America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction (Hardcover)

~ (Author), (Author) "It is often said that America "invented" democracy..." (more)
Key Phrases: tipping point, Supreme Court, Founding Fathers, Hidden Agenda (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Amazon.com Exclusives
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

• Read the Amazon.com Interview with Jon Stewart
• Listen to the Amazon.com Interview with Jon Stewart

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More from Jon Stewart

Naked Pictures of Famous People

America (The Book) [Audio CD]

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Indecision 2004 [DVD]

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" ("Using felt and yarn, make a hand puppet of Clarence Thomas. Ta-da! You're Antonin Scalia!") and plenty of amusing graphics, including a board game that resembles the game Life but which follows a presidential term: "Optimistic press release on economy ineffective. Spin again." No one evades the authors' scrutiny, not even the Pilgrims, who came to America "to escape religious persecution... create a society where they could worship as they pleased and one day, God willing, even do some persecuting of their own." The media fares the worst, however. An entire chapter is devoted to telling the "inspirational" story of how the media "transformed itself from a mere public necessity into an entertaining profit center for ever-expanding corporate empires." But if this and other criticisms kindle a few unpatriotic feelings, a section describing how worse off the rest of the world is should buoy spirits. From its dedication ("To the huddled masses—Keep yearnin'!") to its final chapter, which lampoons the 2004 presidential candidates, this humorous sendup of American politics never fails to entertain, poke fun and provoke thought.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details Hardcover: 240 pages Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; First Edition edition (September 20, 2004) Language: English ISBN-10: 0446532681 ISBN-13: 978-0446532686 Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.2 x 0.9 inches Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (633 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #62,526 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in these categories: (What's this?) #54 in  Books > Entertainment > Humor > Jokes & Riddles #58 in  Books > Entertainment > Humor > Political

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More About the Authors

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Jon Stewart

The Writers of The Daily Show

David Javerbaum

Ben Karlin

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
It is often said that America "invented" democracy. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
tipping point

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Supreme Court, Founding Fathers, Hidden Agenda, Money Given, Magna Carta, Ronald Reagan, Vice President, White House, Middle East, Stephen Colbert, John Adams, Congressional Cafeteria, Southern Asia, Thomas Jefferson, Democracy's Future, Diane Sawyer, George Washington, Health Care Initiative, King George, Paul Revere, Rhode Island, Uncle Sam, Betsy Ross, Dred Scott, John Hancock

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Concordance | Text Stats

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 30 books:

• American Studies: Esssays in Honour of Marcus Cunliffe by John White on page 39
• Human Biology, Study Guide by Michael D. Johnson in Front Matter
• Benjamin Franklin by Rh Value Publishing in Back Matter
• Snow White by Play a Sound Classics on page 152
• Civil Wars by June Jordan on page 209

See all 30 books this book cites

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Customer Reviews

633 Reviews 5 star:  (440) 4 star:  (117) 3 star:  (26) 2 star:  (18) 1 star:  (32)           Average Customer Review 4.4 out of 5 stars (633 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 495 of 537 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Buoyantly profane, actually thoughtful, supremely funny, October 14, 2004 By  bensmomma "bensmomma" (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)       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. 370 of 408 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Funny Audio Book, September 20, 2004 By  Victor Illonardo (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews 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. 101 of 110 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Funny (period), October 16, 2004 By  G Mason (Baltimore, Maryland) - See all my reviews This is Jon Stewart at his best. And let's be honest, folks, he rips both sides of the aisle in this mock-textbook of American history. Man, how I wish this was my history book back in high school. I would've studied then. So there's truth here, as well as good political humor. And a clever pull-out poster comes with it on the shadow democracy we have. Now, who can say that doesn't bear some truth!		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Laughs Politics are a joke, so sometimes it takes a joke teller to tell you the truth. Great book. Full of laughs. Read more Published 3 days ago by Broncos Fan 5.0 out of 5 stars Worth your money This book is not only a great referencial (word?) tool, it's also a hilarious read. I reccomend this to students (of age) and teacher's alike, plus people like me who aren't... Read more Published 1 month ago by Sheldon Erickson 4.0 out of 5 stars Good for a quick laugh This book is always great for a good laugh. It is presented in textbook format, so it's difficult to sit down and read from cover to cover. Read more Published 2 months ago by Daniel Fredrickson 5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!! I have really enjoyed this book. It makes the whole issue of America better and not so boring as reading my actual govt. book. Published 3 months ago by KAREN PEREZ 4.0 out of 5 stars America (the book) America (the book) is probably the most valuable textbook you'll ever encounter. Honest, quirky, and oh so sarcastic, this was a guaranteed winner and Jon Stewart knew it... Read more Published 5 months ago by Runa Zaman 5.0 out of 5 stars Smart AND Funny This book is one of my favorites! It conbines history and politics in a way that is very easy to read. The book is actually very acurate in its assessment of things. Read more Published 9 months ago by Aaron767 5.0 out of 5 stars Laughs on every page. I gave this book to my son last Christmas and everyone in the family enjoyed it...aunts, uncles, cousins, old geezers,and college kids. Published 10 months ago by J. Veers 5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious, Must Buy!! The Daily Show to mainstream news is what America the Book is to history textbooks. It guides you through various aspects of American democracy such as its history, braches... Read more Published 11 months ago by Emily 4.0 out of 5 stars Good stuff from Jon Stewart and The Daily Show! This book was enjoyable and lighthearted. I LUUUUVVV naked pix of Supreme Court Justices, and the fact that WalMart banned the book for that reason. Read more Published 12 months ago by Joseph C. Sweeney 3.0 out of 5 stars Too contrived The book has its moments , but overall the humor is too contrived. The jokes are obvious and predictable. Read more Published 13 months ago by F. Hussain Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; First Edition edition (September 20, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446532681
• ISBN-13: 978-0446532686
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (633 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #62,526 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #54 in	Books > Entertainment > Humor > Jokes & Riddles
  #58 in	Books > Entertainment > Humor > Political

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

495 of 537 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buoyantly profane, actually thoughtful, supremely funny, October 14, 2004

By	bensmomma "bensmomma" (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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.

370 of 408 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Funny Audio Book, September 20, 2004

By	Victor Illonardo (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

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.

101 of 110 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny (period), October 16, 2004

By	G Mason (Baltimore, Maryland) - See all my reviews

This is Jon Stewart at his best. And let's be honest, folks, he rips both sides of the aisle in this mock-textbook of American history. Man, how I wish this was my history book back in high school. I would've studied then. So there's truth here, as well as good political humor. And a clever pull-out poster comes with it on the shadow democracy we have. Now, who can say that doesn't bear some truth!