“I was a normal kid as far as I knew.”

From Chip Gaines’ Capital Gaines.

Chip Gaines is widely known as a fun, slightly crazy television personality and co-leader of the Magnolia everything, but in his biography, he opens up and allows readers a chance to get to know the real him.  Chip shares various stories from his life where (like the book’s tagline) he learned lessons after doing stupid things.  Some of the featured stories highlight his childhood love of baseball, his beginning business ventures, the early years of his marriage and family, life since the rise of HGTV’s Fixer Upper show, as well as the process connected to selecting the book’s cover.  The lessons are different-but-ultimately-connected and uniquely Chip with his humor easily shining through the retelling of the varied experiences; he even adds an “intermission” story smack dab in the middle of another story that seems to work perfectly for the attitude of the book.  Each story holds more open honesty from the author than the previous one, which creates an easy connection between the author and the reader.

Part inspirational non-fiction and part biography the book manages to hold content that will appeal to a large array of readers.  Gaines’ beliefs are a constant aspect of the book, but never done in a way that feels preachy or over-the-top; through his inclusion of his faith, readers can easily see what makes the author tick.  Fans of the Fixer Upper show will enjoy the book for the behind the scenes information provided about the Magnolia empire, but anyone looking for an enjoyable and often humorous biography will enjoy the book.  Perhaps the best way to experience this book is with the audiobook read by the author, but no matter the format, readers will enjoy Chip’s heart and excitement for the content found in Capital Gaines.