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| The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book) Teacher's Edition: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction | 
 enlarge | Authors: Jon Stewart, The Writers Of The Daily Show
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $15.99
Buy Used: $4.35
You Save: $11.64 (73%)
New (47) Used (50) Collectible (4) from $4.35
Avg. Customer Rating:  628 reviews
Sales Rank: 2369
Media: Paperback
Edition: Tch
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 10.2 x 8.2 x 0.7
ISBN: 0446691860
Dewey Decimal Number: 818.5407
EAN: 9780446691864
ASIN: 0446691860
Publication Date: September 25, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com Review
Book Description
For everyone who was too cheap to buy the hardcover, the blockbuster, award-winning No. 1 New York Times bestseller is now in trade paperback--with a new introduction, fully updated, and with equally unsettling nude photos of the newest Supreme Court justices, and a text corrected by the most reputable college professor we could find/afford. Including:
• Historical inaccuracies, gross distortions, complete fabrications-corrected by real-life bearded college professor
• A new introduction by the authors
• Supreme Court Justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito--nude! • Totally updated ISBN number!
• American-style democracy is the world's most beloved form of government, which explains why so many other nations are eager for us to impose it on them. But what is American democracy?
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
• Watch a "Vintage" Amazon.com Exclusive Video from Jon Stewart
More from Jon Stewart 
Naked Pictures of Famous People | 
America (The Book) [Audio CD] | 
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Indecision 2004 [DVD] |
Product Description
Book Description For everyone who was too cheap to buy the hardcover, the blockbuster, award-winning No. 1 New York Times bestseller is now in trade paperback--with a new introduction, fully updated, and with equally unsettling nude photos of the newest Supreme Court justices, and a text corrected by the most reputable college professor we could find/afford.Including:• Historical inaccuracies, gross distortions, complete fabrications-corrected by real-life bearded college professor• A new introduction by the authors• Supreme Court Justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito--nude!• Totally updated ISBN number!• American-style democracy is the world's most beloved form of government, which explains why so many other nations are eager for us to impose it on them. But what is American democracy? Amazon.com ExclusivesFeaturing 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 • Watch a "Vintage" Amazon.com Exclusive Video from Jon Stewart More from Jon Stewart Naked Pictures of Famous People America (The Book) [Audio CD] The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Indecision 2004 [DVD]
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| Customer Reviews: Read 623 more reviews...
 Buoyantly profane, actually thoughtful, supremely funny October 14, 2004
487 out of 528 found this review helpful
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.
 Funny Audio Book September 20, 2004
366 out of 403 found this review helpful
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.
If I Could Give This Book 7 Stars, I Would September 29, 2004
139 out of 231 found this review helpful
Yes I see what's going on -- Jon and Steven and Samantha et al; so it wasn't enough that you make your big fancy TV salaries, and get your big fancy TV limos and your free plastic TV surgery. Now you're cashing in with a book, too. Try to milk the rubes for a few more bucks, huh? Well don't think I don't understand your nefarious game....
And isn't it curious, everyone, that Jon Stewart has yet to interview himself and discuss this book? He's promoted many OTHER political books on his show by interviewing the authors. But not his book. Why?
Shame. That's why. Shame because it's such a shallow tie-in with the TV show, and shame because he and his fellow writers write -- as you can plainly see -- like third graders. Like third graders! Honestly. Is this what passes for serious journalism in this country? Bill O'Reilly was right. Oh what a bunch of foolish stoners we Daily Show adicts must be to get taken in by such unprofessional filth. :-)
ADDENDUM ADDED TO THIS REVIEW A FEW DAYS LATER: I posted the above and immediately a bunch of brain cell-impaired people who, though they apparently watch The Daily Show, don't understand sarcasm, rated it down as a troll post or something. What? -- absurd logic, me giving it five stars, saying I'd give it seven if I could, and a smiley face at the end of post weren't enough clues for you??? Sheesh.
Take My Government, Please!...ba-bum-bum September 20, 2004
104 out of 114 found this review helpful
This book may not be the most incisive in its examination of the performance of the Bush administration, but it sure is the funniest. We are talking laugh-out-loud funny, not the bemused chuckling of Maureen Dowd's "Bushworld: Enter at Your Own Risk" or the laughter-through-fears treatment of Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11". But Bush is hardly the only target in this consistently clever, brightly illustrated book. This may very well be the textbook you wish you had while you were pretending to listen to your civics teacher in high school. Even if you don't get the Comedy Central cable channel and watch the "Daily Show", you can still enjoy this book for its shamelessly funny but sadly accurate observations of our government at work. However, if you have seen the clever antics of Jon Stewart and his crew, you know what you're in for, and you won't be disappointed. All you miss with the book is the clever editing of TV news clips, press conferences and convention speeches, which they love to skewer.
Any cynical thought you have had about government bureaucracy and the execution of democratic principles will be supported wholeheartedly here. The writers go as far as illustrating the timeline for democracy from its supposed birth in prehistoric times through the lightning-striking Biblical period to early American history and then of course, to the current political landscape. It all has a strong Mel Brooksian feeling of Borscht Belt schtick and frat house humor topped off with some tasty zingers like "...it turns out if Betsy Ross was alive and sewing American flags today, she'd be a 13-year-old Laotian boy". By all means, get this book as we all need a good laugh considering the paucity of options we have come November. You may find something sadly ironic when you read it and absorb the abuses and absurdities built into our political processes and institutions. But then again, any book that introduces a potential Bush-Kerry boxing match as "The Thrilla in Vanilla" is aces with me.
Funny (period) October 17, 2004
97 out of 105 found this review helpful
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!
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