Al Franken rose to prominence as a funny man, experiencing success as both a comedy writer and a comedian. But Franken also has other passions. Unlike many in show business, he is still happily married his first wife, Franni, a union that has lasted more than forty years and produced two fine children and several grandchildren. He is also an idealist who has an uncommon interest in the survival and well-being of the little people of the world, those who are enjoined in the daily struggle of just getting by. His concerns for the welfare of the common man are what led him away from comedy and into the realm of public service.
Franken, the junior United States Senator from Minnesota, is the author of six previous books, all with a liberal political bent, and a couple of which launch verbal harpoons at Republican gasbags like Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly. He is now out with book number seven, a modest tome entitled: "Al Franken: Giant of the Senate."
The new book is an autobiography that is mainly comprised of sketches of the author's life from his childhood in Minnesota, through his evolution as a comedian - with particular emphasis on the fifteen years in which he wrote for and was featured on Saturday Night Live, to his entry into the political orbit of Minnesota's revered Senator Paul Wellstone, and finally to his own life in politics. Quite a bit of the book is focused on Franken's experiences in learning to be an effective senator and his constant struggle to work within the arcane senate system while always staying focused on the needs of his constituents back home in Minnesota.
In many ways this book is a primer on both how to be an effective senator as well as a functioning human being. It should be read and pondered by anyone who is considering running for office.
The author goes into much detail about the importance of being prepared for the job, citing the extensive reading that he has to do in order to be ready for committee hearings on a wide range of issues - and his sheer delight when his thorough preparations enable him expose fallacies being presented as facts. Franken also hits, time and again, on the importance of playing well with others. Not every sitting United Stats Senator is someone that we might want as a next door neighbor - just ask the guy who lives next door to Rand Paul - but if a senator is going to be able to advocate successfully for the folks back home, he will eventually need the support of most of his colleagues, even the odious ones.
The one exception to Senator Franken's tireless efforts to find something to like about each of his colleagues is Ted Cruz. His disdain for Cruz is noted on the book's jacket and has been repeated on talk shows and almost every published review of the book. The junior senator from Minnesota famously said about the junior senator from Texas:
"Here's the thing you have to understand about Ted Cruz. I like Ted Cruz more than most of my other colleagues like Ted Cruz. And I hate Ted Cruz."
One has to wonder how America's most humorous senator would characterize Senator Roy Moore!
But Roy Moore or not, and Donald Trump or not, Al Franken still views the world in positive terms and beats the drum for hope and change. Yesterday Senator Franken posted the following "alert" on Twitter. His importance as a voice for a caring and concerned America is reflected in the fact that it has been retweeted nearly 60,000 times in less than a day:
"RED ALERT: Senate GOP just added provision to their tax plan that would gut ACA & kick 13M ppl off insurance. Yes, it's same tax plan that would add $1 trillion+ to deficit while giving majority of benefits to corporations & the rich. We need you to make your voices heard again."
We are being called to action by someone who truly cares.
"Al Franken: Giant of the Senate" is inspiring - and so is the man who wrote it! He is the example that everyone who enters public service should strive to emulate.
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Very Funny, Current & Makes a Great Gift
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2017
I love this book. It's fun to read, easy to understand, LOL and current. Like all of Al Franken's work, it's chock full of useful information. In this case we hear how the Senate works or doesn't work in the form of "inside" stories from a sitting U.S. Senator. Franken puts things in language that is not only understandable but motivating...without being R rated. It also provides more insight into the Trump presidency, the endless circus on Capitol Hill and the last election. And it's also a great gift idea for friends and family. I happened on a signed copy in a bookstore and have been sending friends additional "collectable" signed copies ordered online.
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2017
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Jon
Although not quite as funny as his other books because he has to reign ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 17, 2017DAVID J TWIGGE
A good read; book in very good condition./
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 4, 2021
