You can never go wrong by infusing a little bit of Bill Murray into the holiday season. Largely anecdotal, this little tome gathers many popular tales told about Murray’s delightful and eccentric offscreen appearances at unexpected locations around the globe. He might pop up riding a golf cart through the streets of Sweden, or clasping his hands over the eyes of a stranger waiting at a traffic light while asking, “Guess who?” His pop-ups are legendary (in Austin, he’s been spotted at concerts, tending bar, and grilling barbecue with Aaron Franklin, among other things in recent years), and have catapulted Murray’s status into something of a national folk hero. Gavin Edwards (author of ‘Scuse Me While I Kiss This Guy and Last Night at the Viper Room) identifies certain principles or the tao that underlies the actor’s escapades, but keeps the writing lighthearted yet focused. An introductory biographical chapter and a concluding section and index covering each of Murray’s films bookend the Edwards definition of the 10 principles that illustrate the puckishness that is Bill Murray. A merry gentleman, indeed, Murray and his random acts of joy are perfect exemplars for the season.

The Tao of Bill Murray: Real-Life Stories of Joy, Enlightenment, and Party Crashing

by Gavin Edwards
Random House, 368 pp., $26

This article appears in December 16 • 2016.

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Marjorie Baumgarten is a film critic and contributing writer at The Austin Chronicle, where she has worked in many capacities since the paper's founding in 1981. She served as the Chronicle's Film Reviews editor for 25 years.