Happy, Happy, Happy
My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander
By Phil Robertson
With Mark Schlabach
Table of Contents
About The Book
This no-holds-barred autobiography chronicles the remarkable life of Phil Robertson, the original Duck Commander and Duck Dynasty® star, from early childhood through the founding of a family business.
LIVING THE DREAM
Duck calls—though the source of his livelihood—are not what makes Phil Robertson the man he is today. When asked what matters in his life, he’s quick to say, “Faith, family, ducks—in that order.”
It isn’t often that a person can live a dream, but Phil Robertson, aka The Duck Commander, has proven that it is possible with vision, hard work, helping hands, and an unshakable faith in the Almighty. Phil’s is the remarkable story of one man who followed the call he received from God and soon after invented a duck call that would begin an incredible journey to the life he had always dreamed of for himself and his family. In the love of his country, his family, and his maker, Phil has finally found the ingredients to the “good life” he always wanted.
If you ever wind up sitting face-to-face with Phil, you’ll see that his enthusiasm and passion for duck hunting and the Lord is no act—it is truly who he is.
If you’ve watched the exceedingly popular A&E® program Duck Dynasty®, you already know the famed Phil Robertson. As patriarch of the Robertson clan and creator of Duck Commander duck calls, he fearlessly leads his family in a responsible work ethic and an active faith.
But what you don’t know is his life before the show. In the pages of this book, you’ll learn of Phil’s colorful past and his wild road to the “happy, happy, happy” life he leads today. Before the “happy,” Phil’s passion for the outdoors and wild living led him down some shady paths. As a young husband and father, he became the proprietor of a rough bar and lived a life, as he says, of “romping, stomping, and ripping” for a number of years. He even left his wife and young boys for a short period of time.
Through it all, Phil Robertson has lived his life as a “called” man. Called to live off the land, called to leave a starring role in Louisiana Tech football (playing ahead of Terry Bradshaw) for duck hunting, called to wild living, called to create a new kind of duck call—and finally, called to follow God and lead a life of faith.
In this eye-opening and rousing book, you’ll find stories that will shock you, as well as those that will inspire you. You’ll get to know the man behind the legend, and you’ll come away better for it.
LIVING THE DREAM
Duck calls—though the source of his livelihood—are not what makes Phil Robertson the man he is today. When asked what matters in his life, he’s quick to say, “Faith, family, ducks—in that order.”
It isn’t often that a person can live a dream, but Phil Robertson, aka The Duck Commander, has proven that it is possible with vision, hard work, helping hands, and an unshakable faith in the Almighty. Phil’s is the remarkable story of one man who followed the call he received from God and soon after invented a duck call that would begin an incredible journey to the life he had always dreamed of for himself and his family. In the love of his country, his family, and his maker, Phil has finally found the ingredients to the “good life” he always wanted.
If you ever wind up sitting face-to-face with Phil, you’ll see that his enthusiasm and passion for duck hunting and the Lord is no act—it is truly who he is.
If you’ve watched the exceedingly popular A&E® program Duck Dynasty®, you already know the famed Phil Robertson. As patriarch of the Robertson clan and creator of Duck Commander duck calls, he fearlessly leads his family in a responsible work ethic and an active faith.
But what you don’t know is his life before the show. In the pages of this book, you’ll learn of Phil’s colorful past and his wild road to the “happy, happy, happy” life he leads today. Before the “happy,” Phil’s passion for the outdoors and wild living led him down some shady paths. As a young husband and father, he became the proprietor of a rough bar and lived a life, as he says, of “romping, stomping, and ripping” for a number of years. He even left his wife and young boys for a short period of time.
Through it all, Phil Robertson has lived his life as a “called” man. Called to live off the land, called to leave a starring role in Louisiana Tech football (playing ahead of Terry Bradshaw) for duck hunting, called to wild living, called to create a new kind of duck call—and finally, called to follow God and lead a life of faith.
In this eye-opening and rousing book, you’ll find stories that will shock you, as well as those that will inspire you. You’ll get to know the man behind the legend, and you’ll come away better for it.
Reading Group Guide
This reading group guide for Happy, Happy, Happy includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.
Introduction
Everyone who watches A&E’s Duck Dynasty knows Phil Robertson—the wise, duck-calling patriarch of the Robertson clan. But what you don’t know is about his life before the show, before Duck Commander, and before he was happy, happy, happy. Before the “happy,” Phil followed a wild road with a few detours down some dark paths. In the pages of Happy, Happy, Happy Phil reveals his views on life and shares his deep-held faith in God. You will be surprised and inspired by Phil’s stories as you get to know the man behind the legend.
Topics & Questions for Discussion
1. Each chapter features a rule Phil lives his life by. What are some of your rules for living happy, happy, happy? If you do not have any rules, what are some rules that could make a positive impact on your life and/or family?
2. In the introduction Phil discusses functional vs. dysfunctional families. Television networks seem obsessed with rewarding dysfunctional behavior by highlighting it on reality shows. Why do American TV viewers enjoy such programs? Be honest, what are some of your favorite “train wreck” TV shows? Conversely, why is a show like Duck Dynasty—one that focuses on wholesome family values—so popular? Does America need more shows like it to combat the dysfunction? Discuss.
3. In chapter two Phil cautions about not letting kids grow up to be nerds. To him “nerd” has a negative connotation that invokes a person who is glued to their gadgets and stays indoors all day. Phil places value on practical knowledge, such as outdoors survival skills and hunting and neglects to discuss the values of other skill sets. What do you think about Phil’s view of “nerd”? Should children have a more balanced skill set that lets them enjoy and learn outdoors as well as in?
4. Phil calls women “strange creatures” in chapter 3 where he discusses his perfect match in Miss Kay. In what ways are men strange creatures? Phil also points to the Apostle Peter’s definition of godly women (Peter 3:1–6). What are your thoughts on these verses?
5. In chapter 6, “Honky Tonk,” the perspective switches to Miss Kay’s and we hear her side of the story. She says, “When I was younger, I read that a person can live so long without water, so long without food, but that you can never live without hope. I have always believed that hope and dreams are what keep us going.” Discuss. What do you think, in what ways do you agree or disagree?
6. Once Phil buys his land and begins his commercial fishing business, he teaches his sons about helping out and work being a family enterprise. It is a little lesson that made a big difference in his children’s life. What little life lessons have been taught to you (or that you have taught to your children) that have stuck with you and made a big impact on your life?
7. In “Redneck Caviar” Phil discusses his land and how he tries his best to keep the swamp ecosystem sustainable for the wildlife that inhabit the area. He also marvel’s at God’s hand in keeping the land pure and healthy. What are some of your favorite outdoor spots and why? What do you or can you do to help keep your favorite outdoor hangouts healthy and clean?
8. “My philosophy on discipline,” Phil says, “was very simple. Since rules are made to be broken, I kept the rules few and far between. However, there was a code in the Robertson house: three licks was the standard punishment.” It seemed to work well for his family. What do you think of this philosophy?
9. Phil talks about his sons as being prodigals, returning home after being wayward for a while. “If you don’t have faith, there’s nowhere to turn. My boys always knew where to go when they ran into trouble.” What would you do with a prodigal child? How would you treat them? Do you have any experience with or as a prodigal?
10. Phil quotes Romans 12:17–21 “Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good,” when he tells the story of how he stopped men from stealing his fish—he gave them away and the stealing stopped. Discuss this; how would you have reacted? Have you ever been faced with a similar situation? What happened?
11. Alan, Phil’s oldest son, quotes his father saying, “Son, don’t ever tell people how good or great you are at something; let them tell you.” Discuss this advice. What does it mean to you?
12. Phil finds his “happy” in his faith, family, and duck hunting. Discuss what makes you happy, happy, happy. What are some ways you can bring “happy” to others?
Enhance Your Book Club
1. Phil’s book is largely about finding happy and living happy. So do something that makes you happy! Do it as a group or by yourself. Try something new; find a new happy. Ever been hunting? No? Maybe you could try it! Or just go target shooting instead. Or go fishing as a group. If hunting and fishing are not your happy, maybe bike riding or hiking. Try an outdoor activity together. You never know if something will make you happy unless you try it!
2. Have a Duck Dynasty viewing party. As a group everyone could watch the show and discuss the moral of that week’s episode(s). Bring snacks, you could even be adventurous and it could be wild game snacks—frogs legs, squirrel brains, duck dumplings . . . okay, maybe not that adventurous. Maybe you could just have wild game themed food. You could make wild turkey sandwiches and pretend you hunted that turkey instead of buying it at the store. Or bring chicken fingers but you can them duck fingers.
Introduction
Everyone who watches A&E’s Duck Dynasty knows Phil Robertson—the wise, duck-calling patriarch of the Robertson clan. But what you don’t know is about his life before the show, before Duck Commander, and before he was happy, happy, happy. Before the “happy,” Phil followed a wild road with a few detours down some dark paths. In the pages of Happy, Happy, Happy Phil reveals his views on life and shares his deep-held faith in God. You will be surprised and inspired by Phil’s stories as you get to know the man behind the legend.
Topics & Questions for Discussion
1. Each chapter features a rule Phil lives his life by. What are some of your rules for living happy, happy, happy? If you do not have any rules, what are some rules that could make a positive impact on your life and/or family?
2. In the introduction Phil discusses functional vs. dysfunctional families. Television networks seem obsessed with rewarding dysfunctional behavior by highlighting it on reality shows. Why do American TV viewers enjoy such programs? Be honest, what are some of your favorite “train wreck” TV shows? Conversely, why is a show like Duck Dynasty—one that focuses on wholesome family values—so popular? Does America need more shows like it to combat the dysfunction? Discuss.
3. In chapter two Phil cautions about not letting kids grow up to be nerds. To him “nerd” has a negative connotation that invokes a person who is glued to their gadgets and stays indoors all day. Phil places value on practical knowledge, such as outdoors survival skills and hunting and neglects to discuss the values of other skill sets. What do you think about Phil’s view of “nerd”? Should children have a more balanced skill set that lets them enjoy and learn outdoors as well as in?
4. Phil calls women “strange creatures” in chapter 3 where he discusses his perfect match in Miss Kay. In what ways are men strange creatures? Phil also points to the Apostle Peter’s definition of godly women (Peter 3:1–6). What are your thoughts on these verses?
5. In chapter 6, “Honky Tonk,” the perspective switches to Miss Kay’s and we hear her side of the story. She says, “When I was younger, I read that a person can live so long without water, so long without food, but that you can never live without hope. I have always believed that hope and dreams are what keep us going.” Discuss. What do you think, in what ways do you agree or disagree?
6. Once Phil buys his land and begins his commercial fishing business, he teaches his sons about helping out and work being a family enterprise. It is a little lesson that made a big difference in his children’s life. What little life lessons have been taught to you (or that you have taught to your children) that have stuck with you and made a big impact on your life?
7. In “Redneck Caviar” Phil discusses his land and how he tries his best to keep the swamp ecosystem sustainable for the wildlife that inhabit the area. He also marvel’s at God’s hand in keeping the land pure and healthy. What are some of your favorite outdoor spots and why? What do you or can you do to help keep your favorite outdoor hangouts healthy and clean?
8. “My philosophy on discipline,” Phil says, “was very simple. Since rules are made to be broken, I kept the rules few and far between. However, there was a code in the Robertson house: three licks was the standard punishment.” It seemed to work well for his family. What do you think of this philosophy?
9. Phil talks about his sons as being prodigals, returning home after being wayward for a while. “If you don’t have faith, there’s nowhere to turn. My boys always knew where to go when they ran into trouble.” What would you do with a prodigal child? How would you treat them? Do you have any experience with or as a prodigal?
10. Phil quotes Romans 12:17–21 “Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good,” when he tells the story of how he stopped men from stealing his fish—he gave them away and the stealing stopped. Discuss this; how would you have reacted? Have you ever been faced with a similar situation? What happened?
11. Alan, Phil’s oldest son, quotes his father saying, “Son, don’t ever tell people how good or great you are at something; let them tell you.” Discuss this advice. What does it mean to you?
12. Phil finds his “happy” in his faith, family, and duck hunting. Discuss what makes you happy, happy, happy. What are some ways you can bring “happy” to others?
Enhance Your Book Club
1. Phil’s book is largely about finding happy and living happy. So do something that makes you happy! Do it as a group or by yourself. Try something new; find a new happy. Ever been hunting? No? Maybe you could try it! Or just go target shooting instead. Or go fishing as a group. If hunting and fishing are not your happy, maybe bike riding or hiking. Try an outdoor activity together. You never know if something will make you happy unless you try it!
2. Have a Duck Dynasty viewing party. As a group everyone could watch the show and discuss the moral of that week’s episode(s). Bring snacks, you could even be adventurous and it could be wild game snacks—frogs legs, squirrel brains, duck dumplings . . . okay, maybe not that adventurous. Maybe you could just have wild game themed food. You could make wild turkey sandwiches and pretend you hunted that turkey instead of buying it at the store. Or bring chicken fingers but you can them duck fingers.
About The Author
Photograph © Russell A. Graves
Phil Robertson
Phil Robertson was born and raised in a small town near Shreveport, Louisiana. After college he spent several years teaching but soon decided to devote his talents elsewhere: he began to experiment with making a call that would produce the exact sound of a duck, and thus Duck Commander was born. Duck Commander became a successful family business, and featured on the hit A&E TV series Duck Dynasty.
Product Details
- Publisher: Howard Books (May 7, 2013)
- Length: 240 pages
- ISBN13: 9781476726113
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Happy, Happy, Happy eBook 9781476726113
- Author Photo (jpg): Phil Robertson Photograph © Russell A. Graves(0.1 MB)
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