Rating: 
Summary: Franken vs. Coulter
Review: On December 20, 2003, a reader from New York, NY, in a review titled "I saw what happened", said that it is unfair to claim that Franken is outselling Coulter, since Franken's book came out on 29 August 2003, a couple of months after coulter's did (June 24, 2003). As of that date, the amazon.com sales ranks were:
Franken: 3
Coulter: 196So I waited till after a couple of months after to check the sales ranks on amazon (Feb. 23, 2004):
Franken: 14
Coulter: 1370 For a fair comparison, we can check how the two books did roughly 6 months after they were respectively released:
Franken (6 months after release, as of Feb. 23, 2004): 14
Coulter (6 months after release, as of Dec. 20, 2003): 196 So there it is: FRANKEN OUTSELLS COULTER! Buy this book, it will give you a new perspective on how conservatives think!
Rating:
Summary: The Truth Hurts, And It's Funny
Review: On one hand, yes, I was glad that a book by a fellow liberal was coming out to fight the onslaught of misinformation by the right. Doubly so because its coming from Al Franken, since humor is often the best tool to communicate to the masses. I was even happier when the idiots at Fox sued Franken, because there's nothing better than free publicity from your enemy. What I wasn't expecting was such a powerful book. I expected the sort of polemic that warms the hearts of the faithful but brings more passion than logic to the table. Thankfully, I was wrong. Al Franken literally did his homework in this tome, and I think he owes a good deal of thanks to "TeamFranken", the Harvard kids who helped him research it. Yes, research. Lies And The Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair & Balanced Look At The Right uses fact and humor in a perfect mesh to systematically deconstruct the falsehoods holding up the Bush team. It helps that Al comes from what I call the Begala-Carville school of political strategy, in which the tepid response of a token like Alan Colmes is as open for derision as the most ludicrous right-winger. Al realizes that these battles are fought in the media, where conservatives use their network to shuffle concepts into the mainstream - it starts in the thinktanks, moves to talk radio and out onto cable news where it gains respectability among the masses - no matter how stupid it may be. And a lot of it is stupid. It's safe to say that this is the only book around that uses charts to show exactly how dishonest folks like Sean Hannity are. Not to mention Ann Coulter and her cavalcade of idiocy. One of the most important chapters is Franken's exhortation that no matter how much we may want to pass of this administration's fulminations as the work of lackeys, George Bush is the man behind it all. Karl Rove, Donald Rumsfeld, Richard Perle, and the rest all answer to one man - and it is he that must shoulder the blame. The last few months have seen some excellent work from the left come out on the printed page, but I have to say Lies And The Lying Liars (along with Joe Conason's Big Lies) are the ammo of choice in the upcoming domestic war. Read them, now.
Rating: 
Summary: Right-wing lies are very very funny
Review: On page 24, Al Franken writes "Liberals love America like grown-ups. Grown-up love means actually understanding what you love, taking the good with the bad." This statement sums up Al Franken's point of view, and his method of expressing it --- it's a simplistic way of describing the difference between liberals and conservatives, but then it has to be. After all, Al Franken is a comedian. To make you laugh, he has to simplify things, keep them quick and entertaining, and poke fun at the right wing's worst moments. He starts off with Ann Coulter's well-documented lies from her books and editorials. He moves on to Rill O'Reilly, showing that O'Reilly lied about his awards and where he grew up. His chapter on Sean Hannity includes the infamous chart that covers up Reagan's tax-and-spend policies. The chapter on the Paul Wellstone Memorial is the least funny, but the most important. Al Franken is really upset about how conservatives twisted the heartfelt sentiments expressed at the memorial. Halfway through the book, he shifts gears. He returns to his "Chickenhawk" tale from his Rush Limbaugh book, adding new characters. He writes about infiltrating Bob Jones University and attending the White House Correspondents Dinner. He adds in a one-act play and even a comic book about Jesus. The examination of lies slows down in the second half, but the shift to personal stories keeps your interest. If you want a careful analysis of the lies on the right, there are plenty of other books you can read after this one (like Joe Conanson's new book). If you start here, you won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Al Franken nails the right
Review: On page 24, Al Franken writes "Liberals love America like grown-ups. Grown-up love means actually understanding what you love, taking the good with the bad." This statement sums up Al Franken's point of view, and his method of expressing it --- it's a simplistic way of describing the difference between liberals and conservatives, but then it has to be. After all, Al Franken is a comedian. To make you laugh, he has to simplify things, keep them quick and entertaining, and poke fun at the right wing's worst moments. He starts off with Ann Coulter's well-documented lies from her books and editorials. He moves on to Rill O'Reilly, showing that O'Reilly lied about his awards and where he grew up. His chapter on Sean Hannity includes the infamous chart that covers up Reagan's tax-and-spend policies. The chapter on the Paul Wellstone Memorial is the least funny, but the most important. Al Franken is really upset about how conservatives twisted the heartfelt sentiments expressed at the memorial. Halfway through the book, he shifts gears. He returns to his "Chickenhawk" tale from his Rush Limbaugh book, adding new characters. He writes about infiltrating Bob Jones University and attending the White House Correspondents Dinner. He adds in a one-act play and even a comic book about Jesus. The examination of lies slows down in the second half, but the shift to personal stories keeps your interest. If you want a careful analysis of the lies on the right, there are plenty of other books you can read after this one (like Joe Conanson's new book). If you start here, you won't regret it.
Rating: 
Summary: Lying on the Square
Review: On several occasions Franken refers to his "fabulously successful" endeavors. This is an example of an absolutely necessary lie. Or is he kidding on the square? My guess is that he is lying on the square. Franken justifies his wordiness by noting he is paid by the word. Much of the content he attempts to excuse by giving credit to TeamFranken, a hand picked group of professional students. Franken very poorly distiguishes himself from his targets and in the process turns his own family members into liars. He owes his son an apology, an exaggerated EXCUUUUUUUSE ME will not suffice. This is an average book by an average guy. Some of it is very good, some of it is very funny, some of it is very contrived, some of it is very ugly. It is unfortunate that Franken sacrifices quality for quantity.
Rating: 
Summary: This book is pure trash!!!
Review: On so many levels. It is poorly written. The type is large and pages thick, it took only a few hours to read the entire book. Although Al Franken is a good commedian his written words just do not have the same humor. As a matter of fact I found the book boring. Content, well I will say this. At best he repeats some of the lies the more radical liberals keep propagating. Some of the subjects have a hint of truth, but are obscured with propaganda. I would not waste my money on this book. If you are interested in reading it you can flip through the pages in a book store quickly enough. Buy one of the Bill Maher books instead. Most of the same content, better written, and less propaganda.
Rating:
Summary: A great book that makes conservatives cry like babies
Review: Once again Al Franken proves he has a true gift for exposing the guilt of cowardly, hypocite Republicans. This book is more then just satire it is the honest truth about how conservative liars and losers like Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Tucker Carlson, and Tom Delay, have betrayed the spirit of America. Franken rightly points out that these people are in actuality Anti-Americans, who believe in facisim, and imperialisim. Particularly good is his take on the patheticly ignorant Ann Coulter, who he thoroughly exposes for her utter stupidity and hypocracy. Conservatives will hate this book for telling the sad truth about thier party, and thier beliefs. Liberals will love it for finally showing Republicans who thier betters are.
Rating:
Summary: What a waste of time
Review: Once again I have TRIED to understand the hatred the Frankens of this world have towards the republicans and even our own nation. Once again I was disappointed in the emotional attacks from the left. Al Franken was worthless on Saturday night life in the 70's and the 80's...he is even more worthless after reading this "book." He offers NOTHING in the way of solutions in any problems this nation faces, yet he is the first to jump on the anti-US bandwagon. He is trying to find another career and he may have found one being a "mouthpiece" of the vast LEFT wing media. I watched him on TV giving an anti-bush speech and all he said was 4-letter words and vemon. What a non-talented blowhard. If you want NON-factual, emotion-filled drivel...this is your book.
Rating:
Summary: Fair and Balanced...
Review: Once again, Mr. Franken proves that he is the MASTER of parody and humor. This book, with its "skewering of right-wing-skewing personalities" is Franken's best work since "Why Not Me?" As an author ("The Couple's Disease: Finding a Cure for Your 'Lost' Love Life", also available on Amazon!), I especially appreciate Franken's dry wit and wonderful ability to make his arguments clearly, concisely and extremely enjoyable to read. While most people either love him or can't stand him, his writing is always entertaining and often hilarious, and certainly makes you think about the world we live in and the personalities we listen to! Whether you're on the right or the left (...mainly those of you on the left), this extremely humorous PARODY will open up your eyes and hopefully, your minds to the various sides of the issues...I'm sure that in a million years, Franken never (?) anticipated the huge controversy surrounding the book's title "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right". But Franken (and his Publisher) are probably thanking their lucky stars for the huge amounts of free publicity afforded them by Fox News and Bill O'Reilly. However, I think that WE, the audience, are the biggest winners, since many more millions of people who may never have heard of Franken's comic genius before are now certainly aware of this book and hopefully will order it for themselves. Interestingly, some of Franken's funniest lines came after the book was already written, when an injunction was sought to stop the publication of the book on the basis of "copyright infringement" for the use of the words 'fair and balanced' in the title. After the judge ruled in Franken's favor, he stated that "In addition to thanking my own lawyers, I'd like to thank Fox's lawyers for filing one of the stupidest briefs I've ever seen in my life." ...classic Al! As for his critics, all I can say is LIGHTEN UP!...and, in the words of another great American writer and thinker, Mr. Bill O'Reilly, we can just "let the viewers (readers) decide for themselves".
Rating:
Summary: Leftists can't tell the truth
Review: Once again, we have a hit piece in which a leftist extremist looks in the mirror, describes what he sees, and tries to pass off the description as being an exposé on the right. Ho-hum. When leftists stop resorting to lying about the right, and instead discuss the merits of issues in an intellectual manner...never mind, it's not going to happen. The left is genetically incapable of uttering the truth. If you're a leftist, and you think that imaginative and clever insults about the right equates to rational discussion about the issues facing our society, then this book's for you. Otherwise, you're better off avoiding it.
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