Al Franken, giant of the Senate Cover Image

Book

Al Franken, giant of the Senate / by Al Franken.

Summary:

The Harvard-educated comedian, talk-show host, and U.S. Senator chronicles the story of his unlikely senatorial campaign, detailing the ensuing months-long recount and what his service has taught him about America's deeply polarized political culture.

"From the #1 bestselling author--a book about an award-winning comedian who decided to run for office and then discovered why award-winning comedians tend not to do that. This is a book about an unlikely campaign that had an even more improbable ending: the closest outcome in history and an unprecedented eight-month recount saga, which is pretty funny in retrospect. It's a book about what happens when the nation's foremost progressive satirist gets a chance to serve in the United States Senate and, defying the low expectations of the pundit class, actually turns out to be good at it. It's a book about our deeply polarized, frequently depressing, occasionally inspiring political culture, written from inside the belly of the beast. In this candid personal memoir, the honorable gentleman from Minnesota takes his army of loyal fans along with him from Saturday Night Live to the campaign trail, inside the halls of Congress, and behind the scenes of some of the most dramatic and/or hilarious moments of his new career in politics. Has Al Franken become a true Giant of the Senate? Franken asks readers to decide for themselves."--Jacket.

Record details

ISBN: 9781455540419
ISBN: 1455540412
Physical Description: vi, 406 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color), portraits ; 24 cm.
Edition: First hardcover edition.
Publisher: New York : Twelve, [2017]
Copyright: ©2017

Content descriptions

General Note:	Includes index.
Formatted Contents Note:	Why I'm a Democrat -- How I became a comedian -- Saturday Night Live (not the drug part) -- Saturday Night Live (the drug part) -- Saturday Night Live (the part where I leave) -- Paul -- A 99 percent improvement -- Year of the bean feed -- The DeHumorizer(TM) -- I attempt to litigate comedy -- Hermann the German and the pill-out couch -- No joke -- Harry and Chuck -- Icarus soars -- Twixt cup and lip -- Public opprobrium -- My first powwow -- Tax-dodging, rape-joking pornographer for Senate -- Franni saves the campaign -- "Has it gotten that bad?!" -- "It's close, it's very close" -- The recount -- Welcome to the NFL -- I actually become a senator -- My first big win* -- What gets me out of bed in the morning -- The case of Perry Mason's lost case -- The angel and the devil -- Never give the staff credit -- Letting my id run amok -- I screw up -- Operation curdle -- Health care: now what? -- I meet George W. Bush -- The 64 percent rule -- My Republican friends -- Sophistry -- Bulletproof -- Cracks in my soul -- The Koch brothers hate your grandchildren -- No whining on the yacht -- I win awards -- We build a DeHumorizer(TM) -- I get reelected -- Lies and the lying liar who got himself elected President -- I attend a presidential inauguration -- Being as good as the people we serve.
Awards Note:	New York Times Best Seller, Non-fiction 2017