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Al Franken, Giant of the Senate Audiobook
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(4.89) - 9 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
From Senator Al Franken - #1 bestselling author and beloved SNL alum -- comes the story of an award-winning comedian who decided to run for office and then discovered why award-winning comedians tend not to do that.
"Flips the classic born-in-a-shack rise to political office tale on its head. I skipped meals to read this book - also unusual - because every page was funny. It made me deliriously happy." -- Louise Erdrich, The New York Times 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.
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"Interesting insight into the inner workings of the US senate/politics mixed with dry Franken humour. A great read/listen, especially in the current dark political climate mire that we are in. "
— William (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Franken narrates his latest book in a voice that captures both of his key public personas: current US senator and former humorist…He recounts his long fight to be seated in the Senate chamber and the learning experiences afterward with a deft, humorous tone that doesn’t betray his honed political acumen. Well, almost: His take on Ted Cruz will no doubt raise eyebrows.”
— AudioFile -
“Flips the classic born-in-a-shack rise to political office tale on its head. I skipped meals to read this book…because every page was funny.”
— New York Times -
“The best political book of 2017.”
— New Republic -
“A genuinely funny book, often hilarious…The Senate, and the country, would be the poorer without him. He’s an American original.”
— Washington Post -
“Franken has weaponized the gifts that proved so useful for comedy—a sharp eye, a sharper tongue, the ability to tease out the essential absurdity of a given situation and deliver the goods with maximum impact.”
— Rolling Stone -
The best political book of 2017.
— Alex Shephard, The New Republic -
In this excellent, insightful memoir, comedian turned senator Franken recalls his unlikely path to public service...Franken is quite a raconteur, and he tells the story of his remarkable life and times with a sense of humor that is always irreverent and often self-deprecating.
— Publishers Weekly -
This is a great book about politics. No joke...Compulsively readable [with] laugh-out-loud lines in every chapter.
— Booklist Starred Review -
[AL FRANKEN, GIANT OF THE SENATE] may...be the funniest memoir by a sitting - standing, recumbent, squatting - U.S. senator. Scratch that 'may.' It surely is. This is a genuinely funny book, often hilarious...the Senate, and the country, would be the poorer without him. He's an American original.
— Christopher Buckley, The Washington Post -
Admirably incautious...Franken has weaponized the gifts that proved so useful for comedy - a sharp eye, a sharper tongue, the ability to tease out the essential absurdity of a given situation and deliver the goods with maximum impact.
— Mark Binelli, Rolling Stone -
In a breezy, funny, biting, and often earnest read, Franken pulls off what many of his congressional colleagues have failed to do: write...an interesting and honest memoir.
— Sam Brodey, MinnPost.com -
A fun and compelling book. [Franken] uses self-deprecating humor to poke fun at everyone on either side of the aisle, and he gives readers insight into the daily workings of life in the Senate. His love of the people and the state of Minnesota is crystal clear.
— Jeff Ayers, AP -
With this book, Franken is both resistance leader and family counselor...A hilarious guide to what happens when a comedian runs for Congress.
— The Nation
Awards
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#1 New York Times bestseller
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Libro.fm Audio bestseller
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An AudioFile Best Audiobook of the Year for 2017
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A 2018 Audie Award Finalist for Best Autobiography/Memoir Narration
Al Franken, Giant of the Senate Listener Reviews
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Melissa Bryant, 1/5/2023
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Mary Andrus, 8/7/2022
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Daniel Ivers, 3/13/2022
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Peter Gegenheimer, 7/10/2019
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shirley houston, 8/17/2018
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" Al Franken is brilliant. Such incongruity between the statesmanship and the sophisticated comic wit. "
— John, 11/8/2017 -
" Rush is Big Fat, Lying Liars, Giant in the Senate. The perfect Trifecta! Seems he's picked right back up from Lying Liars. I always enjoy listening to Al, so this is pure bliss for car rides! "
— Bryan, 6/26/2017 -
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steve dewey, 2/13/2017
About Al Franken
Al Franken is the author of several #1 New York Times bestsellers and is a two-time spoken word Grammy Award winner. He graduated from Harvard College, and before running for office, spent thirty-seven years as a comedy writer, author, and radio talk-show host. He rose to prominence as one of the original Saturday Night Live writers in the 1970s and won five Emmy Awards for his work on SNL. He has taken part in seven USO tours, visiting our troops overseas in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. He was first elected to the United States Senate in 2008 and re-elected in 2014.