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It was a cool, misty day in Boston, Massachusetts, and TeamRadioFranken was riding high. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
It was a cool, misty day in Boston, Massachusetts, and TeamRadioFranken was riding high. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Written in the deep dark days after George W. Bush's first election victory (2004), Al Franken's "The Truth With Jokes" must have been therapeutic for those in the United States who were horrified at the results of his first term and were counting on a Democratic victory to put things right.
Franken begins with a dissection of the Republican parties election strategy - Fear! - with extremely sharp wit that certainly puts to shame many of the British Political Comedians I've read, though admittedly the American scene is richer in material to work on: Jack Abramoff, Tom De Lay, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, George W Bush and a whole host of other dodgy, devious and disingenuous Republicans litter the pages of this book. Still with the '04 election, Franken moves on to debunking the smear campaign targeting John Kerry and his Vietnam War record. To a rational human the sheer shamelessness of the attack given Bush's record during his period of National Service (occasionally putting in an appearance with the Texas National Guard) is astonishing.
He is at his best when deals with issues such as Bush's Social Security Reform where he combines razor sharp wit with a sharp appreciation for the facts. This carries on through to his treatment of a number of issues including Gay marriage, Abortion and the Iraq War. Franken's critique of the Iraq War is on the left of the Democratic Party, which is to say that it is within the mainstream of "reasonable" thinking on the issue and not as critical as it could to be, though certainly funnier than it should be.
A brilliant, confidently written and laugh out loud read from start to finish, though as a committed Democrat (who now sits in the Senate) his confident expectations of future victory for his party being a New Dawn for America seems a little on the myopic side; as do some of his apologetics and celebrations of the Clinton era. Fortunately these are sufficiently tongue in cheek not to mar what is an extremely funny (if now somewhat historical) demolition of the pretensions of the Bush era as it entered its second term. It easily lives up to dual claims the title makes.
Franken begins with a dissection of the Republican parties election strategy - Fear! - with extremely sharp wit that certainly puts to shame many of the British Political Comedians I've read, though admittedly the American scene is richer in material to work on: Jack Abramoff, Tom De Lay, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, George W Bush and a whole host of other dodgy, devious and disingenuous Republicans litter the pages of this book. Still with the '04 election, Franken moves on to debunking the smear campaign targeting John Kerry and his Vietnam War record. To a rational human the sheer shamelessness of the attack given Bush's record during his period of National Service (occasionally putting in an appearance with the Texas National Guard) is astonishing.
He is at his best when deals with issues such as Bush's Social Security Reform where he combines razor sharp wit with a sharp appreciation for the facts. This carries on through to his treatment of a number of issues including Gay marriage, Abortion and the Iraq War. Franken's critique of the Iraq War is on the left of the Democratic Party, which is to say that it is within the mainstream of "reasonable" thinking on the issue and not as critical as it could to be, though certainly funnier than it should be.
A brilliant, confidently written and laugh out loud read from start to finish, though as a committed Democrat (who now sits in the Senate) his confident expectations of future victory for his party being a New Dawn for America seems a little on the myopic side; as do some of his apologetics and celebrations of the Clinton era. Fortunately these are sufficiently tongue in cheek not to mar what is an extremely funny (if now somewhat historical) demolition of the pretensions of the Bush era as it entered its second term. It easily lives up to dual claims the title makes.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Once again, Al Franken delivers a very important book for anyone trying to understand the present day US of A.
Just like he did in previous books like 'Rush LImbaugh is a big fat idiot' and 'Lies and the lying liars who tell them', this book covers a specific timeperiod (roughly from the 2004 elections to late 2005) and mixes Al's personal experiences with American political life in general. The very painful truth of the Republicans' choke hold on the country is treated intelligently and concisely, with some much needed comic relief to deaden the pain that anyone must feel who has a warm place in their heart for such a great country of the US.
But things aren't all negative: there is hope on the horizon, as Al explains. So alltogether this is a well balanced book. Anyone interested in the November 2006 US midterm elections should pick up a copy of this book. And it's a good read for anyone with a sense of humour as well. Warmly recommended!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Sadly, the first reviewer just doesn't get it. 'The Truth (with jokes)' combines numerous disquieting exposes on the disgraceful conduct of members of the Bush circle (his admittedly borrowed reportage on De Lay and Abramoff's support of sweatshops and forced prostitution in Saipan being particularly stomach-churning), with tongue-in-cheek self deprecating humour.
Mr Anderson highlights 'inconsistencies' when in fact they are expressions of said humour. Yes, the book is more about 'The Truth' rather than 'the jokes', but that is the ratio I prefer.
If you want more humour, seek out some possibly fictional book called 'The Jokes (with truth)'.
Mr Anderson highlights 'inconsistencies' when in fact they are expressions of said humour. Yes, the book is more about 'The Truth' rather than 'the jokes', but that is the ratio I prefer.
If you want more humour, seek out some possibly fictional book called 'The Jokes (with truth)'.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Where's the truth?
I picked up this book because I really enjoy political humor, but the title, I discovered, is a real misnomer. Read more
Published on 22 May 2007 by JeremiahA
Just the right tonic for the Zeitgeist
Franken is as funny as ever in his latest book. I loved the chapter on Abramoff and all the dodgy casino dealings, and his chapter on social security. Read more
Published on 21 April 2006 by O. Watkins
Mmmmm
I'm a big fan of Al. "Lies", "Why not Me" and "Rush" are genuinely laugh out loud funny - this is very rare in a book. Read more
Published on 15 Jan 2006 by MJ
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