America (The Book)
by the writers of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart

Reviewed by Byron Merritt

There are few books out there that can make you think, laugh, and cringe at the same time. This is one of them.

First, let me say that I do watch The Daily Show on the Comedy Channel. It’s witty, informative, and sometimes vile. I love it. In a time where the news media takes itself too seriously, or acts more like an entertainment venue than a forum for public information, The Daily Show is a breath of fresh air. So I was eager to pick up a copy of America and read.

There may be some worries on the part of Republicans (based on The Daily Show’s left leaning style of reporting) that this book might be a bashing of their political base. It isn’t. The bashing is spewed across an incredibly large landscape (yes, Republicans are in there, but so are the Democrats, the Independents, the Jews, the Supreme Court, publishers, radio and television, science, religion, and...oh God, there’s just tons of potshots taken on every single page).

America The Book is about democracy, from its founding to the mess we currently find ourselves in—there’s even a look into what our future might hold: “Genetically ‘enhanced’ children will talk at a younger age, be born toilet-trained and never get sick. They will also lack the capacity to love.”

But we start out with Greece in the fifth century BC and travel a bumpy road full of aching democracies, until we reach the United States. Once in the mighty U.S., we begin to see our nation take flight (or at least glide a few feet before bouncing off the ground).

The thing that amazed me about the book is that it actually IS a textbook of sorts. A twisted textbook, but a textbook nonetheless. If you don’t like reading a merry chorus of “F-yous” and the like—once in a while—be forewarned, they are in here. But if you don’t mind that sort of language, and enjoy laughing and learning, you should pick up a copy.

The fact that you can flip to any page in this book and learn something about our great nation while tears of mirth drip down your cheeks is something not to be taken lightly.

Don’t believe me?

Let’s take a little test. I’m going to open the book to a random page right now. There! Let me see here...um...okay, here we go. Page 49. Quoting the President: On Honesty. “Martha, when I tell you I was helping Ms. Hemings move her bed against the wall, I mean precisely that.” —Thomas Jefferson, August 20, 1785.

Now it might help to know a little bit of history, and if you do I’m sure you’re chuckling at this made-up quote. But it’s also incredibly informative in its own way. Ms. Hemings was a slave, and Thom Jefferson a slave owner who may have fathered children by her. Although this book makes light of the subject, it’s also an effective way to learn (those that don’t know about Ms. Hemings might be inclined to look her up on the internet after reading something like that. I wish THIS had been part of my reading assignments when I was in high school or college!).

That I could go on and on about how wonderful this book is shows its powerful and thought-provoking messages.

(Note: This book was released in September 2004 and remains on many bestseller lists. It was also recently banned in many Mississippi libraries because of one page of nudes depicting the Supreme Court justices. I guess they didn’t mind the f#*@ing language. But nudity! How distasteful! Go figure.)