due to my tendencies to procrastinate).

I thought this book was okay. It had a lot of the charm from Leslie and the other characters, but other times it felt like poorly written fanfiction or an unofficial novel adaptation. The book is sprinkled with pictures of the town of Pawnee and surprisingly poor quality photos of the actors. I would suggest that you watch the series before reading this, because I think you will have trouble understanding a lot of the content and "inside jokes", if you will. Not inside jokes so much as just information that appears in episodes that could be confusing.

It took me less than a day to read this. I probably won't buy it, but I wouldn't be opposed to receiving it as a gift. It might be cool I guess to flip through it to learn more about what the characters are referencing in the episodes.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm. I was SO into this book for the first like 100 pages. It was so cozy and adorable and silly and just making me happy to be reading it in Leslie's voice. There were a few....iffy jokes (you know how on the show she's always joking about how racist their Pawnee ancestors are and it's really charming and clever on the show? Here it mostly is but sometimes just seems...kind of actually racist?). And then on page 145 about Pawnee's best athletes there is this recurring joke about how all the best female athletes were "revealed" to have "been born a man" and it was just so icky and needlessly transphobic? It left a bad taste in my mouth and I sort of skimmed the rest of the book (it's also pretty long for something that's basically a one-off joke). I was desperate to hear Leslie Knope's voice in my head again, and this provided that for at least a little while, but it wasn't exactly the perfect thing I wanted it to be/thought it was at first.

[Perri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a gift for super fans like me! So fun to read about the familiar people and places with references I recognize and appreciate. Appropriate for all Park and Rec groupies!

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Remember the episode where they make a time capsule and Leslie Knope writes a book for it? Here is that book, and if "remember that episode when..." is your favorite game, this is the book for you. Or, if you see it on the sidewalk and somehow recognize Leslie Knope just from her blazer, because the rest of it is covered by trash, then probably that's a sign that this is, if not the, at least a book for you. It's entertaining enough. But it's maybe best found in your aunt's bathroom, which is a problem because Leslie specifically asks you not to leave it in a bathroom, because she says she worked really hard on it and your bathroom is gross. I don't think she actually worked very hard on it though. Except for the Zorp part, which seems like maybe an intern spent all night smoking weed and thinking really hard about that and came in all haggard the next morning like "I wrote this...thing?" and everyone was like hey, actually that's pretty funny. Anyway, it's been kicking around our house for a week or so and I've been flipping through it during breakfast and I have no problem with it. But you should probably not pay actual money for it because it's printed on phone book paper.

ps if your reaction to this book is "episode of what?" then you do not need this book.

[Sherri Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is, literally, the best book ever written.

One minor quibble I have with the book is the Brief Note on the Typeface on the last page. It says that the book is set in "Prairie Strong", designed by Jørgen Svensson in 1924, etc., etc.

Then there is a "quote" by Alfred Barr, Jr., MOMA's famed curator which reads:
"Jørgen Svensson's 'Prairie Strong' is exactly the same as Times New Roman. Literally. He simply took Times New Roman—an extremely famous and popular font, mind you—and copied it, and claimed it was a new thing that he invented. It's preposterous. It's just exactly, 100% the same...."

1. Times New Roman was designed in 1931.

2. "Prairie Strong" is nothing like Times New Roman. Even a non-type nerd like me could figure that out. Look at the contrast between thick and thin strokes of Times in the Sweetums letter in Appendix 5, then look at the typeface used for most of the rest of the book—barely any contrast at all. Definitely not the same font.

Sorry for getting all nerdy on ya. I have a tendency to freak out over type issues, like the Great IKEA Verdanapocalypse of ’09.

[Rach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious, adorable, and perfect! If you like the show Parks and Recreation, you will live this book! Leslie's enthusiasm and love for Pawnee is addictive, and that's what makes this book LITERALLY the best book ever. Well, that and the history of the Sweetums company, Leslie's love for JJ's Diner's waffles, Ron's living in the woods diary, the special ad section... I could go on and on.

In the end, I'll leave you with words from Leslie herself: "Yes, every place in America has a story to tell, and many of them I'm sure are fascinating. And yes, the world's great cities hold endless joys and adventures within their borders. And yes, every town claims its diner's waffles are the best in the world. But somewhere, in some town, there really are the best waffles in the world. Somewhere, there's a stack of waffles so delicious, and rich, and golden brown, and wonderful, that anyone who tasted them would decide never to leave that town. Somewhere, those waffles exist. Why can't it be here?"

[Kelly Hager · Rating 4 out of 5]

This basically reads like a Pawnee history textbook. There are sidebars written by Ann, Chris, Ben, April, Andy and Tom (and, best of all, a nature diary from Ron Swanson!). If you're a fan of Parks and Recreation, you'll enjoy this book.

There are sections on Pawnee government, activities, parks and---my favorite---murals. (I do like when Leslie talks about them on the show, too.)

I was saving this because there aren't any new episodes of Parks and Recreation until April 19 (stupid Community!) but then I finished watching all the episodes of season 3 and I was kind of homesick for Pawnee.

I don't think this is a must-read by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a fun (and funny) book. And anything that has anything to do with Leslie Knope, Ron Swanson and Pawnee gets my automatic stamp of approval. :)

Recommended for anyone who's a fan of the show. (April 19 isn't THAT far away.)

[Sean Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably one of the best television series tie-in products as it is actually written by the writing staff instead of someone completely separate. Because of this it sounds and reads exactly like a product devised by Leslie Knope and the rest of the Parks department would release. Many chortles lie within.

RIP, 'Lil Sebastian.

[Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome! Hilariously funny!! I will keep this book in mind when I am feeling down and need a pick-me-up!! This book is so creative you forget it is a made up town. If you're not careful you might just catch yourself planning a vacation there!

[Pandora Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

(évidemment c'est bien d'être fan de Parks and Rec pour apprécier XD)

[Emma Jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so funny!! I highly recommend to any fans of Parks and Rec. It totally felt like it was written be Leslie, and I read the whole thing with her voice in my head. The chapters written by all the other side characters were great too and they all sounded exactly like their character.

[Keith Skrdlant · Rating 2 out of 5]

You get the idea pretty quickly.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5* for a fun addition to the parks and rec's world !
The universe of the series lives on with a lot of easter eggs and much more about the lovely fictional town of Pawnee <3

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really clever book, and I like it for the same reason I like parks & rec - the sense of humor is good natured and isn't really aimed at putting people down (except for Jerry). It's just about the absurdity of a small town - how small things can seem much more important than they warrant. But it also has a lot of affection for the small town lifestyle and kinda has the premise that it's not stupid to be proud of where you live, wherever that may be.

I realize this is a bit dramatic for a review of a humor book tied into a prime time tv show, but the afterword made me a little wistful. Also beer.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious! If you are a fan of Parks & Rec, you should definitely read this book. The creativity of the writers astounds me - the lengths they've went to create a detailed history, culture, and profile of a fictional town. The "voices" in the book are true to the characters and the show. All around this is just a great, easy, fun read that will definitely have you laughing!

[Shanissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of parks & rec so I had to have this book. This book isn't, by any means, supposed to be good or deep or meaningful, it's just fun to have and to flip through every now and again. I read little bits and pieces of this in between reading more heavier books to clear my mind a little and it worked. For that I give it 3 stars.

[Sarah Mackey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot remember the last time I read a book that filled me with this much joy.

[Suzanne Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious. The Chris Traeger Parts were the best. It was a great thing to read while waiting for the last season to come out on Netflix!

[Jordan Cuellar]

I don’t even know how to rate this book. It was funny and ridiculous and I could actually hear the characters’ voices when I read what they wrote. It was over the top and clearly so much time and energy was put into this book. I very much enjoyed it, even though there were parts that I could have done without, sections that seemed unnecessary and/or uninteresting. It made me want to watch Parks and Rec again.

[Sean Bean as Zeus in Percy Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure this was an actual book but I did just see it on tv so thought I’d fancy a shot at looking it up and it’s actually real isn’t that something.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

LITERALLY the best book on Pawnee ever. Great tie-in to the show. It’s hilarious and I heard each character’s voice in my head as I was reading.

[Morgan Lyons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not actually as funny as expected, but I bought it and I love the show, so I figured it was worth the read. My favorite part was probably Ron sharing his basketball coaching philosophy. On the subject of "shooting," he counsels: Every morning, when you're done splitting firewood, shoot 100 free throws. If you make 90 or more of them, reward yourself with a hamburger. If you make 100, call me up and I'll come over and punch you in the face, because you're a liar. Steve Alford couldn't make 100 in a row, and he was unquestionably the greatest shooter the world has ever seen at any level. After you shoot 100 free throws, shoot 100 layups from each side of the basket. If you make 95, eat a hamburger. Then shoot 100 3-pointers from every spot outside the arc. Then eat a hamburger, no matter how you did. You need your strength.