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3rd out of 270 books
—
118 voters
America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction (Teacher's Edition)
For everyone who was too cheap to buy the hardcover, the blockbuster, award-winning #1 New York Times bestseller is now in trade paperback-with a new introduction, fully updated, and with equally unsettling nude photos of the newest Supreme Court justices, and a text corrected by the most reputable college professor we could find/afford.Including:Historical inaccuracies, g...more
Paperback, Teacher's Edition, 227 pages
Published
September 25th 2006
by Warner Books
(first published September 1st 2004)
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Jan 04, 2008
Jessica
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
resident aliens studying for citizenship
Shelves:
kind-of-depressing
I really associate this book with the lead-up to and outcome of the last presidential election, and so while I remember really enjoying this a lot at the time I read it, every time I look at it now I get a heavy, sick feeling deep in my bowels, and I kind of feel like killing myself. It makes me flash back to riding the train around for work on November 3, 2004 with one of the most soul-crushing, emotionally annihilating hangovers I've ever had in my life. I remember staring at an excerpt of Yea...more
Published on my book blog.
I'm a big fan of Jon Stewart and The Daily Show, but for some reason I'd never felt curious to read any of their books until this year. I considered starting with Earth (the book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race, but thought I'd go through this older one first.
I have to admit, when I started I was a bit taken aback. I don't know what I expected, but the first chapter ("Democracy before America") was written with such an unapologetic disregard for History that I cou...more
I'm a big fan of Jon Stewart and The Daily Show, but for some reason I'd never felt curious to read any of their books until this year. I considered starting with Earth (the book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race, but thought I'd go through this older one first.
I have to admit, when I started I was a bit taken aback. I don't know what I expected, but the first chapter ("Democracy before America") was written with such an unapologetic disregard for History that I cou...more
I Laughed, I Cried,, I Wept A Little, and Laughed Again, 19 Nov 2006
"This book has many fine qualities, but its cavalier disregard for accuracy of quotations, its insufficient scholarly documentation, its often quixotic use of illustrations, and its frequent usage of inappropriate language and word choices all detract from its virtues. With just a little more attention to detail, (well, in some cases, considerably more attention to detail), this book would stand as a first-rate addition to the...more
I know Jon Stewart, The Daily Show, and Colbert are more honest and reliable news sources than the rest of the media, I just don't believe it.
Ironically, it is that same gap between knowledge and belief that has resulted in this sad state.
the reactionary, opinionated pundits keep talking down to these little basic-cable comedy shows, but the fact that their feathers are so ruffled shows that they are afraid, and that they consider this to be as serious as the rest of us.
Why is Stewart the journa...more
Ironically, it is that same gap between knowledge and belief that has resulted in this sad state.
the reactionary, opinionated pundits keep talking down to these little basic-cable comedy shows, but the fact that their feathers are so ruffled shows that they are afraid, and that they consider this to be as serious as the rest of us.
Why is Stewart the journa...more
If you are at all familiar with The Daily Show With John Stewart, then you pretty much know what this book will be like. Two notes:
(1) The book is also a parody of school textbooks, from the obvious (and great) "Classroom Activities" at the end of each chapter to more subtle touches like the bold text used for key vocabulary words.
(2) There is a fair amount of profanity, sometimes used well but sometimes a jarring attempt at a cheap laugh.
(1) The book is also a parody of school textbooks, from the obvious (and great) "Classroom Activities" at the end of each chapter to more subtle touches like the bold text used for key vocabulary words.
(2) There is a fair amount of profanity, sometimes used well but sometimes a jarring attempt at a cheap laugh.
I got this as a gift because my friend knew I love Jon Stewart. If I had picked it up at a bookstore and perused a few pages I wouldn't have bought it. It was ok and at times humorous but it didn't really add anything to my life. I still watch his show here and there of course, but I wanted more from his book.
Brilliant satire of a broken system. Some parts are just insanely funny
This book taught me many things. It taught me that American History and Government is very boring. It taught me that even an hilarious parody of American History and Government cannot make the subject interesting. It taught me that it's not easy to get a good posed picture of an eagle. It also taught me that I am even more ignorant of popular culture than I think I am because there were some jokes I didn't get. I also learned that Stephen Colbert can look adorable in almost anything, even sadoma...more
Nov 15, 2007
John Wiswell
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Humor readers, history readers, all Daily Show fans
The audiobook features a full cast of favorites from the show who have since left, but were eminently talented and fun to listen to. Jon Stewart serves as the lead narrator, with Stephen Colbert as the recapper, and miscellaneous ‘correspondents’ filling in for roles like impressions of the Queen of England or Thomas Jefferson. If you like the show, the audiobook is perfect for you, since they have so many of the same talented people delivering clever material. Rather than making fun of the nigh...more
I listened to the audio version of this book on both legs of a cross-country trip. I'll warn others who are thinking of doing the same that you will either be stifling your laughter to not bother your neighbors, or you will be laughing out loud and looking mighty strange. Hearing Jon Stewart's narration of the text, with his perfect timing, made this a very enjoyable listen. Some of the humor just came from crassness i.e. the thought of Patrick Henry calling someone "fucknuts," but for the most...more
Try to do yourselves a favor and get your hands on the audiobook version. While the experience is quite different in the absence of the visuals (a BIG part of the book's humor), there's something to be said for hearing all of the DS's original cast reading passages of the book aloud. Most hilarious is Stephen Colbert's lessons for teachers/quiz questions at the end of each chapter. The audiobook made a long trip to Austin from Dallas that much faster! Beware! It might get you laughing so hard yo...more
Dec 07, 2008
Christina
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Political Science Majors, "Daily Show" Watchers
Recommended to Christina by:
Dad
Shelves:
thanks-dad,
2008-reads
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I must admit, I’m quite a fan of Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show. In a sea of ridiculous immature and unethical news reporting brought to us by the big corporations, Stewart is not only hilarious, but often offers key insight. It is sad to me that a comedy show, brought to us by the same network that thought prank-calling puppets was funny, has risen to be one the most insightful sources of news and politics. That said, America (the Book) held great promise for me. Unfortunately, it fails to delive...more
This book, not to sound like one of those who constantly praise every book they read, was the funniest book I have ever read. And another plus to reading this book was that I felt smart doing so. I love political satyre especially from the mind of Jon Stewart. In the very beginning John or apparently the corpse of Thomas Jefferson writes a foreword to the book. My favorite line in the foreward was "Sally may not like it, but as we used to say in the back parlours of 18th-century Paris, 'tough t...more
This book is LOL funny but also commendably requires the reader to really focus on what they are reading because every page includes hilarious side notes and comments.
When I first picked it up, I quickly became distracted by what I thought was the clunky design and puzzled over it, finally realizing Pentagram designed it and then, "lightbulb"! They meant to make it look like a poorly designed school textbook! Which made me find the book that much funnier.
There are too many hilarious passages to...more
When I first picked it up, I quickly became distracted by what I thought was the clunky design and puzzled over it, finally realizing Pentagram designed it and then, "lightbulb"! They meant to make it look like a poorly designed school textbook! Which made me find the book that much funnier.
There are too many hilarious passages to...more
I had high hopes for America (The Book), but that's probably because I already read/listened to Colbert's "America Again". Jon Stewart's book is smart and so true in its assessment of U.S. politics, but it's a bit too real to be funny. It's not really satire - it's just a bunch of honest truth about our messed up political system, delivered with swear words and tongue-in-cheek observations about the way things actually are.
In a way that mirrors the difference between Stewart and Colbert - Jon St...more
In a way that mirrors the difference between Stewart and Colbert - Jon St...more
From Publishers Weekly
Cheeky, irreverent and playfully ingenuous, this abbreviated history of democracy is everything one would expect from the writers of Comedy Central's fake news program, which recently (and somewhat scandalously) won the Television Critics Association's award for outstanding news and public affairs series. The book is laid out like a textbook, with "Discussion Questions" ("Why do you think the Framers made the Constitution so soul-crushingly boring?"), "Classroom Activities"...more
Cheeky, irreverent and playfully ingenuous, this abbreviated history of democracy is everything one would expect from the writers of Comedy Central's fake news program, which recently (and somewhat scandalously) won the Television Critics Association's award for outstanding news and public affairs series. The book is laid out like a textbook, with "Discussion Questions" ("Why do you think the Framers made the Constitution so soul-crushingly boring?"), "Classroom Activities"...more
Feb 20, 2013
Cassy
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Cassy by:
Alex
Shelves:
humor,
books-in-2013
Ok, so I like John Stewart. And, in fact, I did think this book was funny. Stewart manages to mix humor and truth alone with his own personal brand of criticism and sarcasm. It's a smart kind of funny. If you can't figure out the tone, you're never going to get most of the jokes. You're never going to understand what he's telling you and, the perfectly valid points he makes about our government.
I like that it's an "interactive" book. It's not just a straight read, start to finish. There's pictur...more
I like that it's an "interactive" book. It's not just a straight read, start to finish. There's pictur...more
2007:
"Oh Jon and co. You really had to milk this for all the money it was worth, didn't you. And it worked. Because I love Jon Stewart. The teacher comments aren't particularly...funny. But they are informative. In addition to remembering some of my absolute favourite sentences every written (such as: "The Oval Office: because it has no corners, there is nowhere to make the president sit when he has shamed the nation" and "What form of government would you like to see after our democracy finally...more
"Oh Jon and co. You really had to milk this for all the money it was worth, didn't you. And it worked. Because I love Jon Stewart. The teacher comments aren't particularly...funny. But they are informative. In addition to remembering some of my absolute favourite sentences every written (such as: "The Oval Office: because it has no corners, there is nowhere to make the president sit when he has shamed the nation" and "What form of government would you like to see after our democracy finally...more
America: A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction by Jon Stewart, Ben Karlin, and David Javaerbaum reads like you would expect - like a textbook only funnier. At times, the humor takes a moment to absorb. Other times it’s laugh out loud funny. If you enjoy political satire, you will enjoy this book. The book’s humor is grounded in historical accuracies and inaccuracies often with the funnier moments rising out of actual events. At times, it feels like the writers tried too hard to inject humor. A...more
I'm a big fan of The Daily Show, and was very happy when I received this book as a gift. But, I actually couldn't do much more than flip through it, after trying to read the first 20 pages or so and being miserably disappointed.
In my opinion, Jon Stewart's wit, sarcasm and wry insight just doesn't translate well off the small screen and into print.
In my opinion, Jon Stewart's wit, sarcasm and wry insight just doesn't translate well off the small screen and into print.
While it was fun and semi-informative, I really expected it to be much more humor than it was. I also thought it was confusing to try to sort out truth from fiction. The audio version had a nice cast of people reading it but unfortunately cut some of the content from the book if the packaging is to believed although I can't tell you to what extent. I think that the book might actually be a better read due to the creative formatting and sidebars actually in sidebars and visual jokes as well. Also...more
I bought this book for five dollars from Borders. Yay for me. I started reading a bit, it's pretty hilarious. I love the faux textbook-esque style of it. I opened it up to a random page and read under a "Discussion questions" section "List the top 100 tv shows you would rather watch than the evening news". Hahahhhaha. Awesome.
This is by far one of the funniest books I've ever read. Formatted to read like a high school history textbook, it follows the history of America from the revolution all the way into our three potential futures (robot uprising, the invasion of Latin American cultures into the U.S., or Christ's return.) All along the authors use satire, sarcasm, and sharp wit to both celebrate and criticize our country and its development into its current state. Although readers don't have to be historians to und...more
As a fellow alum of The College of William and Mary, I expected good things from Jon Stewart in this "book". He didn't disappoint, although this was obviously a big team effort. It's a comical look at America's history and political setup, with just enough truth to make the message he's getting across come through (which is the US may be pretty screwed up, but it could be worse probably). While I enjoyed it as a "sit down and read for 10 minutes at a time" sort of book, I would like to see an ac...more
Sep 20, 2007
Jackie "the Librarian"
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Liberal leftists like me
Shelves:
humor
Very funny, sad but true look at our screwed up, dysfunctional government. I only give it 4 stars because the delivery of the humor by my inner voice wasn't nearly as good as Jon Stewart's on the show.
When does the movie version come out?
When does the movie version come out?
America, by political comedian Jon Stewart, is a hilarious citizen's guide to democracy in the United States. I absolutely loved this book!
Jon Stewart takes us on a step-by-step journey through the way American democracy from revolution to unruliness. Quite honestly, be careful while reading because one might just pause all current actions and be utterly distracted by the text.
I highly recommend this book to anybody who's wanted to try to learn the base line of politics but never tried because y...more
Jon Stewart takes us on a step-by-step journey through the way American democracy from revolution to unruliness. Quite honestly, be careful while reading because one might just pause all current actions and be utterly distracted by the text.
I highly recommend this book to anybody who's wanted to try to learn the base line of politics but never tried because y...more
**Review for Audio Book**
What a disappointment!
That this book is credited with audio awards is proof that those awards are decided on the text and the celebrity of the reader, not the audio elements. I don't know who directed this, but they somehow managed to get one of the most energetic, passionate comedians to sound about as bored with his own work. There are one or two points when Jon goes into full performance, otherwise his performance is clearly going for deadpan, but deadpan doesn't work...more
What a disappointment!
That this book is credited with audio awards is proof that those awards are decided on the text and the celebrity of the reader, not the audio elements. I don't know who directed this, but they somehow managed to get one of the most energetic, passionate comedians to sound about as bored with his own work. There are one or two points when Jon goes into full performance, otherwise his performance is clearly going for deadpan, but deadpan doesn't work...more
I was all for this book. It was VERY funny and quite entertaining, until I saw pics of all supreme court justices faces photoshopped onto naked bodies. (Shudder)
Aug 12, 2007
Lisa Vegan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of Jon Stewart & The Daily Show, humor book fans
One of the few times I enjoy the movie or tv show (in this case: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) more than the book. Took me a while appreciate the book, but there are many funny and clever parts in the book.
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Jon Stewart (born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz) is an American comedian, satirist, actor, writer, Pundit, and producer. He is best known as the host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and for his political satire.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See authors with similar names here.
Stewart started as a stand-up comedian, but later branched out to...more
More about Jon Stewart...
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See authors with similar names here.
Stewart started as a stand-up comedian, but later branched out to...more
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“If "con" is the opposite of pro, then isn't Congress the opposite of progress? Or did we just fucking blow your mind?!?”
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“So, is there hope for a truly democratic Africa? Long answer: Only if continent-wide improvements in education, human rights and public health are coupled with an aggressive and far-sighted debt-relief program that breaks the cycle of subsistence farming and urban squalor. Short answer: No.”
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Feb 21, 2011 12:01am