The Tao of Bill Murray: Real-Life Stories of Joy, Enlightenment, and Party Crashing

Bill Murray the actor takes a backseat to Murray the trickster figure in this collection of notable, implausible, even inexplicable offscreen appearances. Whether it's crashing a karaoke party, photobombing engagement pics, or covering a stranger's eyes and asking, "Guess who?" Murray comes across as a man set on adding a surreal moment to people's lives before saying, "no one will ever believe you," and walking away. Is there a method to Murray's madness? Edwards (Last Night at the Viper Room) posits ten principles comprising the tao of Murray such as "invite yourself to the party" and "your spirit will follow your body." Each tenet is backed by firsthand accounts and interviews, making for a hilarious read—occasionally heartwarming, sometimes head-scratching. It's easy to find Murray stories, but the author's attempt to make sense of them adds a new dimension. His access to celebrities (including an interview with Murray himself) strengthens this work, which concludes with a 100-page retrospective of the subject's movies with anecdotes from each one.