"I am no fan of books. And chances are, if you're reading this, you and I share a healthy skepticism about the printed word. Well, I want you to know that this is the first book I've ever written, and I hope it's the first book you've ever read. Don't make a habit of it."
And so begins, "I Am America (And So Can You)," by Stephen Colbert, of the Comedy Channel's "Colbert Report." If you are unfamiliar with Mr. Colbert's show, or if you have a difficult time processing extreme irony, then this book will be of little value to you.
On the other hand, If you are familiar - perhaps too familiar - with Mr. Colbert's week-nightly performance as a hyper-surreal Bill O'Reilly/Sean Hannity-type conservative pundit, then you will want to check out his book. Colbert uses the medium effectively, and there are bits of humor that could only work in print: graphs, charts, stickers, coupons, illustrations, photos, and marginal asides abound. In Colbert's brand of meta-humor, the very concept of the "Book" becomes a target of satire, and I will give major Kudos for the creativity involved.
But I will also point out one caveat: the persona that Stephen Colbert has developed for his "act" is ESSENTIAL for an accurate reading of this book. I do not think that this book will work for most readers who cannot see and hear Mr. Colbert performing this book in their minds as they read. In that sense, it is only for the true fan.
I have not yet heard the audio CD version, but I will go out on a limb and speculate that perhaps that may be the best way to enjoy this material. Or - you could make Stephen really happy, get the audio version, and use it to follow along with the print copy that you've also purchased.
According to the credits, the audio version is read partly by Stephen Colbert, but also contains segments which are read by the other writers involved. You could look at it as a down-side that Colbert doesn't read it all himself, until you look at the other people involved: Paul Dinello, Kevin Dorff, Greg Hollimon, Evie McGee, David Pasquesi, Amy Sedaris, Allison Silverman, Bryan Stack, and Jon Stewart. With this line-up of comedic talent, the audio book does indeed have entertainment potential.
In short, if you love the whole Colbert thing, then you should check out "I Am America." But, if you're willing to go that far with your credit card, then you might just want to go for the audio version.
In any case, I'll leave you with one final testimony:
"A great read! I laughed, I cried, I lost 15 pounds! I cannot recommend this book highly enough!" -- Stephen Colbert --
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