In honor of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, I decide today would be a good day to put up my review of America (The Audiobook): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction by Jon Stewart and the Daily Show Cast.
If you like Jon Stewart and the Daily Show, you’re going to like America (The Audiobook), which is a performance version of their book. I don’t think the book delivers up anything especially different from what the show usually does, but that’s not a critique since I’m a fan of the show and Jon Stewart more generally. While I don’t always agree with his politics, I appreciate that he’s willing to point out the hypocrisy in the system, regardless of political party.
The audiobook is an abridged version (boo!), but still covers quite a bit of ground. Topics include:
- Ancient Rome: The First Republicans
- The Founding Fathers: Young, Gifted, and White
- The President: King of Democracy
- The Supreme Court: 18 Legs, Four Tits, One Mission
- Running for Office: What Are You Thinking?
- The Media: Can It Be Stopped?
- The Future of Democracy: The Constitutional Robocracy and You!
I have this book in print, but decided to listen to the audio despite the abridgment after Kathy (Bermudaonion’s Weblog) said the audio was so great. Stewart is the main narrator, but a number of other former and current Daily Show staffers narrate sections too. It’s a performance more than a reading, and works really well.
This was an easy audiobook to listen to because it was funny and each section was relatively short. If I got distracted, the narrator switched and brought me back in. Overall, quite enjoyable and recommended if you like this sense of humor.
And with that, I’m heading back to watching a live feed of the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear online. I’m just loving the Medals of Reasonableness – we could use a lot more of that these days. As Mick Foley just noted, “Civility is cool.”
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I can see why this book was abridged – it would be hard to read out loud. I’m glad you found it funny.
By the way, I’m on an iPad and your ad bar is in the middle of your post blocking part of it.
Kathy: Yeah, it would be a hard book to do aloud, and might not have worked if it was longer. I am glad I have the book to read and get all of the stories.
Kathy: And thanks for the not about the widget on the iPad – I’ll pass that along. It sounds really annoying!
I just listened to Earth by Stewart on audio, and am very interested to listen to this one too and see how they differ.
rhapsodyinbooks: I am curious about reading/listening to Earth as well – I love the sense of humor in the stories.