It's Only Drowning Book Review — Opinions from Non-Surfer

I am not a surfer.

I will never be a surfer.

The ocean and I have an understanding. I admire it from a distance. It stays over there. WAY over there. (I live in extremely land-locked South Dakota.)

And yet this book about surfing had me hooked.

I actually first heard about It’s Only Drowning from a CBS Saturday Morning segment back in August 2025. Depressed liberal dude (David Litt, former Obama speechwriter) goes surfing with his Libertarian brother-in-law. Wackiness, bonding, and real introspection ensues.

I thought the book sounded intriguing but didn’t act on it. But eventually, I ran across it again from my library. Hey, I remember you! The CBS segment worked on me.

It’s Only Drowning is part of my 100 book reading goal for 2026 (Book #19)

My It’s Only Drowning Book Review

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Where to Get It

Available in multiple formats, depending on how you like to read (or listen).

🎧 Audiobook (Indie Option): Listen on Libro.fm
🎧 Audiobook (Amazon Option): Listen on Audible
📚 Support Local Bookstores: Buy from Bookshop.org
📦 Amazon (Paperback/Kindle): View on Amazon

It’s Only Drowning Summary

David Litt wrote jokes for Barack Obama. His brother-in-law Matt listens to death metal and trains in mixed martial arts. They agree on basically nothing.

Brother-in-law Matt is big into surfing. During COVID lockdowns and a crippling bout of depression, Litt decides to try surfing too. What follows is a journey from the Jersey Shore all the way to the North Shore of Oahu. Big waves. Repeated wipeouts. A surprising amount of personal growth, connection, and unexpected friendship.

The real story though isn’t about surfing. It’s about two people who have almost nothing in common figuring out how to actually like each other. The ocean becomes what Litt calls “neutral ground.” A place where nobody’s politics matter. Where the wave doesn’t care who you voted for.

In a moment when people seem to only want to talk to people who already agree with them, that idea landed pretty hard for me.

More personal growth books!

Who is David Litt?

Before he was a surfer (sort of), David Litt was the guy writing jokes for the President of the United States.

🎤 Day job: Former senior speechwriter for Barack Obama. Specifically the funny stuff (White House Correspondents’ Dinner monologues.)
✍️ Also: Head writer at Funny Or Die DC. Has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, and approximately everywhere else.
📚 Other books: Thanks, Obama and Democracy in One Book or Less
🏄 Surfer: Kind of. Enthusiastic learner, anyway.

Now onto the rating! It’s Only Drowning Book Review:

My innovative system for rating humor books is explained here

Overall Book Awesomeness Score: 5/5

I’m not a surfer. I have no interest in becoming one. I read this entire book vicariously through Litt and loved every page. I’d say that’s the mark of a really good writer. He made me feel the saltwater and the wipeouts and the weird satisfaction of catching a wave from the comfort of my couch. No wetsuit required. But more importantly, the book’s theme of connecting and actually befriending someone very different than you made me feel all hopey-changey and warm inside.

Things I liked:

The theme of finding connection with people who don’t live or think like you. Feels more relevant than ever.
Litt is funny without trying too hard. I didn’t categorize this as a “humor book”, but found plenty of funny throughout.
You don’t have to care about surfing at all to enjoy this. At all.
The brother-in-law dynamic is real and recognizable. Most of us have a “Matt” somewhere in our family.

Things I didn’t like:

Honestly? Not much. If you’re deep into surf culture and want technical detail, this probably isn’t your book. But for this landlocked human, it was fun to dive deep into the minutiae, knowing I’ll never need to use the surfing info.

Conclusion: It’s Only Drowning Book Review

This book isn’t really about surfing. It’s about showing up for people who are different from you. Sitting with the discomfort of not being good at something. Finding a patch of neutral ground and standing on it together.

Which, right now, sounds pretty appealing.

I saw the CBS Saturday Morning segment. I filed it away. I eventually grabbed the ebook. And I’m glad I did. If you’ve been sleeping on this one, stop.

It’s only drowning, after all.