Rating: 
Summary: Smart, Funny, Overdue
Review: Al Franken delivers a much needed book that is dedicated to exposing the lies propogated by the extreme right wing. He leaves no stone unturned, from the myth that the mainstream media is liberal, and the recently popular right wing media - given to us via Rupert Murdoch, a multi billionaire who owns over 130 newspapers in the country, Fox Broadcasting, and satellite TV rights the world over.He then exposes several popular conservative writers and TV personalities and exposes them for the habitual liars and political propogandists that they are. He provides several specific examples, including Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Rush Limbaugh among others. The book was obviously very well researched, and is very thorough in showing the reader each example and how it has been twisted. Franken does not stop his work there, however. He continues by citing statistical data provided by several different sources, and how conservatives, specifically the Republican Party, use this data to twist the truth to whatever sounds good to them. A review of the Bush Administration, and how it has affected America is offered, and the reader can see, case by case, exactly what has been done, and who has lied about it. Franken also makes a point that he accepts challenges from conservative thinkers. Even Bill O'Reilly, whom he mocks as Bill O'Lie-lly, has been the victim of Franken's superior debating skills. After proving Bill wrong on the O'Reilly Factor, which is documented in the book, Bill had a bone to pick with Franken. Then, as the book was nearing publication, the authors, Molly Ivins, Bill O'Reilly, and Franken were invited to be filmed by C-Span to discuss their upcoming books. Franken took advantage of the situation, and called Bill on several points, documented in the book, of where he has caught Bill intentionally lying. It ended up as quite a scene, with Bill yelling at Franken to shut up. Bill kept cutting him off later into the program, and the moderator had to stop the discourse. It showed exactly how vulnerable O'Reilly was outside of his show, where he cannot moderate, cut off, or bully his guests at will. In the endnotes, Franken provides a link to the entire show, where anyone can see it. Peronally, this book meant a lot to me. I consider myself a moderate, and I am registered Republican. However... I have become passionately disenchanted with the hard-core conservatives. People like Sean Hannity, and his book "Let Freedom Ring," and Ann Coulter, "Treason, etc." have done nothing but spew filth. Reading their books, I discovered just how rabid each can be. I also read some very ridiculous "facts" in their books. I won't go into details, as this is getting lengthy, and Franken does an excellent job of covering this in his book. My only wish about this book was that he went into even more examples of how popular conservative entities have deliberately lied and misled Americans. As it stands, what he does unearth about them is damning from a moral and ethical standpoint.
Rating: 
Summary: Thorough hilarious account of Fox, Coulter, O Lielly, & W.
Review: Al Franken delivers. As a liberal leaning teen, I expected this book to be good. It wasn't good, rather great. Al exposes the lies of the right wing part of the media. He also talks about how Dubya isn't that great by using facts, comedy, and great writing. We learn about Ann Coulter's God awful footnotes. We learn Bush isn't the Christian he really is. And we learn Jesus was a liberal! (who knew!) Also, Al combines comic relief with a prank on Bob Jones University. All in all, this book provides a light context on a not so light subject. A must read for ALL!
Rating:
Summary: Best book of 2003. Franken is a genius.
Review: Al Franken deserves the Medal of Freedom for this book! He's good enough, he's smart enough, and doggone it, he's a great American patriot. And a funny guy, too. While too many lazy pundits and journalists are content to spend their careers rewriting press releases or simply making things up, Franken spent a lot of time and effort investigating, analyzing and finally debunking the ocean of lies, half-truths and distortions that get hosed in our faces every day by the illegitimate Bush Administration and the right-wing-dominated news media that act as its mouthpiece. He also gives us some good laughs as he does it. When I watch talking heads vomit their viciousness on TV, rehashing worn-out lies even after being caught, I wonder: why doesn't anyone call them on it? When I see White House Occupant Bush telling us how great it will be for the bottom 90% of Americans to empty their pockets into the hands of the richest 10%, I wonder: why won't any well-known person counter him? When I witness giant corporations pour almost as much money into the pockets of EPA employees as they pour toxins into our air, water and land, I wonder: what air-breathing, water-drinking, ground-stomping person can expose their misdeeds with the spotlight of publicity, in such a way that people will actually listen? Now I have my answer: live from New York, it's Al Franken! If you're liberal, read this book; it will give you good talking points for your next discussion with someone who isn't. If you're moderate or undecided, read this book; it will swing you in the correct -- not right -- direction. If you're conservative, read this book; if it doesn't make you forsake the dark side, it will at least put you on notice that people are starting to pay attention. So comb your hair and sit up straight. Finally, if you really want to get your blood boiling, also read "The Best Democracy Money can Buy," by Greg Palast. He has exposed exactly how Bush & Co. stole the White House and continue to plunder America. Palast's articles have made the front pages of national newspapers...in Britain, where the press corps isn't cowed by the government.
Rating:
Summary: My Eyes are Open
Review: Al Franken did a fablous job on this book. Al went after
every big name Republican with the facts. After this book
many would have to admitt that the Republicans use alot
of [information] and lies to get their point across. The
Franken team did a sensational job at exposing their lies.
I'm sure that Hannity, Coulter, and O'Reilly will just not
respond to the thrashing that Franken gave them in this book.
I especially enjoyed Hanitty's made up graph. It is easy to prove
your point when just make stuff up. Team Franken has named the
Lying liars for all the world to see. It was a great read. I
finished it in two days.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely witty and hard-punching
Review: Al Franken dispels the lies spawned upon us by the neoconservative movement in America. He refutes claims made by right wing extremists in such a fashion that would have Bill O'Reilly screaming "SHUT UP!" a lot more than he did at the book conference. A must-buy for those who get ill simply thinking about Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly.
Rating:
Summary: It's About Time
Review: Al Franken dissects the lies of the conservative "literati" in ways that left me shaking my head wondering who the heck are these people? With an attention to detail and documentation that clearly shows the delusional world in which Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and other "fair and balanced" right-wingers live, Franken has also used his trenchant wit to make this a fast, incredibly funny read that will make you want to give all the spineless Democrats out there a swift kick in the butt for putting up with this drivel. Isn't about time for liberals to start fighting back? Go Al!
Rating:
Summary: Amusing and insightful book
Review: Al Franken does a good job exposing "so called facts" that the right-wing puts out and backs up his positions with verifiable evidence. Some real eye-openers are the chapters on the alleged left-wing bias to the 2000 election and Operation Ignore.
Some of the chapters are hilarous as well as informative. A few of the later chapters kind of drag a bit (like "Pig Feces" and "No Child Left Behind") although the slower chapters do make decent points.
This review is based upon the audio CDs. Listening to Al read the book was an added bonus. He does some funny imitations and some parts actually play back the audio from the original source (like from Rush's radio show and Al's Clearchannel appearance).
I don't agree with Al on everything in the book but it was refreshing to hear the "other side" that you rarely hear while watching TV or listening to the radio these days.
Rating:
Summary: Fun read & Pretty Informative to boot ... but...
Review: Al Franken does a good job of dissecting deliberate misquotations & twisted statistics from various conservative personalities & media sources. And he keeps it all going in a very engaging read. I consider myself a liberal - but I frankly would have liked to see him to stick to the facts w/o the couple of fiction stories he includes in the book. Note that he DOES call them out as fiction & says it clearly (not in the footnotes). As per the facts, there definitely are a TON of them. Very informative read - I will definitely be watching the news & other media more closely for liberal or conservative slants. I would definitely like to see more books in this vein (w/o giving in to occassional flights of fiction) that do a thorough & entertaining job (tough combo!) of taking apart conservative media sources & commentators that are either clearly just lying or are talking w/ absolutely NO EVIDENCE to back up their case.
Rating:
Summary: This book is not a lie!
Review: Al Franken does a great job debunking two of the biggest liars of the conservative slant--Coulter and O'Reilly. Two of the biggest character assassins who scream 'murder' when their own inconsistencies are pointed out. The only chapter I didn't really find ironically funny was the truely fictional chapter where he puts several right-wing characters in Viet Nam. The book would have been better without it.
Still, rates 4 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Funny, well researched, and informative
Review: Al Franken does a marvelous job exposing the lies told by the right-wing media and the Bush administration, as well as deconstructing the myth of the liberal media. More importantly, unlike his right-wing counterparts (Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity) Franken backs each of his statements up with REAL evidence. And it's hilarious, which is nice because while you're reading just how badly this country's been fooled, at the very least you're laughing. This is probably the first book I've read cover to cover--even the acknowledgements are funny.
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