Destined for Destiny: The Unauthorized Autobiography of George W. Bush (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Peter Hilleren (Author)
Key Phrases: destined for destiny, President of the United States, Texas Ranger, Oval Office (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the tradition of Jon Stewart's America: The Book and satirical newspaper The Onion (which Dikkers runs as editor-in-chief), this faux autobiography recounts George W. Bush's mediocre rise from humble beginnings (as a child of "simple oil folks") to become the 43rd President of the United States. Dikkers and Hilleren play on every Bush stereotype, from his privileged insider perspective ("I believe in tax relief for Wal-Mart and other large department store chains which clothe and feed the poor") to his close and personal bond with his savior ("Hello, Jesus, my name is George W. Bush and I'm asking for your support in my run for Congress"), in a voice studded with Bush's trademark malapropisms. The authors also include fake artifacts, including newspaper clippings, White House memos and Bush's Yale admissions essay (complete with a note from Dad). Though the gags are often as sharp as they are stupid (chapter titles include "Then I Ran Some Companies into the Ground," "George Walker, Texas Ranger," and "The Clown-Faced Zombie I Call My Wife"), readers may find the joke wearing a little thin by the time they reach the 16-page photo spread of Bush with Jesus Christ. Readers may want to skip around to prevent satirical fatigue.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Underscore unauthorized. Dikkers, founder and editor in chief of the satirical publication theOnion, and Hilleren, former public radio producer, joined to craft this humorous look at the life of President George W. Bush, as if penned by the forty-third president himself. They chronicle Bush's privileged childhood, his uninspiring academic performance, and his rise to wealth and influence in business and, finally, politics with the help of family connections. Written in imitation of Bush's breezy style, the facts are all there, but the tone is heavily satiric. Illustrations include a report card with grades altered, a loyalty oath signed by Laura Bush, and--after Bush's proclaimed religious conversion--the presence of Jesus in photographs of his life from babyhood through the presidential swearing-in ceremony through his speech at ground zero after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Bush detractors will find this book hilarious; his fans will be apoplectic. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Scribner; illustrated edition edition (October 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743299663
• ISBN-13: 978-0743299664
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #768,231 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Red, White and True, October 22, 2006

By	W.C. Snelgrove (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

Not since THE LITTLE GOAT has one single epitome so greatly exemplified the triumph of the human spirit. With disarming, almost childlike grace and vocabulary here is the story of "George W. Bush" in his own inimitable and endearingly simplistic idom. Hear the tale of his humble rise from a childhood of extreme economic privilege, which few could imagine, let alone endure. Then of his remarkable military record and distinguished business career which explain his appeal to the average, (and even below average) citizen. Then finally of his truly stunning rise to become our 44th or 45th President, (I'm not sure which). Page after page we are left wondering what the American people ever did to deserve such a book, let alone the man himself. I highly reccomend this book, as you will be filled with new found inspiration and a hunger for free hot dogs. I myself bought the audio book, since some of the werds in the printid version looked to diffikult to understamd.

32 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eerily so like Dubya wrote this, October 30, 2006

By	M. ORIAS "puccagirl73" (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Destined for Destiny: The Unauthorized Autobiography of George W. Bush (Audio CD)

Give me a break people. The Chapter on Laura is not to be taken seriously. I mean no one has really taken a potshot at her, since she is not as controversial as Hillary or Nancy. LOL I turned heads at Borders when I was laughing out loud as I read it, so I definitely bought the book. Look at the pictures in the middle first because they are just creepy, hilarious, but creepy, perfect for Halloween.
This book is so much written in Dubya's signature English, it's scary, the authors were definitely channeling him. ;D

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A little too true to life, October 18, 2006

By	Count de Schaumbergh "militant moderate" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

Obviously, if you're a fan of the weekly satire at weeklyradioaddress.com, then this book is for you. But the book succeeds on its own (lack of) merits, and while it's clear some people will call it mean for the stuff on Laura, that's probably the funniest part of the book. Why has Laura been off-limits? Hillary, Nancy, Rosalyn sure weren't. I think people are overprotective because they feel a little bit sorry for her...

Anyhow, the book is savage, but the attacks would seem harmless if the book wasn't so eerily dead-on in its voice. What sticks with you is that a real Presidential autobiography (one that wasn't ghostwritten) would sound a lot like this.

And the pictures are fantastic.