{"product_id":"parks-and-rec-the-underdog-tv-show-that-litrally-inspired-a-vision-for-a-better-america-9780593854518","title":"Parks and Rec: The Underdog TV Show That Lit'rally Inspired a Vision for a Better America","description":"\u003cb\u003eFrom the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eSeinfeldia\u003c\/i\u003e, the definitive story of the creation and legacy of \u003ci\u003eParks and Recreation\u003c\/i\u003e, with exclusive interview content from its cast, crew, and creators \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMore than fifteen years after \u003ci\u003eParks and Recreation\u003c\/i\u003e premiered, it has become a streaming staple. It's beloved for its jokes, characters, and expressions--the show even created a now widely observed holiday, Galentine's Day. How did it all happen and how did the show transform from a ratings disappointment into a cult classic? Pop culture historian Jennifer Keishin Armstrong reveals all this and more in the authoritative history of the show, which is as full of humor, optimism, and heart as \u003ci\u003eParks and Recreation\u003c\/i\u003e itself. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThrough new and exclusive interviews, as well as deep insight and smart and entertaining pop culture analysis, Armstrong tells the story of how \u003ci\u003eParks and Recreation\u003c\/i\u003e came to be: how it grew from \u003ci\u003eThe Office\u003c\/i\u003e's success and Obama-inspired optimism, how producers assembled one of TV's most lovable casts but barely survived a mediocre first season, how the show found its voice by getting more political and more romantic, and how it became a cultural force despite middling ratings during its network run, going on to become a television savior of the Trump era and a modern classic. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eLovingly told and deeply researched, \u003ci\u003eParks and Rec\u003c\/i\u003e is the ultimate history of the show that taught us what's important in life: friends, waffles, and work.\u003cb\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Jennifer Keishin Armstrong\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Dutton\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/07\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.10lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.10h x 6.10w x 1.30d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780593854518\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/01\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/01\/2026 pg. 109\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/09\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/01\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author\u003cb\u003e Jennifer Keishin Armstrong\u003c\/b\u003e has written nine books, including\u003ci\u003e Seinfeldia, Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted, Sex and the City and Us\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eWhen Women Invented Television\u003c\/i\u003e. She is the cofounder of the \"Ministry of Pop Culture\" Substack and a former local newspaper reporter. She lives in New Paltz, New York.\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Jennifer Keishin Armstrong \/ Hardcover \/ English","offer_id":47834203881629,"sku":"9780593854518","price":50.53,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_9b1161d1-ad52-473c-9bbf-0df74845beae.jpg?v=1776146231","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/parks-and-rec-the-underdog-tv-show-that-litrally-inspired-a-vision-for-a-better-america-9780593854518","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}