He was an accountant so conflict-averse he balanced the petty cash drawer with his own pocket money just to avoid an awkward conversation. That same man became one of the most groundbreaking comedians of the 20th century, the jazz musician of awkward silences who played the notes you couldn't hear.

This deep dive traces Bob Newhart's wildly backward career, from a bored Chicago copywriter recording one-sided phone calls into a tape machine to a Grammy-winning recording star and sitcom legend. It reveals how he weaponized his natural stammer and gentle decency into a 60-year career without ever raising his voice.

• Why he quit law school over an ethical line, then failed at accounting because he couldn't tolerate exact math
• How The Button-Down Mind became the first comedy album to top the Billboard chart and won Album of the ...