I remember the first time I ever saw Craig Ferguson on the Drew Carey Show, and thought his character, Nigel Wick, was a riot. Later, I became a fan of his Late Late Show, although I have to admit that I don't catch it every night, I have to be at work the next morning, you know.
Anyway, I was perusing the library shelves for a new audio book, no it is not cheating I look at it as being practical as it allows me to be reading a couple of books, and listening to another at the same time. Anyway, I came across his book American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot, and thought it was worth a shot. As a bonus, it was read by the author, and I am truly entranced by the Scottish accent, be it spoken by a man or a woman. Weird? Maybe, but also true. One of the coolest trips I ever made was to Scotland where I fell in love with the place, someday it would be nice to go back.
I digress.
American on Purpose is the autobiography of Mr. Ferguson and his life (obviously) through the year 2008. Let me tell you, I have a whole new amount of respect for what Mr. Ferguson has gone through with his life, which includes lots of drugs, partying, sex, and of course alcohol. It should be noted that he has been stone-cold sober since Feb 18, 1992 and should be commended for it. I never realized what torture it was to be an alcoholic, and Mr. Ferguson describes it in great detail.
He is very humble about his beginnings and, I believe, truly amazed that he has made it to where he is now and you can tell throughout the entire tone of the book. Be forewarned there is a bit of swearing throughout, but I still found it to be a very honest and funny book and highly recommend reading it. Better yet, listen to it, Mr. Ferguson's narration is exceptional and you can feel the emotion as he reads parts where he talks about his failed marriages, his rehab, and his family. He has lived a very blessed life, and would be likely to tell you the same.
Even if autobiography's aren't your cup of tea, I am sure that you will find the tale to be a good listen/read. So go out and get it today, you won't be disappointed, better yet use the link attached and get it from Amazon and it'll be at your doorstep in a couple of days.
Five out of five stars.
Roger, I found the book to be just as you described it! Witty sometimes. Gritty sometimes. Sad at others. But always riveting. He really does know how to tell a story! And his life is vastly interesting.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had thought to listen to it instead of read it on my nook. That? sounds delightful.
I'll bet my hubby would like that.
ReplyDelete