Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyed this book a great deal
Review: I found Al Franken's book 'Lies and the Lying Liars who
tell them' of great interest. The wide range of subject
matter provided was most informative. However, I believe
that Mr. Franken takes Ann Coulter too seriously. People
should understand that Ann Coulter is first and foremost
an entertainer and her books are indeed entertaining. No
serious student of history or modern politics could consider
Ms. Courter anything more than the conservative pundit she
is.It becomes obvious when reading her books that her strong
points do not include rational analysis of historical events
or history in general. Vitriol and sarcasm are at the
forefront of her critical works. Why Ms. Coulter is so
enamored with Joe McCarthy is anyone's guess, however, I
believe that this infatuation is just further proof of her
inability to grasp difficult historical lessons. It is clear that Coulter is just too young to understand
the reality of the era of 'Tail-gunner Joe' and the truly
awful results of his misdeeds. I may be naive, but I
believe that our educated and mature citizens will recognize
her sophomoric prattle for what it is and not elevate her
standing further. Franken's book is a must for anyone interested in the game
of todays destructive discouse on politics. He has done
a service to all of us that have endured the 'fair and
balanced' approach from the right for the last ten years. Keep up the good work Mr. Franken
Rating: 
Summary: Very amusing book that both left/right should read
Review: I found Franken's "Lies" book to be a very amusing, intelligent and easy read. It sheds a lot of light on the games and deceptions that some politicians and a lot of the media engage in. He does a great job of researching the facts in his book and showing how people like O'Reilly, Hannity and Coulter distort facts for their own objectives and have no real journalistic integrity. I think both so-called liberals and and those in the center will enjoy this book, but those on the "right-wing" will naturally avoid it. I think Franken is a bit too glowing in some of his comments regarding the Clinton administration, but all in all, most of his comments ring very true once he lays out his research into topics such as politics, 9/11, and economics. (fyi, for the sake of disclosure, i voted for GWB in 2000, but won't be doing same in 2004)
Rating:
Summary: Not a political commentator
Review: I found the book childish and wouldn't recommend a writer that makes his points with ad hominem attacks and not facts.
Rating: 
Summary: Both hysterical and sad
Review: I found the book to be a very funny account and could have laughed harder if not for the sad state of affairs it reveals about our nation. Thanks to the author for setting the record straight and for caring about the truth. Americans are, unfortunately, being duped by many of today's political authors, but Franken is not one of them. And not only is he not one of them, he is also excellent at revealing how the others get away with it - to which I must say, "Shame on you Ann Coulter!" He gets his point across with a delightful presentation of the facts and humor - what a novel idea!
Rating:
Summary: Drop the name-calling--we are all Americans!
Review: I found the book to be funny and ironic and sad. I am not a fan of Franken on SNL. I guess I'm too old for SNL retreads to amuse me--I remember better days. But there is some substance in Franken's books. By the way, the use of "left" and "right" in association with political parties comes from the location of seats in some European legislative buildings. And the words liberal and conservative don't connote anything terrible. Both approaches have validity and benefit. Protect and maintain the good things, for example our Constitution which assures our rights and protects our liberty. Discard what is destructive, such as slavery and withholding the right to vote. Franken and many other observers of those currently in power, have persuasive evidence of wrong doing. Some "right" or conservatives officials in our government, have clearly gone to extremes to defend those who pose as conservatives in order to cover radical, illicit, and illegal activities. Congress, in giving away our constitutional rights, has been neither conservative nor liberal, but has been astoundingly STUPID. The President, and those close to him, told Congress a story about WHAT they should fear and WHO they are to blame for it, without geniune evidence it appears, in order to coerce Congress into giving away the rights of the People. That is unconstitutional. There are way too many criminals, convicted and otherwise, running around the White House. Franken is irreverant, sarcastic, and rude when stating his case. That does not make him wrong... or right. (I made a joke!) Why haven't more Americans (and I include the members of the so-called news media--they are not exempt from the demands of citizenship) asked WHAT Bush and his cronies will get out of it, and WHO will get screwed because it? Dammit, I want my Constitutional rights back! Wake up people. Our problem is not some alien bogeyman. Our President has lied to us and stolen our rights as free citizens of the United States of America. He dishonors his office and his country. It is our duty to go to the polls this fall and replace the radical lawless liars along with the members of Congress who sold us out. Ours is a country of the people, by the people, and for the people, and it is up to us to maintain that trust as long as we live. Be a real patriot. Vote.
Rating:
Summary: lots of facts and very funny, though of course biased
Review: I found the book to be well-researched and very informative. Putting a humorous spin on things makes it enjoyable to read, as well. I thrilled at reading so many instances of catching people outright lying to the public, and on that merit I rate the book very highly. (I think people on the 'left' often lie as well, mind you, but that's obviously not going to be the focus of this book - it's unfortunate everyone feels the need to choose one of two sides these days and come out swinging.) However, I feel that sometimes his personal feelings on issues cloud his presentation of 'facts'. For example, I understand he was affected deeply by the death of a friend, and the attacks by the 'right' surrounding the memorial service were over-the-top and generally unfounded, but I think that most people would agree it degenerated into a tasteless display at times which Mr. Franken seemed to imply was merely somewhat inappropriate. I find it easy to believe that someone could have no problem with prostitution but be offended by disrespect for the dead, something Mr. Franken seems to disagree with me on in his take on Jesse Ventura's reaction. This is a book about uncovering lies, though, and lies he finds in abundance. I strongly recommend this book, but suggest balancing what you get from it by doing some of your own research - watch/read some of the shows/books he bashes and decide for yourself. While I find some folks like Coulter beyond redemption, I think O'Reilly's show can be interesting at times. On a side note, I've noticed a tendancy of some reviewers to disagree with one point made in the book (for example, a former soldier's take on the "Clinton military" section) and then rate it one star. He made his case, but then discredited it by giving the book the lowest possible rating when it seemed to be the only issue he had with it. My point? Apparently the "bash mentality" embraced by this and similar books on the 'right' catches on... let's hope most people leave it in the realm of humour.
Rating:
Summary: Read the book and the reviews - then decide
Review: I found the book very entertaining and well written / researched, though perhaps a bit puerile in some of the humor. It made me fear for the course on which our country seems to be headed. Even more frightening, is the tone / vitriol of most of the negative reviews I've read. It only reinforces the message of the book. Perhaps the most frightening review is the one from the reader in Texas who doesn't care that his "messengers": Coulter, O'Reilly, et al, are lying, as long as the "core message" gets through. HELLO!?! What does it say about the "core message" if it relies on lies!?! "By their fruits shall you know them" seems to say it all!
Rating:
Summary: Critics should try actually reading this book
Review: I found this book both informative and entertaining. However, even more telling are the 1 star reviews people give the book. Many of them showed absolutely no signs of having read the book itself. One even directs you to a website with a "liberal bias" that, surprise, refutes points in a liberal book. Boy, that must mean even the liberals dont trust Mr. Franken. What that reviewer fails to point out is that the website itself doesnt refute the book, but a conservative, who was invited by the website, did. And his points, we re-refuted.
The person who made this review is a perfect example of the type of thing Mr Franken talks about in his book. He shows specific examples of the right wing miss-representing the truth. He exposes a great number of lies, with factual information (a number of reviews simply say he uses no facts, which is another lie. Again, an example of the very thing Franken points out) So why 4 stars instead of 5? I think that Franken does get just a little bit to venemous at times, which I disagree with. A story about how major figures in the right wing might have acted in the vietnam war was just silly (The Supply-Side Jesus, and the One Act Play, however, had some value). IF you are going to review this book in a negative light, please try to do so without doing the exact things Franken points out in the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Better have a strong stomach to take this book...
Review: I found this book to be a little too droning for my taste. I liked Al's book on Rush Limbaugh. And the first few chapters of this book concerning Fox News and Bill O'Reilly are enjoyable, but the later 2/3 of the book are just hard to read. Al's shrill anti-conservative rant comes across as anything but fair and balanced. Liberal inaccuracies and falsehoods are downplayed as everyone is human and can make mistakes, and who could remember those arcane statistics anyway. While any minor mis-quote or inaccuracy on the part of a conservative is labelled as a LIE and a calculated campaign to discredit the left and deceive the American public. I find it very hard to believe that every Democrat and every liberal is pure and altruistic while every Republican and conservative are an evil horde bent on the total destruction of mankind. Give me a break. There are very few books that I put down and never finish. This was one of them.
Rating:
Summary: Eye opening for moderate republicans???
Review: I found this book to be very informative. It filled in several gaps that I could not understand before. Not sure I can call myself anything else but a "moderate republican". I think this book is going to piss off several far right people. Surprise?? I recommend this book for those not in the extreme wing. Just dig into it without any judgement. Al...you can't change my stand but you did open my eyes on several issues. Your points are well-taken.
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