Book Description
For everyone who was too cheap to buy the hardcover, the blockbuster, award-winning No. 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, gross distortions, complete fabrications-corrected by real-life bearded college professor
• A new introduction by the authors
• Supreme Court Justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito--nude!
• Totally updated ISBN number!
• American-style democracy is the world's most beloved form of government, which explains why so many other nations are eager for us to impose it on them. But what is American democracy?
Featuring a foreword by Thomas Jefferson, a Dress the Supreme Court layout, and, oddly enough, a profile of George "The Iceman" Gervin, America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction, from Jon Stewart and the writers of the Emmy Award-winning The Daily Show, is by far one the most irreverent and wittiest (and may we add smartest) political book you're likely to encounter. Amazon.com spoke with Jon Stewart a few days before the 2004 publication of America (The Book) and they discussed bald eagles, magical talking cats, Thor Heyerdahl, and much more
Those familiar with Jon Stewart and his Comedy Central news/comedy program The Daily Show will recognize the style and humor of this book. Polls suggest students get more current event news from Stewart than any other source ("God help them and the US!" might be a typical Daily Show gloss on that fact), so what he does will have an impact on adolescents. A more systematic, comprehensive topic like American history certainly allows for some typical pointed Stewart humor, but it also calls for more sustained focus than he or his show is used to. As a result, some of the jibes here are more silly and slapstick than satirical. Be aware, too, that tone and language will definitely offend some (full frontal fake nude photos of the Supreme Court, anyone? C-SPAN drinking games?). Not exactly a history book, this aims, really, more to be a primer on the American political system, and the humor does nudge students to try separating fact from myth. Several features are clever and will help students learn despite their best intentions just to laugh. One useful feature is a professorial (University of Wisconsin, emeritus) overview of annotations/corrections on most pages. This lets the authors have their jokes and (a little) real history too. My favorite sections are various charts: e.g., Landmark Supreme Court Cases, What Kind of Government Best Suits You, Meet Your Lobbyists. I expect this book will be irresistible for teens if sitting out in a visible spot. It's got lots of color and art and pictures. But again, it's more Saturday Night Live (with worse language) than anything else—for better and worse. Also included: a pullout poster on "The Shadow Government."
Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Comedy Central's TheDaily Show proudly touts itself as a fake news show, so it's fitting that phony blurbs adorn this audiobook's packaging ("A Bridget Jones's Diary for the comedic nonfiction government textbook set," says Melissa Bank, author of The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing; and "So informative, I even found out who I was," raves Albert Gallatine, Secretary of the Treasury from 1801–1814). The discs inside offer more deadpan wit, as the authors trace not only the history of America, but of democracy and humanity, all in a mere four hours. The editors and producers who handled this audio adaptation deserve a round of applause; they managed to take a book dependent on a wealth of charts, graphs and sidebars and translate it into audio while still preserving the fact that the book is a parody of a textbook. The result is a highly entertaining listen that showcases the expert comic delivery of Stewart and his Daily Show "correspondents" Samantha Bee, Stephen Colbert, Rob Corddry and Ed Helms. Stewart narrates the bulk of the audiobook, and the others chime in at the end of each chapter to read the "supplemental material," which includes Discussion Questions, Classroom Activities and sidebars on everything from how things are done differently in Canada to why the founding fathers were "unelectable." Nifty sound effects (like classroom bells) and well-chosen music (which consists primarily of stately, almost pompous horn orchestrations) round out this excellent audio package.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. Most Helpful Customer Reviews 474 of 531 people found the following review helpful: By bensmomma "bensmomma" (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
This review is from: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction (Hardcover)
Jon Stewart and his Daily Show writers would have you believe this is humor masquerading as a "fake" civics textbook, but they undersell themselves. It's both funnier and smarter than that premise. It actually does spell out, chapter by chapter, the workings of the branches of government, the election process, and the role of journalism in creating and destroying all these (complete with in-class exercises and homework!)
If you're a fan of the show, you will enjoy listening to Stewart riff on journalism's loss of integrity, to Samantha Bee's apologetic asides about "do you mind if I tell you how we do it in Canada?", Ed Helms' presentation of his qualifications to be Supreme Court justice, etc. The book is, however, not just a rehash of pieces from the TV show; the book form allows the writers to make their favorite comedic jabs against our system's foibles with more historical and literary support. (Who knew, for example, the role that the rivalry between newspaper magnates William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer played in instigating the Spanish-American war?)
Coming from any source but the Daily Show, this premise might have been tedious, but from this team it is consistently and hysterically funny. Free of the time and vocabulary limits of TV, they really cut loose. The seven-dirty-words-you-can't-say-on-television here are put to good use, amended by such popular modifiers as bat, horse, bull, and mother. So don't bring it home to the kiddos, or listen to the audiobook on your mini-van stereo, and avoid it altogether if you don't yourself throw a good hearty @*$%&% around every now and then. But remember the best, funniest lines about the preservation of democracy and repeat these lessons to your kids. It's funny and important stuff.
358 of 405 people found the following review helpful: By Victor Illonardo (New York, NY United States)
This review is from: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Audiobook): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction (Audio CD)
My wife and I listed to the audio book during a 4 hour car ride. We never turned it off and laughed throughout. Yes he does beat up on Bush, but he gives it to Kerry also. Much of the material concerns our political past: e.g., a history of democracy & a general lampooning of the Founding Fathers (the Thomas Jefferson stuff is hysterical.)
While Stewart is liberal, this is not a Michael Moore-like romp. It is witty and funny from both sides of the aisle. Any real bias/anger is directed toward the press and their abdicating any journalistic responsibility by becoming "entertainment."
One last note: there is an occasional use profanity in the audio book so heads up to parents listening with small children around.
Overall - great audio book and highly recommended.
88 of 94 people found the following review helpful: By Michael Drake (New York)
This review is from: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction (Hardcover)
Jon Stewart and the crew have done it again with a hilarious, bitingly satirical, and often true take on America and our political system. A good amount of the book's commentary is well-founded and educational; I found many of its parts to be a good review of the material we've all undoubtedly forgotten since government class (important court cases, etc.). But on occassion, I've remembered so little of actual political history that the line between the jokes and reality are blurred to the point that I don't know what is real and what isn't.
I've found myself smiling and laughing out loud through entire chapters, and the supplemental material sections (interspersed throughout the book) are hilarious. "Discussion Questions" and "Classroom Activities" start and end each chapter with additional laughs, and the opinion essays are unbelievably funny. This is a must read for every American or anyone who loves a good laugh.
Get A Copy Of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book) Teacher's Edition: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction (Paperback) By Jon Stewart"
Sphere: Related Content
For everyone who was too cheap to buy the hardcover, the blockbuster, award-winning No. 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, gross distortions, complete fabrications-corrected by real-life bearded college professor
• A new introduction by the authors
• Supreme Court Justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito--nude!
• Totally updated ISBN number!
• American-style democracy is the world's most beloved form of government, which explains why so many other nations are eager for us to impose it on them. But what is American democracy?
Featuring a foreword by Thomas Jefferson, a Dress the Supreme Court layout, and, oddly enough, a profile of George "The Iceman" Gervin, America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction, from Jon Stewart and the writers of the Emmy Award-winning The Daily Show, is by far one the most irreverent and wittiest (and may we add smartest) political book you're likely to encounter. Amazon.com spoke with Jon Stewart a few days before the 2004 publication of America (The Book) and they discussed bald eagles, magical talking cats, Thor Heyerdahl, and much more
Those familiar with Jon Stewart and his Comedy Central news/comedy program The Daily Show will recognize the style and humor of this book. Polls suggest students get more current event news from Stewart than any other source ("God help them and the US!" might be a typical Daily Show gloss on that fact), so what he does will have an impact on adolescents. A more systematic, comprehensive topic like American history certainly allows for some typical pointed Stewart humor, but it also calls for more sustained focus than he or his show is used to. As a result, some of the jibes here are more silly and slapstick than satirical. Be aware, too, that tone and language will definitely offend some (full frontal fake nude photos of the Supreme Court, anyone? C-SPAN drinking games?). Not exactly a history book, this aims, really, more to be a primer on the American political system, and the humor does nudge students to try separating fact from myth. Several features are clever and will help students learn despite their best intentions just to laugh. One useful feature is a professorial (University of Wisconsin, emeritus) overview of annotations/corrections on most pages. This lets the authors have their jokes and (a little) real history too. My favorite sections are various charts: e.g., Landmark Supreme Court Cases, What Kind of Government Best Suits You, Meet Your Lobbyists. I expect this book will be irresistible for teens if sitting out in a visible spot. It's got lots of color and art and pictures. But again, it's more Saturday Night Live (with worse language) than anything else—for better and worse. Also included: a pullout poster on "The Shadow Government."
Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Comedy Central's TheDaily Show proudly touts itself as a fake news show, so it's fitting that phony blurbs adorn this audiobook's packaging ("A Bridget Jones's Diary for the comedic nonfiction government textbook set," says Melissa Bank, author of The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing; and "So informative, I even found out who I was," raves Albert Gallatine, Secretary of the Treasury from 1801–1814). The discs inside offer more deadpan wit, as the authors trace not only the history of America, but of democracy and humanity, all in a mere four hours. The editors and producers who handled this audio adaptation deserve a round of applause; they managed to take a book dependent on a wealth of charts, graphs and sidebars and translate it into audio while still preserving the fact that the book is a parody of a textbook. The result is a highly entertaining listen that showcases the expert comic delivery of Stewart and his Daily Show "correspondents" Samantha Bee, Stephen Colbert, Rob Corddry and Ed Helms. Stewart narrates the bulk of the audiobook, and the others chime in at the end of each chapter to read the "supplemental material," which includes Discussion Questions, Classroom Activities and sidebars on everything from how things are done differently in Canada to why the founding fathers were "unelectable." Nifty sound effects (like classroom bells) and well-chosen music (which consists primarily of stately, almost pompous horn orchestrations) round out this excellent audio package.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. Most Helpful Customer Reviews 474 of 531 people found the following review helpful: By bensmomma "bensmomma" (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
This review is from: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction (Hardcover)
Jon Stewart and his Daily Show writers would have you believe this is humor masquerading as a "fake" civics textbook, but they undersell themselves. It's both funnier and smarter than that premise. It actually does spell out, chapter by chapter, the workings of the branches of government, the election process, and the role of journalism in creating and destroying all these (complete with in-class exercises and homework!)
If you're a fan of the show, you will enjoy listening to Stewart riff on journalism's loss of integrity, to Samantha Bee's apologetic asides about "do you mind if I tell you how we do it in Canada?", Ed Helms' presentation of his qualifications to be Supreme Court justice, etc. The book is, however, not just a rehash of pieces from the TV show; the book form allows the writers to make their favorite comedic jabs against our system's foibles with more historical and literary support. (Who knew, for example, the role that the rivalry between newspaper magnates William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer played in instigating the Spanish-American war?)
Coming from any source but the Daily Show, this premise might have been tedious, but from this team it is consistently and hysterically funny. Free of the time and vocabulary limits of TV, they really cut loose. The seven-dirty-words-you-can't-say-on-television here are put to good use, amended by such popular modifiers as bat, horse, bull, and mother. So don't bring it home to the kiddos, or listen to the audiobook on your mini-van stereo, and avoid it altogether if you don't yourself throw a good hearty @*$%&% around every now and then. But remember the best, funniest lines about the preservation of democracy and repeat these lessons to your kids. It's funny and important stuff.
358 of 405 people found the following review helpful: By Victor Illonardo (New York, NY United States)
This review is from: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Audiobook): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction (Audio CD)
My wife and I listed to the audio book during a 4 hour car ride. We never turned it off and laughed throughout. Yes he does beat up on Bush, but he gives it to Kerry also. Much of the material concerns our political past: e.g., a history of democracy & a general lampooning of the Founding Fathers (the Thomas Jefferson stuff is hysterical.)
While Stewart is liberal, this is not a Michael Moore-like romp. It is witty and funny from both sides of the aisle. Any real bias/anger is directed toward the press and their abdicating any journalistic responsibility by becoming "entertainment."
One last note: there is an occasional use profanity in the audio book so heads up to parents listening with small children around.
Overall - great audio book and highly recommended.
88 of 94 people found the following review helpful: By Michael Drake (New York)
This review is from: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction (Hardcover)
Jon Stewart and the crew have done it again with a hilarious, bitingly satirical, and often true take on America and our political system. A good amount of the book's commentary is well-founded and educational; I found many of its parts to be a good review of the material we've all undoubtedly forgotten since government class (important court cases, etc.). But on occassion, I've remembered so little of actual political history that the line between the jokes and reality are blurred to the point that I don't know what is real and what isn't.
I've found myself smiling and laughing out loud through entire chapters, and the supplemental material sections (interspersed throughout the book) are hilarious. "Discussion Questions" and "Classroom Activities" start and end each chapter with additional laughs, and the opinion essays are unbelievably funny. This is a must read for every American or anyone who loves a good laugh.
Get A Copy Of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book) Teacher's Edition: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction (Paperback) By Jon Stewart"
