Si-cology 1: Tales & Wisdom from Duck Dynasty's Favorite Uncle

by Si Robertson, Mark Schlabach

You know him from the hit A&E® show Duck Dynasty®—now you can enjoy Uncle Si’s tall tales, crazy exploits, and quirky one-liners in one raucous collection!

As you read this book, there are a few things you have to understand: 95 percent of my stories are truthful. Every member of the Robertson family has the God- given gift of storytelling. Hey, when you’ve sat in a duck blind for more than half of your life, you have to figure out some way to pass the time! It’s better than looking at Willie and Jase for six hours! Many of the stories I like to tell happened when I was a young boy or when I was in Vietnam. At my age, a few of the details are cloudy, but I’ll recollect the coming stories as best I can. Hey, just remember it isn’t a lie if you think it’s true! It’s up to you, the reader, to figure out what’s truth and what’s fiction. Best of luck with that, Jack! May the force be with you.

Hey, another thing you have to know: my stories are kind of like my vocabulary. You might have noticed I like to say “hey” quite a bit. “Hey” can mean anything. It can mean “yes,” it can mean “maybe,” and it can mean “no.” Hey, it could mean “next week.” The bottom line is, you have to understand “hey” to understand me.

And if you know anything about Silas Merritt Robertson, you know I’m a hard rascal to figure out.

—From the Prologue

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Humor, Memoir, Christian, Autobiography, Biography Memoir

231 pages, Hardcover

First published September 3, 2013

About the author

Si Robertson, the youngest brother of Phil Robertson. He has worked and hunted for Duck Commander since retiring from the United States Army in 1993. Si makes all of the reeds for the Duck Commander calls. Si lives in West Monroe, La with his wife Christine.

Reviews

[Kelly (and the Book Boar)]

I haven't actually read this, but I do own it because my youngest used to be SUPER into Duck Dynasty (like to the point where I thought I might have to drop him off at the nearest fire station for them to find him a new family because he wanted to watch it ALL. THE. TIME.) and also because it was a quarter at a thrift store. However, Bad Bad Leroy Brown wants you all to know that Si is his favorite . . . .



Until he bites him on the noise-making part and he talks and then he is absolutely TERRIFYING and WHY ISN'T EVERYONE ELSE HIDING?!?!?!?! And also that he definitely DID NOT poop on the bathroom rug this morning. It was probably one of the cats.

This review has been brought to you by #todayisarealshitshow and I needed to take a little break.

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey, so listen up. If you're reading this book it probably means that you are a fan of Duck Dynasty if not then...hey.

Si is the crazy uncle on Duck Dynasty who is always carrying around his tupperware cup and seems to be a few ducks short of flock. It's this crazy personality and unbelievable stories that make him so much fun. As you would expect this book contains some of his crazy stories, like a wheel of this deuce and a half (military vehicle he used in Vietnam) being stolen while he was driving it, but it also reveals a side to Si you don't get to see on the show, a serious side. Si explains his life from childhood, to his tries at college, to his time in Vietnam and Germany, to his wife and children and finally to working on making duck calls.

What I found most interesting were Si's stories of Vietnam and his family. Mixed through the chapters were facts, yes actual facts, on what was going on in Vietnam, how he dealt with this, what he was doing in Germany and how he dealt with the fact that having children was difficult and the fact that his son had some trials to go through. Si's been through a lot but the tying factor between all of his trails and successes is that he is a man of faith. This faith is what helped him through all of his difficulties and the fact that this faith is unshakeable is inspiring and commendable.

Read the book if you want to get to know a different side of Si. It is a good, fun, fast read and hey remember cheese has no place on a turkey sandwich. That's a fact Jack!

[Josh Girard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book it was just so funny. I know who Si robertson but I didn't know he was that funny. This book wasn't to long so if you are looking for a short funny book I recommend this one.

[Hunter Kimball · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book, i really thought it was it was funny, and it was very interesting to learn about him. I had seen Duck Dynasty before, and at first, I noticed Si, and instantly he was my favorite character, so this book was something that I really wanted to read. This is a book that i'm guessing most people would like, because of the humor, the different stories he tells in the book. Though i think it was good, there might be some people who might not like it. First, maybe because they don't like that he wrote about all this religious stuff in his life, and secondly because maybe they don't like the humor, or the wording of the book.

[JAM · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an amazingly funny biography. This book was definitely one of the more entertaining books that I have read. I would definitely recommend this book to someone who is looking for a biography, but doesn't want something that will bore them. If you pick up this book you will be hooked on it for the entire time you read it, I know I was.

[Tyler Hiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good biography some funny and some cool but mostly just a great book.

[Kayla Beck Kalnasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review orginally posted on Bibliophilia, Please.

Okay, I think now is the time to admit it - I watch Duck Dynasty. I'm not a die-hard fan of the show, but I've progressed from a fan-by-default (Mister and Bug love it) to someone who looks forward to the show each week. Trust me when I say that it sneaks up on you. Si Robertson is pretty much the sole reason that I watch the show, and his book did not disappoint the fan in me.

Si Robertson is crazy, and I mean that in the most respectful and positive way possible. He has a no-holds-barred sense of humor, and he comes across as a person who does not care what other people think about him. I guess if you spent most of your childhood running around naked and with six older siblings (five of them brothers), you can't really pay too much heed to what people say/think. Si is also a veteran and devout Christian. He tells stories about all of that, as well as about hunting and fishing, in Si-Cology in such a way that would have me snorting as I tried not to laugh out loud.

Si and the other Robertson boys (and Phil's wife, Kay) grew up near where I lived, so I knew a lot of the stories already. However, Si-Cology gave a new depth to Si that I've never seen on Duck Dynasty or heard about from his old schoolmates. Some of the chapters had me laughing from mishaps in the woods, but his stories about Vietnam and the fertility problems he and his wife showed a different side of Si. Though I would feel a little down for him one minute, the next thing I knew, I'd be laughing again.

I would mostly only recommend Si-Cology to fans of the show, hunters and fishers, or people from my area, but I think it is a book that anyone could enjoy. It was a very fast read for me, and it never got boring. Each chapter was only a few pages, so even the most reluctant of readers would have a good time reading the book. I preordered my copy of Si-Cology ages ago, I'll also be getting the audiobook for Mister and I. I think there will be a new dimension to the book with Si reading it, and I look forward to it though I've already read the book.

- 3.5/5 Stars -

To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an digital copy of the book for reviewing purposes from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way affected the outcome. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually liked this book! I thought it was entertaining and always making everyone laugh. It's a quick and easy read if you need a biography/memoir or non-fiction book. The one thing I didn't really like this book was that once you got into it, it seemed like it got less and less funnier. Overall I liked it!

[Minna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I award the "non-fiction" tag with some trepidation, considering that this is Si Robertson we're dealing with here.

I watch Duck Dynasty on A&E and Si is one of my favorite "characters." I am aware that the individuals featured on the show are not necessarily true-to-life; often they may have been exaggerated or embellishing a plot at the direction of the tv show editors/writers/crew. Obviously, if Duck Dynasty was a true representation of the Robertsons, then the Duck Commander line of calls would be out of business (since the gentlemen on the show never really do any "work").

This book (Si's memoirs, shared by Si and authored by Mark Schlabach) is entertaining. A little rambling, a little exaggerated, and a little wacky, just like Si, but a lot more earnest than the wackadoo character Si portrays on the show. Some parts were a repeat - I recognized several stories almost verbatim from the TV show, especially a couple of Si's Vietnam stories. Some parts were difficult for me to read, including Si's matter-of-fact tale of his dogs killing some twenty or thirty of his neighbor's cats or he and Phil slingshotting rocks at pigeons for fun. I'm all for hunting if you're eating your kill but these activities just seemed like immature kids killing for fun. Some parts were touching and sweet: Si's account of meeting his wife, his stories about their kids, and his sharing of his faith. The book is peppered with Heys and Jacks, but I feel like some of Si's charming style was lost in the translation. Possibly the audio book version would have been more satisfying.

I am looking forward to Miss Kay's cookbook (possibly for the shock factor alone - boudin! squirrel stew!) but otherwise I think I'll stick to the show.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re a fan of the A&E hit Duck Dynasty, this book is a must read/listen. I’ve heard some people say that if you’ve never seen the show, you probably wouldn’t like it, but I think it will make you want to check the show out. After all, how could anybody not like Si? He’s honest, hilarious, can find fun in just about anything, and very loving and humble.

This is more of a biography, and that’s what’s so interesting about it. Through these stories you’ll get to know Si better, and see a different side to him than what you see on the tv show. He talks about being in the service, his childhood, his family and more.

I tend to be picky when it comes to narrators. You have to listen to them for hours and they can get on your nerves after a while. Jay Stone read this and I thought he did a great job.

I’ve been trying to get my husband to listen to audio books for years since he can’t hold print books and turn the pages (he’s a quadriplegic), but he was never interested until I got a copy of this audio book for review from Audiobook Jukebox. He listened to this all the way through without stopping, and said he loved it!

Like my husband, I definitely recommend this!

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this three stars. Si tries to tell his life in a very funny way, which I'm assuming is supposed to cater to his fans on the show. Not being familiar with the show, some of the humor probably went past me. I read this because I work in a bookstore, and--based on the popularity of "Duck Dynasty", this upcoming book is likely to be very popular. Otherwise, I probably would not have picked it up. With THAT being said, it was an enjoyable autobiography. Si is an interesting person who lived a fairly interesting life, growing up in Louisiana and spending a good deal of his life in the Army. You learn about who he is, where he came from, and what makes him tick. And, even with all the pictures in the book, I'm still not sure I could pick him out of a cast photo for "Duck Dynasty". And that's the other thing that I appreciated: The show was only mentioned briefly. If you're looking for a book that delves into a behind-the-scenes, this probably isn't for you. If, however, you want to read an entertaining life story of someone who spent a good deal of his life hunting and fishing, you'll probably enjoy this quite a bit. So, if you are (or the person you're buying this for is) a fan of "Duck Dynasty", or hunting and fishing, then this book is a good, solid choice.

[Janessa B · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my opinion this book was really good. I learned a lot of new things from the book than I knew about on the show. To be honest, I didn't even know that Si had a wife and kids because they never appeared on the TV show. Also, Si is really funny and his humor definitely showed throughout the book. Most importantly his religious side came out in the end of the book. Whether you believe in his religion (or not) I feel like it was very important to hear the last chapter, and learn about what his family believes. My favorite part was the letters at the end. His wife, daughter, and son wrote letters to him and those ended the book. I thought that it was a very good move to end the book like that (and not have it in his perspective). The letters were very thoughtful, but I liked his son's the best. I love how Scott said, "I love you, Dad, and will consider myself lucky if I grow up to be half the man you are." That was a very good way to conclude the book... Overall, this book was really good. Even though Si may not have the best grammar or writing skills, I feel like this book really showed the readers what his life was all about from his childhood to his adulthood.

[Karessa A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

To all the people that think this book looks weird and seems very redneck. Your half right. This book is quite great despite its appearance. I have found that it is actually hilarious and has some great life lessons in it. Which is where the haters came up wrong. But your right about the redneck. This book is very very redneck. I will say that if you don't understand the life of living in secluded areas and the beautiful, natural, fulfilling art of hunting then you might not like this book nor understand it. But overall for me, I felt that it was a great book.

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you can't put the book down and you read it in one day....it's definitely a 5 star book. I'm a huge fan of the Duck Commander family. Si-Cology 1 tells the story of Si's life from the beginning until the present. Si was also in Vietnam and shares his stories in his book! If you are a fan of the family, I would recommend this book to get a deeper understanding of them.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a hilarious book. It was full of humor and also some very vague lessons. It was very interesting to hear about the struggles he had and the time that he served in the military.

[Ethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si-cology was a great book and I would read it again. I especially recommend this book to anyone who loves bad jokes.

[Julia's Book Haven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE SI
That is all :P

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and Heartwarming

Who doesn’t love Uncle Si? He’s got his own catchphrases, signature style, humorous tales, and shares his sincere faith with everyone. This is a delightfully charming book. Even if you’re not a “Duck Dynasty” fan you will enjoy the interesting stories told by the one and only Si Robertson.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Definition of Redneck
Si-Cology 1
By Si Robertson
with Mark Schlabach

Have you ever heard of a redneck? You know the ones that live in the south and do the most ridiculous things in ways you’ve never even heard of. They taulk like thius. Well I know one that lives in West Monroe, Louisiana and is a star of the hit show on A&E called Duck Dynasty. Yep, you guessed it, Mr. Silas Merritt Robertson.

In “Si-Cology 1,” Mark Schlabach’s first novel, Si Robertson is a Redneck. Here let me spell it for you R-E-D-N-E-C-K. He is a white bearded, crazy, tea drinking, lunatic! Hey, lookie here, my family is crazy. By crazy I mean crazy good. My family are specially trained survivalists. They can survive on their own in the wilderness, grow out beards at the age of ten and , physically and mentally sense where ducks are before they even start flying!

“Si-Cology 1” is a different kind of book that holds some of the most awkward characters, including Phil, Si’s brother, who is nothing like Si. He is more down to earth than Si and not as joking as him. Other characters include James and Merritt Robertson, Si and Phil’s parents. They aren’t described that well, but I know that James is strict, and has the same personality as Phil. Merritt on the other hand is a great cook and is a lot more joyful and excited to try new things. As a family they discover that there is more to being a family than ducks.

In “Si-Cology 1” there is many different conflicts but I can’t name all of the, because my book is a bunch of little stories of his childhood. There is one conflict that I can relate too. This conflict is where his siblings always play jokes on him and he doesn’t think that it is funny. My siblings do the same thing to me. You will learn a lot more about Si and his troubles growing up in the backwoods of Louisiana as the brother of the future owner of Duck Commander.

What will happen to this family as they encounter the troubles of growing up? Well, imagine you are a redneck living in Louisiana and you move three times in your childhood. Each time you move you have to make new friends and get used to your new community. Also, every time you move the friends you meet aren’t even rednecks.

The only problem with “Si-Cology 1” is that he is basing his stories off of his memories. Si is 65 years old now and I don’t know if his facts are true because he is basing them off of what he knew 50+ years ago and in the book, he was a drunk in college and I know that alcohol can affect your mind a lot. He also went to war, so based on these facts I don’t know if I can trust his mind that’s been polluted for all these years.

In this book it was clearly the stories organization. In the book the Author puts the stories in a unique order where it goes from Si’s childhood to his future when telling these different

[Kristen Lester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Cover: As all of the other books that Duck Dynasty has produced I loved this book cover of the fun and lovable Uncle Si. *STAR*

Author: Si is the perfect author because he is an amazing story teller that can make the setting where you feel like you were there with him watching everything happen. *STAR*

Story: I really enjoyed the flow of this book of all of Si's life experiences and all he went through. I loved how the end of each chapter lead you into the next chapter. *STAR*

Characters/ Relationships: I loved that Si shares about his personally family life and gives you insight on his relationships thus far.

Cleanliness: There was nothing bad in this book *STAR*

Overall Review: I loved this book. I dare say it was my favorite of the 3 Duck Dynasty books that are out. There were several occasions that I laughed out loud while reading this story. I would say that if you love Duck Dynasty then this is a must read. Si shows his normal fun and loving self as well as a more serious Si that gets pretty deep in context during the story and after reading it I will now watch Si in a different light knowing all he's been through and where he comes from. Very happy that I purchased this book!

[Banner · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you watch Duck Dynasty then you already love Uncle Si. Very enjoyable, lighthearted book about an average man, living an average life trying his best to be a good husband and father. Several funny moments as the 5% of the story comes to light (he says that his stories are 95% true). He has an honest way of looking at the world, that is refreshing. A phrase I once heard comes to mind as I consider this book, it is, "the glory of the ordinary" on one level nothing special but when you really look you see his glory. I'm happy that a man like Si Robinson is enjoying his 15 minutes of fame. It's something we all need to see right now.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was pretty disappointed in this book. I love Duck Dynasty and Uncle Si is a favorite but this book was not the usual Si. It came across as being someone else's voice. I'm sure the stories were Si's but obviously written and edited by a professional. The language was too proper, all complete sentences and absolutely nothing nonsensical. They did at least throw in "hey" and "Jack" to make it seem like Si was speaking. I didn't even find the stories all that entertaining either. I gave up even trying to read this half way through so just skip it and watch the show!

[Colby S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought Si-cology was a fantastic book. First off, the book is about everyone's favorite character from Duck Dynasty, Si! The book has some great, funny, and exciting stories from when he was a boy, to when he was a man; like, when he was in Vietnam and the Vietnamese stole an engine by carrying it over the pond, or whatever source of water that the engine got carried over. Another story I liked was when Si and his buddy was stuck in the mud and a Vietnamese asked for cigarettes. Overall this book was really good.

[Jonathon P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably the funniest biography out there. I enjoyed reading this very much and I learned so much about Si Robertson. From the battlefield to being a proud father, Si does it all. I never thought that I'd like a biography so much. It had lots and lots of stories about Si's childhood through adulthood. It's really inspiring how someone could come from so little and be so successful in the long run. I highly recommend this book to anybody who likes to laugh and has a sense of humor.

[Bethany Deschaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book, I enjoyed quite a bit of it and wasn't bored at all when our teacher read it to us. She wasn't able to read it without laughing a few times, and her voice wasn't monotoned at all!

[Lauren]

I did not like this book. We read it as a class read aloud and I was not a fan. Some parts were funny, I have never seen the show and it still made since. If you like the show you might enjoy the book, but i personally didn't.

[Vicki Haid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodness, my favorite of all the Duck Dynasty books yet! Si is something, .....something I can't even fully put into words!

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the life happenings of Si Robertson. He is funny in the book just as he was on the TV show Duck Dynasty. I found it interesting that we have several things in common as far as jobs and military assignments.

Rating: PG
Language: clean read
Recommend: yes

[Calebseymour · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one of my most like book I have ever read. It was very funny and cool. It was telling every thing about his life and his faviorte saying is "That a fact jack."

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had been looking forward to reading Si's book, because he's hilarious on the show and he's always saying something funny and having me laughing. I looked forward to hearing his life lessons and views on things and stories he had to tell about his life. Some of his tales were outlandish and I knew he was bending the truth. It did make the book more colorful but it was hard to distinguish what was truth and what was a lie. The story about the shoes catching on fire was most definitely a lie, but the other stories were hard to determine.
The tales about when Si was a child were so cute. I loved the scenes where Si was afraid of the dark and his mom asked him to get her shoes from outside, and he was afraid so she told him that Jesus was out there. So Si goes to the door and says "Jesus, if you're out there can you hand me momma's shoes?" That was so adorable. And when he was walking in the woods behind Tommy and Phil, and there was an unidentified figure following him, and he reached out for Jesus' hand in the dark but of course no one took his hand. It was so cute how he believed what his mom had said and took it so literally.

I was disappointed in Si though, learning just like most the men in his family, he had drank all the time and really had a problem with it, partying and getting drunk. He even did it while he was in the army, before he met his wife. I was surprised at that, and it made me see him in a different way.

These stories didn't go in order, just as Phil's and Willie's books didn't. They kind of bounced around, and I wished they gone according to a timeline, instead of by topic. Like, he would mention something about his kids, and then go back to telling about the army when he wasn't even married. It was hard to keep up with the order of things and keep track of when everything happened.

He had a lot of stories to tell about the army and when he was stationed in other countries, and that was nice to hear about. I wish there had been more about his life though, things he had learned, life lessons he had to give. Don't get me wrong, there was some of that, but most of he book revolved around the army, and that was a little disappointing. I wanted to hear more about his life relating to Louisiana.

At the end, just as in Phil's and Willie's books, the last chapter suddenly left off with life stories and focused on Christianity. It wasn't as uncomfortable as Phil's last chapter, but topics like politics and religion are always a little hairy when they step on other's toes. I was curious to know what Si's son looked like, but there wasn't a picture of him at all. I also wanted to know what his daughter and wife looked like now, and there were only old pictures. The letters from his family were really disappointing and not written very well. The one from his wife was the worst. It was like she felt that she had to give her own version of everything that Si had talked about when they were together, and so it jumped around from topic to topic and stated things we already knew. It was like a list, and didn't really give the insight and the love I was hoping to hear about Si's character. His daughter seemed to toot her own horn, saying she was emotionally mature and confident or something like that, and it was like she was listing her attributes. I know she thanked Si for those traits, but it sounded like boasting to me.