[This review will go live on Civilian Reader on March 16th.]

I was a latecomer to The Office. When the original UK version first aired, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Ricky Gervais. This meant I didn’t rush to watch the American version. A few years ago, though, we gave it a try and quickly fell in love with the employees of Dunder Mifflin, Scranton, PA. I’ve now watched the whole series multiple times, and each time it keeps me entertained, laughing out loud. When I learned about this book, I quickly got in touch with the publisher and they were kind enough to send me a DRC. I started reading it almost immediately, and thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

This is the latest in a slew of new books about beloved, completed TV series. (I have three about Friends, and one about Frasier still to read.) As someone who loves reading about Hollywood, and behind-the-scenes of movies and TV series, I feel quite spoiled at the moment. Of the ones I’ve read, Andy Greene’s The Office is easily one of the best.

How does one review an oral history? An oral history of one of your favourite shows? The book is packed with behind-the-scenes revelations from the cast and (more so) the crew. While reading it, I would frequently interrupt my partner’s day to tell her about this or that nugget that I thought was fascinating, funny and/or endearing. (It’s all part of the service of being with me…)

Split into sections covering each season, key episodes, and production departments (writing, wardrobe, set design, etc.), it is an expansive and exhaustive account of the making of The Office. Greene draws on existing coverage of the show and cast, as well as new interviews. We learn about favourite episodes and moments, from the perspective of directors, writers, and cast members. We learn about how close of the cast became, and how much they all loved their time on the show — unlike in some other instances, you get the sense that they really did love their time on the show (thanks to social media, it’s not difficult to see how much time they still spend together). Guest stars offer their thoughts about their time on the show and with these great characters and people. It was also interesting for me to learn the context surrounding the show’s production and continued existence — it often didn’t have the greatest support from the studio’s higher-ups, but the overwhelming love from the fans, certain key management people, and those making the show kept it alive and going.

There are hundreds of nuggets I could have chosen to share, but really the best thing is to read it for yourself. It is a must-read for fans of the show, and Greene has done a wonderful job of creating an endearing and entertaining history of the show.

I highly recommend this book. It is rather long, however, so maybe I’d give it only a cautious recommendation for people who don’t love the TV series. Fans of the show will find plenty that they will love in the book.

I loved The Office, and this book is a wonderful insight into how it was made. I really enjoyed reading about the series production. The interviews were top notch. I highly recommend this book!

My family has become hooked on the Office in the last year, and we've spent a lot of time watching and re-watching episodes. This book is great for Office-obsessed people like us who want more inside information about the show. The format is a little clumsy with the strings of long quotes, but there's value in the author having had so much access to people involved in producing this show.

As a huge fan of The Office, this was such a fun read! I really loved getting insights about the show's production and hearing interviews with production teams.

This book was such a treat.

I didn't watch the Office from the beginning, but I became a loyal viewer by the second half of the third season. I came to it as one often comes to the best things - a friend was like, "You've gotta watch it." In college, it was a way to instantly bond with new acquaintances. A friend I made during the fourth season still texts me Office quotes during a long work day - 12 years later.

Which is to say, this not-so-little TV show is part of my life. It's in the fabric of my memories, and I'm almost certain it's influenced my sense of humor - and probably even my approach to working in an office.

I'm pleased to report that The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s by Andy Greene gave the show its due. This oral history was well-constructed, and taught me things I hadn't known. Honestly, if I have any complaints it's probably that I'd have read another 100-200 pages. I really enjoyed reading it, and yes...I cried reading about the show's finale. I highly recommend a read if you're at all a fan of the show, and/or have an interest in television. It's a book about the Office, yes, but it's also about how a show gets made.

Thank you to Dutton (at Penguin Group) and NetGalley for a free e-arc of this title for review.

I really enjoyed reading this book! I love The Office and this was a unique way to go behind the scenes of its production. Told in a series of interviews by the producers and cast members, I really enjoyed it! Be sure to pick up this book in March when it comes out!

This was a fun book that really peeled back the curtain to the relationships on and off screen. There were several things that caught me off guard and a few things that helped explain why certain episodes were the way they were. The book is just a bit too long in my opinion but was still a fun and well-edited book. It was very interesting to see how the show, despite all odds and obstacles standing against it, persisted to become the greatest show ever on television. This is an absolute must have for any fans of The Office.

A must-read for fans of the show, The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s is more fun than beets, bears, or even Battlestar Gallactica! 
I love The Office and I absolutely loved this book! Reading it was like having the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of my favorite fictional friends. 

This book was overflowing with fun facts and behind the scenes trivia. For example, did you know that for some episodes, Jim is wearing a very expensive wig to hide the fact that he cut his hair to be in another movie? Or that writer Greg Daniels wanted to have Dwight ride a horse over Niagara Falls after Jim and Pam's wedding? I was also fascinated to learn that the scene where Angela throws a cat into the air was filmed using two highly trained stunt cats. 

One of my favorite aspects of this book was also the fact that within these pages, I got to be a fly on the wall in the writer's room and learn what makes the show so brilliant. What was the rationale behind how Jim proposed to Pam? How did they make they make a show that was so realistic, but also so smart, funny, and deeply emotional? How much of the show was improv? What was the reasoning behind Steve Carrell's departure? Reading this book taught me fun facts about my favorite show, but it also taught me important lessons about the craft of storytelling from some incredibly talented writers.

It is clear that the author, who also writes for Rolling Stone, has done meticulous research. He weaves together the oral interviews he conducted in order to make a chronological narrative that is full of heart. I will admit that I got a bit misty eyed when I read about the behind the scenes goodbyes that happened when Steve Carrel left the show or the emotional wrap party that occurred when it was all over. 

 I couldn't put this book down. The entire time I was reading it, I kept sharing fun facts that I had learned with my friends (whether or not they were interested). I devoured this book in just a few days, and now I'm ready to rewatch all the episodes of my favorite show. Please excuse me while I go stream The Office while keeping an eye out for all details I learned in this book! 

Note: Thank you to Net Galley for a free copy of this book. I received a free digital advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Picture a room full of your good friends- friends you can probable quote from- and they are all telling you stories and secrets, things you never knew about your friends and their experiences. This book is exactly like that. Everyone from the actors to the production team to the writers to wardrobe. You'll find out what the writers were thinking, and exactly how much improvisation went into the series.

I am kind of annoyed "The Office" isn't out for Christmas. It would have been the perfect gift for everyone in my house. I would have been hoisted on my family's shoulders, accompanied by screams of joy. Now I only have socks for gifts.

This book was very interesting and enjoyable with firsthand accounts from people involved with making the greatest show in the history of television! Definitively recommended for all the office lovers out there.

"The Office" is a must-read for fans of the hit show! I adore the U.S. Office and have seen most episodes of the original U.K. Office and this was a great read! This book is told through interviews, many of them original to this book, by the actors, writers, producers, showrunners, NBC executives, even hairdressers and set designers! You learn how the idea of "The Office" was created and developed by Ricky Gervais, produced in the U.K., and then adopted for American television. You get to see how the American version worked to create unique characters and painstakingly accurate set design. I learned a lot about camera-work, television production, and more of the technique aspects of television I hadn't realized. It was so fun to read about the actors and what their experience was like working on the show and what they thought of each other. This was a simple read, very fun, and I couldn't put it down. I would recommend this to fans of the show "The Office, humor, acting, and television production.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

As a fan of the Office (and who isn't these days?), I was overjoyed with this book! I could not put it down. I have already seen all the deleted scenes, watched every blooper reel, listened to every podcast, and I still want as much behind-the-scenes as possible for this show. If you love this show and want to hear stories from the creators and actors of the show, this book is definitely for you.

Like many other people who were fans of the original UK version of "The Office", I am pretty sure I rolled my eyes and resisted the US version for quite a while thinking it could never live up to the original. I am so glad my husband started watching it and talked me into it as well during the original run because it ended up surprisingly far surpassing the UK version and becoming one of my favorite sitcoms of all time. I know so many people who go to this show as their "comfort binge" on Netflix too and I am glad to see so many new people fall in love with such an innovative piece of tv history. This book gives a behind the scenes look in the form of various interviews with many of the people involved from the creators to the writers to the crew to the actors themselves, giving us a well rounded look at what it took to make The Office in to what it was. Even if you are a super fan you will come away with new information regarding the creative process, Steve Carell's departure from the show and how that all went down, character development, and thoughts on a spinoff or reboot. I recommend this book to any fan of "The Office".