America: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction

Book: America: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction
Developer: Jon Stewart
Publisher: Warner Books
Platform: Hardcover
Genre: Political/Canadian Satire

I'm sure many of you have seen The Daily Show with Jon Stewart or at least saw the video clip of him on CNN's Crossfire. [Are you supposed to underline in print, italics in text, or vice versa? Ah well, I did both.] This book highlights the way our government was created, how it operates, and the way in which it accomplishes nothing. I've burned through half of this book since I got it last night, which certainly is difficult since many of the pages are cut in half and then replaced with an informative "Were You Aware?" box. One such box on page 77 states, with no sarcasm whatsoever: "56% of congressmen believe in angels, and an additional 28% 'want so very badly' to believe."


Story

America is hypocritcal. The media controls us all. People from Tennessee are dumb. Okay, people from every state are dumb. Canada is funny.

Gameplay

There's a board game on pages 42 and 43 entitled "The Game of the Presidency!" Take a break from reading this thoughtful, instructive tome and play this game. Use coins as pieces - they already have presidents on them. As for rules, like the presidency, make 'em up as you go! (Dice not included.)

Rather than wasting time by playing, I just read every single square you could land on. My favorite was "Assassination attempt! Flip a coin. Heads you survive and gain 10 approval points; tails you die, with a 100% approval rating." But you don't care what I think.¹

Graphics

Easy on the eyes text, shiny pages. Pictures are a plus, I like pictures.

Sound

I farted once during the course of my reading. Some people would write "coarse" but those people are stupid. It was appropriately juicy and sounded a bit like a prolonged whine.

Flaws

The book has a habit of inserting several pages of randomness related to the textbook-styled writing. It does this about EVERY OTHER PAGE, making it somewhat annoying to pick up from where you left off on page 3 when you're on page 7. But they don't lose big points for this, because they acknowledge it's there just to annoy you.

Not a spiral book. Spiral books are much easier to handle, especially when placed in awkward bed positions with minimal light, causing you to get carpal tunnel and break your pinky holding the right half of the book in place.

There is a page with all the current supreme court justices naked. Naked.³

Overall

If you aren't a right wing leftist conservative neo liberal, you'll enjoy this book.µ

Score: 9.6 (Minus points for naked supreme court justices)
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¹ That's why you're reading this review.²
² The book has many many many many many comical footnotes.
³ Mantralord and Kagomjack aren't allowed to say anything.
µ Fun fact: I ran out of small numbers on the character map after 3, so I'm using.. this. Don't know what it is? Haha! You must be retarded.

Oooh, footnotes! It's like the Essence of Emeril condensed into a really tiny number! PLEASURE!

I guess now I will be buying this book.

The best part is that it semi-pretends to be a highschool textbook, so it has review at the end of a chapter.

[Random shit from Judicial Branch chapter]

Discussion Questions:
1) How many of the nine Supreme Court justices can you name? How many of the nine members of the Brady Bunch can you name? What does that say about you?

6) Separation of church and state is one of the fundamental principles of our government, yet court witnesses are required to swear on The Bible. Justify this.

Classroom Activies:
2) Have the entire class dress up in black robes and put white wigs on. Observe how much easier it is to get serious work done.

7) Have your students "re-argue" Colgrove v. Green, 328 U.S. 546 (1946), to determine if, as Colgrove argued, the Illinois congressional districts "lacked compactness of territory and approximate equality of population." That'll teach the little shits for chewing gum in class.

Hahaha, Jon Stewart is the man.

I gave this book to a friend. I never saw it again.