BOOK REVIEW

"America (The Book)
A Citizens Guide to Democracy Inaction"
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Entertainment
Art

By MATTHEW SIEFERT

What a relief it is to have Comedy Central’s "The Daily Show" writers penning a book about American politics at a time when most citizens tend to become increasingly antsy and downright cruel about their feelings associated with their own political stance.

Much like "The Daily Show" itself, the charm of the best seller "America (The Book)" lies in the fact that the writers know their specific place in politics, which - simply enough - is to be comedic. That, in itself, is one of the many reasons why this book is so refreshing. It is in that spirit that you will see no attempts to assuage readers into any particular brand of ideology, which not only is respectful to the readers but also makes a great set-up for brilliant political satire.

That is not to say that Jon Stewart and company aren't sincere in their own beliefs either. Look no further than Stewart's recent appearance on CNN’s "Crossfire" to know that the guy is serious about politics.

"America," however, is hardly serious about politics at all, which is why it succeeds in its main objective to simply be funny.

Sure subtle jabs are made, most exclusively to mainstream media as a whole, but the book strays away from the more controversial aspects of politics to focus on the theater of it all.

"America" reads like a high school American History textbook that is intentionally filled with blatant half-truths (as opposed to hidden half-truths found in many real American History textbooks). Like all high school textbooks, America is complete with bold type vocabulary words, discussion questions, and classroom activities at the end of every chapter. There’s even a "This Book is Property of" stamp on the inside cover to write your name and the condition of the book.

As if that weren't enough, you'll also see "naked pictures" of all the Supreme Court justices (a move risqué enough that it got the book banned from WalMart shelves), a full color pull-out poster, a petition to Sean Penn, and a forward by none other than Thomas Jefferson.

Also featured is a 2004 Election guide for this year's prize fight, "Skull vs. Bones" (Kerry vs. Bush) where each candidate is thoroughly examined and thoroughly ridiculed.

With various commentaries from "The Daily Show" favorites Samantha Bee, Stephen Colbert, Rob Corddry, and Ed Helms, the book takes their own brand of "fake news" to whole new heights of re-writing history, while somehow maintaining some semblance of journalistic integrity along the way. And if you're willing to do your homework, it's well worth your time.