This week, Publisher’s Weekly named Jon Stewart’s book, America, as the book of the year. It’s a bit ironic that a parody of a textbook, complete with fake book jacket blurbs, that is the biggest book of the year.
From Reuters news service: “The magazine said, in its issue to be published on Monday, that, “in a year defined by political polemics, it seems fitting that PW’s Book of the Year be one in which the authors survey the entire political system and laugh.”
“The book is written by Stewart, the host of the “The Daily Show” on comedy Central with colleagues Ben Karlin and David Javerbaum. It is currently number one on the New York Times best-seller list.
“Publishers Weekly said, “‘America (The Book)’ offers more than just humor, however. Beneath the eye-catching and at times goofy graphics, the dirty jokes and the playful ingenuousness shines a serious critique of the two-party system, the corporations that finance it and the ‘spineless cowards in the press’ who ‘aggressively print allegation and rumor independent of accuracy or fairness.”‘
“The book is filled with satirical jabs, including tips for TV news reporters including mastering the “reporter reaction shot cutaway. You’ve got half a second tops to overshadow your subject. Make it count.
“In its annual review of the year, Publishers Weekly listed notable books in other categories ranging from sex to politics to religion but did not give them in order of preference.”
I am a huge fan of Jon Stewart and his television show. Yet, is America: A Citizen’s Guide to Government Inaction the “book of the year”?
