Books by Dr. Robert Urban
Apparently, I Write Books.
Comedy, nonfiction, memoir, satire, parenting, children's fiction and a growing collection of evidence that rejection letters are not always reliable career advice.
Seven national bestsellers. Multiple #1 Amazon titles. Two New York Times Bestseller-list titles. Comedy awards, classroom use and one more Florida book on the way.
The very short version
I got rejected a lot. Then people started buying the books.
Before the bestseller lists, #1 rankings and awards, there were hundreds of rejection letters from agents and publishers. That turned out to be useful training. It taught me that writing and publishing are related but separate problems, and that good work can exist for a long time before the right audience discovers it.
The books below range from observational comedy and short-form nonfiction to memoir, parenting, satire and children's fiction. The genres change, but the writing tends to come back to the same raw material: people, mistakes, family, absurdity, Florida, work, food, relationships and the strange things that seem completely normal until somebody writes them down.
Bestseller & author recognition
Seven Books That Found a Much Bigger Audience Than the Rejection Letters Predicted
The following seven titles are identified by Dr. Robert Urban as national bestsellers and #1 Amazon titles: Lick the Spoon, Wisecracker, Bitches Love Cheddar Biscuits, 101 Awesome Things To Do With Your Child, Getting Rob'd, HodgePodge, and Nuns, Guns & The End of the World.
Published titles
Choose Your Particular Flavor of Bad Judgment
Ten published titles, from comedy and memoir to parenting, satire and children's fiction. Each cover links to the current Amazon destination already used on this page.
Lick the Spoon
A comedy and nonfiction collection built from the ordinary absurdities that become much less ordinary once somebody actually points them out. Food, family, awkward situations and the small decisions that make life funnier than most fiction all find their way into the mix.
View on Amazon →Wisecracker
Short-form comedy, observational writing and personal stories with the pace of someone who knows the reader can leave at any moment. The humor moves quickly, but the best pieces work because there is usually something recognizably human underneath the punchline.
View on Amazon →The Best Book Ever Written
The title sets an unreasonable expectation, which seemed like a good place to start. A collection of first-person stories, odd encounters, observations and comedic detours that treats everyday life as source material.
View on Amazon →Getting Rob'd – An Urban Legend in the Making
A memoir told through episodes rather than a polished heroic myth: Savannah, the Marine Corps, science, Florida, family, mistakes, work and the strange path between who you planned to become and who you actually became.
View on Amazon →Nuns, Guns & The End of the World
Satirical fiction built around apocalypse, improbable people and the kind of escalation that makes perfect sense only after the story has already dragged you into it.
View on Amazon →Bitches Love Cheddar Biscuits: & Other Facts of Life
Rapid-fire humor, observations, one-liners, stories about relationships and the kind of facts of life that probably should not be printed on inspirational wall art.
View on Amazon →HodgePodge
Exactly what the title promises: essays, observations, stories, commentary and other pieces that belong together primarily because I wrote them and was unwilling to pretend they formed a responsible category.
View on Amazon →My Roller Coaster Life – True Stories To Entertain & Inspire
Personal stories about change, hardship, service, resilience and the turns that can make a life look completely different from the one you thought you were building.
View on Amazon →Albert, The Christmas Gorilla
A warm children's holiday story with humor, memorable characters and enough heart to work for the adults reading it aloud too.
View on Amazon →101 Awesome Things To Do With Your Child & Other Musings Of A Divorced Dad
Part activity book, part parenting reflection and part divorced-dad field notes. The central idea is simple: children remember the time, attention and ridiculous little traditions far longer than most of the things adults buy for them.
View on Amazon →Coming next
As Florida As It Gets
There are places you visit and places that eventually become a recurring character in your life. Florida has been the second kind for me.
As Florida As It Gets is the upcoming book, built around the people, habits, contradictions, wildlife, weather, local culture and uniquely Florida situations that become believable only after you have lived here long enough to stop asking whether they are normal.
Upcoming Title
As Florida As It Gets
Florida life, observation, humor and stories from a state that has spent decades generating material faster than any writer could reasonably use it.
Publication details and ordering information will be added when available.
Selected coverage & outside recognition
The Books Have Traveled Beyond the Bookshelf
Third-party coverage is most useful here when it directly helps a reader understand the work, the author, or the audience the books reached. Rather than turning this into a generic press-logo wall, the links below are connected to specific writing.
HuffPost
101 Awesome Things To Do With Your Child & Other Musings Of A Divorced Dad was connected to a HuffPost feature, giving readers another entry point into the parenting ideas and perspective behind the book.
More Than Sales Rankings
Beyond bestseller and Amazon rankings, selected books have received comedy awards and classroom use. Lick the Spoon and Wisecracker are also used in certain Florida AP high-school classes as examples for studying nonfiction writing.
Why the writing matters beyond the bookshelf
Yes, I Write Other People's Books Too.
Writing & Ghostwriting
Publishing my own books has shaped how I approach ghostwriting, memoir, business books, comedy, speeches, editing and book development. I understand the manuscript, but I also understand rejection, positioning, audience and the work that starts after the last sentence.
Speaking, Podcasts & Guest Appearances
Writing, comedy, science, leadership and business give me a fairly unusual collection of things to talk about. I am available for keynotes, panels, podcasts, interviews and expert guest appearances.
Frequently asked questions
Questions About the Books & the Author
How many of Dr. Robert Urban's books became national bestsellers?
Seven titles are identified by Dr. Robert Urban as national bestsellers: Lick the Spoon, Wisecracker, Bitches Love Cheddar Biscuits, 101 Awesome Things To Do With Your Child, Getting Rob'd, HodgePodge, and Nuns, Guns & The End of the World.
Which Robert Urban books reached #1 on Amazon?
The seven national bestselling titles listed on this page also reached #1 positions on Amazon in their respective categories. Lick the Spoon reached #1 in comedy.
Which Robert Urban books appeared on the New York Times Bestseller list?
Dr. Robert Urban identifies Lick the Spoon and Wisecracker as titles that appeared on the New York Times Bestseller list.
Has Robert Urban won comedy awards?
Lick the Spoon and Wisecracker have received multiple comedy awards, reflecting Urban's long-running focus on short-form humor, observation, timing and nonfiction storytelling.
Are Robert Urban's books used in schools?
Lick the Spoon and Wisecracker are used as required reading in certain Advanced Placement high school classes in Florida as examples for studying nonfiction writing.
Has Robert Urban been featured in Forbes?
Yes. Robert Urban's author and professional work has been featured in Forbes.
What kind of books does Robert Urban write?
His published work spans humor, nonfiction, memoir, short stories, satire, parenting and children's fiction. Comedy and observational nonfiction are recurring themes across much of the catalog.
What is Robert Urban's upcoming book?
His upcoming book is titled As Florida As It Gets, continuing his interest in Florida life, observation, culture and the kinds of stories that become inevitable after living in the state long enough.
Where can I buy Robert Urban's books?
Individual books on this page link to Amazon, and the page also links to Robert Urban's Amazon Author Store for available paperback, Kindle and audiobook editions.
Does Robert Urban offer ghostwriting or book-development services?
Yes. Through Paper Boat Media, Dr. Robert Urban works on ghostwriting, book development, memoir, business books, comedy writing, editing, publishing strategy, speeches and professional writing.
Is Dr. Robert Urban available to speak about writing and comedy?
Yes. He is available for keynote talks, panels, podcasts, interviews and guest appearances on writing, comedy, storytelling, authority, marketing, science communication and other areas of his work.
More from Dr. Robert Urban
Books Are Only One Part of the Story.
Read more about my background, writing work, speaking, executive advisory and the strange route from the Marine Corps to science, bestselling books and Paper Boat Media.