From the desk of K:
Over the last few months I have been one of the millions of Americans to fall in love with the Robertson family on A&E’s hit show, Duck Dynasty. If you’re unfamiliar, let me enlighten you. The Robertson family hails from West Monroe, Louisiana, and they are the owners and operators of the multi-million dollar duck call company, Duck Commander. Now, you might be thinking, “Oh great, another reality show about a bunch of yuppie rich people. No, thanks.” Wrong. While they may be reaping the benefits of their successful business, they are by no means your typical reality TV family. Just take one look at the men running the show at Duck Commander and you’ll see a bunch of bearded guys decked out in camouflage looking like they just came out of the woods (odds are, they probably just did, though). Then, after you get over the shock of what they look like just wait until you hear them talk. You want to hear honesty? Listen to Phil, the creator of the Duck Commander brand, give his opinion on, well, just about anything! Listen to his brother, Si (short for Silas), recount some old war stories for you. Or just listen to Phil’s sons, Willie and Jase, argue and banter, letting that brotherly love really shine through. Not an episode goes by where I don’t find myself laughing out loud at least once. It’s funny and entertaining, but it’s also a breath of fresh air in contrast to some of the vapid, moral-less trash you can often see when you turn on the TV these days.
Recently, Willie and his wife Korie wrote a book entitled, The Duck Commander 
Family: How Faith, Family, and Ducks Built a Dynasty. Being a huge fan of the show, I put it on my list of must-read books (one of many, I might add). Now that I’m finally finished with Atlas Shrugged, I have found that I have a lot more time on my hands to start tackling that list. I also know that season three of the Duck Dynasty series will be starting soon so this seemed like the perfect time to sit down and learn a little more about my favorite TV family. Now, I like to consider myself a quick reader, but let me just say, I couldn’t put this book down; I actually finished the whole thing in less than 24 hours!
One of the greatest things about the book is being able to learn just how the whole thing got started. When you watch the show, you see this successful and mostly smooth-running business and it’s easy to think that it’s always been that way. In reading the book, we learn that Duck Commander came from some pretty humble beginnings, as did the members of the Robertson clan. Willie, Jase, and the rest of the Robertson brothers were raised on little money and Phil and Kay worked hard just to make ends meet. This meant that often times the boys were left to fend for themselves when it came to looking after one another and making their own dinner. Willie even recalls receiving free lunch at school because his family didn’t have any money. Although their family might not have had a lot of money it’s quite evident that one thing they did have was a lot of love. Willie writes,
Some of my best memories are from when we had nothing. Who says you can’t live on love? I think we did. We were thankful for what we had, comfortable with who we were, and always confident. We were Robertsons, for goodness’ sake! And that meant something. When I was younger, I never believed I was different from anyone else – even if we were receiving free lunches.” – The Duck Commander Family, page 53.
Willie and Korie open every chapter with a Bible verse fitting to the theme of that particular chapter. It was so uplifting to read about the ways in which they overcame their obstacles and worked hard to achieve the level of success they have, all the while trusting in and giving the glory to God. After reading the book I appreciate them that much more. It’s hard to turn on the TV these days and find people who practice what they preach as much as this family does. Their children are raised to say “Yes, ma’am” and “No, sir” and are taught to respect their elders. Every episode of Duck Dynasty closes with a shot of the Robertson family dinner where Phil leads them in prayer. For a company that has become so successful and profitable, it’s refreshing to see that they haven’t forgotten their roots and they certainly haven’t let their success change them at their core. So if you’re in the market for a good, quick read, I highly recommend this book. And while you’re at it, tune in to A&E to catch up on some Duck Dynasty episodes. I promise you’ll be entertained. As Phil would say, you’ll be “happy, happy, happy” that you did.
Filed under: Books, Entertainment, Faith & Religion, K Tagged: A&E, Bible, Books, Duck Commander, Duck Dynasty, duck hunting, Faith, family, hunting, Jase Robertson, Korie Robertson, Louisiana, Phil Robertson, reading, reality TV, Robertson family, Si Robertson, The Duck Commander Family, TV shows, Willie Robertson
