Rating: 
Summary: Funny and on target
Review: I was inspired to buy this book after listing to O'Reilly's interview on Fresh Air (Terry Gross). A live testimony to how accurately Franken characterizes this popular personality.
Franken takes on the right wing media's bias by using well researched facts and laugh out loud satire. A great read.
Rating:
Summary: Al Franken -- Lies:....
Review: I was never a fan of Al Franken, that is, until i read his book. I've heard of him before, and have seen some of his movies (if he has more than one) and knew he was SNL.
Before this book, i never knew someone could write about politics so fluidly, hilariously, and truthfully. I know that some of what he includes probably has a left-leaning bias. so anyone should be wary of that, but the catch is, he uses actual facts. He brings up news articles, and reports that artiulate his view. He challenges various right-wing pundits (such as O'reilly, Hannity, Coulter) and does it with humor. I would hate to get in a debate with this guy about a lot of topics.
I strongly encourage anyone interested in politics to purchase this book, and see for yourself. He just might be able to persuade you about a few things.
Rating: 
Summary: Lies is a poor read
Review: I was out shopping and ran across this book. I read several pages before I had to put it down in disgust. Not only was it poorly written, it was obviously written with hostile intent to defame people who held opposing views other than the authors
Rating:
Summary: The title's not quite so tongue in cheek as you'd think!
Review: I was pleased to find that Mr. Franken's book is not only a respectable work of political rhetoric (like his not-at-all shabby "Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot," which substantially proved its title allegation) but, befitting a SNL emeritus, a comic vaudeville of considerable ingenuity, veering from "Mr. Show"-level savagery (a pastiche Vietnam War pulp story in which cowardly "chickenhawk" grunts, among them Rush, Dick Cheney and GWB, end up fragging John Kerry) to an eloquent and moving (and come to think of it not that funny) account of how Rush and co. twisted Paul Wellstone's memorial service into a weapon to beat Democrats with. Though he teases neocon celebrities like Bill O'Reilly and Ann Coulter, Franken avoids both hyperbole and serious ad hominem attacks, focusing not on the liars themselves but on the lies that have undermined our public discourse and the political integrity of our democracy.
Rating:
Summary: ***not funny*** not satire***not a good read.....sorry AL
Review: I was ready to laugh but instead find Al Frankin just to be a bore. His jokes are old, and he expresses such hate for those whom he disagrees politically. With all that is going on in the world could he not find a better topic to get national attention?
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as Rush
Review: I was really excited about this book becuase I enjoyed "Rush
Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot" back in 1996. I wouldn't have known
that Franken wrote a second book if it weren't for a snipit on
All News Radio about a certain network suing Franken for copyright infringement, or something like that.The book title pretty much says it all and Franken has ample proof that the Right Wingers embelish half truths or flat out lie
about it. The chapter on Ann Coulter is hilarious. I don't know
a whole lot about her and Franken doesn't really focus on her bio
just her penchant for abusing footies. She reminds one of Jar Jar
Binks from Stars Wars. Maybe the physical resemblance, the long stiff neck, the doe waxen eyes, the big ears, but maybe because
both are such annoying characters.
The saddest and most disturbing part is Franken's accont of the
events following the Paul Wellstone memorial and how a distraught
best friend's momentary ranting was enough ammo for the Right
Wingers to trash the presence of 20,000 people who showed up to mourn a painful loss. It's like sharks needing just a drop of
blood to get them excited and ready for the kill. I think this is
pretty much what happened here.
I glossed over the Chichenhawk Vietnam Parody. I didn't find it
funny the second time. I wish instead that Franken devoted these
pages to people like Micheal Savage, Laura Ingram and the like.
You can't turn the AM dial on without running into 'em. Overall
I thought the book had a lot of chuckles and ensights into the mess we are in today. It's worth your time and money.
Rating:
Summary: Back Stabbed!
Review: I was really excited when this book came out. I read the reviews and went out and bought the book. I read the entire book in several days and set out to set the conservatives straight. I found myself that in every arguement I brought up that all Franken had done was leave out one or two small but critical details which left me high and dry every time. In the end I feel the Franken played me for a fool and now I look sillier then ever. This book is like an emotional drug. You will feel super good while reading it, but when you go to apply it, you find out that you have been the victim of an incredible hoax and will just fall flat on your face. We would have been better off if Fox would have won that lawsuit.
Rating:
Summary: Thank God for Al Franken
Review: I was starting to believe that no one would stand up to the right wing liars and call them on their deceit. I'm not gifted at writing reviews but I encourage everyone, left and right, to read this book and get some sense of how we're being manipulated. Thanks Al!
Rating:
Summary: better than I expected
Review: I was thoroughly impressed with the book. I expected it to be less thoughtful, cynical and more of an opinionated book, but I picked it up because I've always had a tough time swallowing a lot of garbage I've heard on talk radio nationally and locally and was looking for some more careful analysis. I've never been able to sit through one of the television shows that he discusses, but had seen enough to appreciate Mr. Franken's observations and research. Overall, I found it fairly well written and encouraging of healthy skepticism over cynicism. The book is funny and from someone who reads mostly science and history books it felt like a very easy read, a relative page-turner for me. He jumps right in with very little introduction, which is greatly appreciated. The satire and swearing is not overwhelming and was to me acceptable if not entirely appropriate or necessary. Mr. Franken is open about his own frailties and moments of uncertainty, which was also appreciated. He isn't afraid to admit that he was impressed by President Bush and found himself in support of the President or at least moved by him on several occassions. I think he articulates the attitudes and feelings of many liberals who have been trying to show their love for America and maintian their respect for the presidency, but have been perhaps a bit brainwashed that their opposition to current policies are unamerican and that maybe the tax cuts will help and deficits aren't that big a deal, etc... but feel in their gut that something isn't right. Mr. Franken's writing helped me feel more comfortable that my fears are justified, rational and normal and not coming from some radical left-wing genetic mutation that I've been suppressing. The only parts I didn't care for was the Catherine Harris drama which I thought was a bit too much and the Bob Jones visit which was interesting but not very enlightening. I think most people would know what to expect from that type of place. He was a bit selective in not addressing Clinton's ethical and moral failings, including only his strengths while railing on the ethical weaknesses of various personalities, but that was his point. His strength is in being up to the task of calling a jerk a jerk and explaining why.
Rating:
Summary: Read it and judge for yourself!
Review: I wasn't going to write a review until I saw the reviews from David Adkins and "A reader from Knightdale, NC"--both of whom seem to be able to ascribe only one star to a book that they have never read. (Tell us, David, can you also tell us who will win the next superbowl without seeing it?) I know that the polemics of political pundits are often disconcerting to the general public (get out your dictionary, Dave) but to blast a text before reading it is beyond the pale. That aside, the value I see in this book is in what Franken does for us with his wit and his questioning of the current political scene. I actually was turned on to the book by one of my students, a college freshmen. In a age group that rarely explores political thought and that often takes for granted the pablum fed to us by the news media, this young man found that Franken's book pushed him to look a bit closer at and to evaluate more carefully what those in power say to the masses. Critical thinking! A good thing in my book! Should you take Franken's text at face value? No! But then we should never take politics at face value--the informed voter (try this, David) ought to read all sides, all he can on all these issues BEFORE passing judgements. Question everything. That IS what Franken's real message is! Or you could simply enjoy this book as a witty use of satire and sarcasm by a talented comic. (Did you forget, David, that Franken is a humorist?) One of the things that makes America great is the ability we have (or once had, Dave) to laugh at ourselves, to poke fun at our Presidents and at authority in general. Al Franken does that just fine!
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