Al Franken, Giant of the Senate

By: Al Franken

Narrated by: Al Franken

Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

From the best-selling author - the story of an award-winning comedian who decided to run for office and then discovered why award-winning comedians tend not to do that.

Al Franken, Giant of the Senate is a book about an unlikely campaign that had an even more improbable ending: the closest outcome in history and an unprecedented eight-month recount saga, which is pretty funny in retrospect. It's a book about what happens when the nation's foremost progressive satirist gets a chance to serve in the United States Senate and, defying the low expectations of the pundit class, actually turns out to be good at it. It's a book about our deeply polarized, frequently depressing, occasionally inspiring political culture, written from inside the belly of the beast. In this candid personal memoir, the honorable gentleman from Minnesota takes his army of loyal fans along with him from Saturday Night Live to the campaign trail, inside the halls of Congress, and behind the scenes of some of the most dramatic and/or hilarious moments of his new career in politics.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2017 Al Franken (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Al Franken fans, rejoice! Franken narrates his latest book in a voice that captures both of his key public personas: current U.S. senator and former humorist. This is a balance that cannot be underestimated, as Franken clarifies at the onset that the Senate requires a level of decorum that most former comedians would find excruciating." ( AudioFile)

Giant of the Senate

Informs as it entertains in his inimitable Franken style.
What I love about this book is that Senator Franken is bursting with exuberant love for people. For Minnesotans, for Americans. for his wife, his children, his friends and even some of his adversaries.
I really love his sense of outrage at the "Lying Liars", his fear and worry in the face of Trump's election, and his final note of hope.
I have a daughter, son in law, and two grandchildren a sister and a brother in law in Minnesota, and I'm just as happy as can be that their senator cares so much about them.
The other thing I love about this book is that I learned a lot about what a senator DOES. I laughed a lot of course, because Al Franken is a very funny man, but I also learned a great deal.
This book is hot of the press and speaks to current events but I have no doubt that people reading this book in twenty years will find it equally fascinating as a look inside an American head at a time when the country appears to have gone bat sh*t crazy. I'm reassured to think that those readers will judge us less harshly after reading Giant of the Senate.

Worth a listen regardless of political leanings

Great story and well written- Well worth a listen regardless of whether you are a democrat or republican

Little Giant

I've always liked Al Franken--both his comedic talent and his work in the Senate--but this is the first of his books that I've read. To a great extent, it's biographical. There's a little about his parents and his early life, how he met his wife Frannie, the birth of his first child, and so forth, but most of the book is focused on his decision to run for the Senate, his first campaign, his adjustment to the political life in DC, and his relationships with his colleagues in Washington. (Who would have guessed that he is friends with Jeff Sessions and that Sessions' wife knitted his first grandchild's favorite blanket?) Of course, there's a good bit of humor thrown in (the episode of a campaign stop at a Native American ritual where he was told NOT to dance is hilarious), but much of the account is honest and straightforward. Franken comes across as a caring man who truly want to honor the memory of his friend Paul Wellstone by doing his best for the people of Minnesota. It's pretty up-to-date: Franken describes going to the Trump inauguration and his conflicts with Jess Sessions, Betsy DeVos, and others in confirmation hearings. He doesn't touch on the most recent White House "scandals," although he does at one point refer to Trump "becoming what we all feared he would be."

I listened to the audio version, read by Franken himself--probably the best option.

binge listening

Any additional comments?

A perfect listen. A great american and a great storyteller. An ethical politician who cares about the life experience of his constituents. I've laughed out loud a few times.

Highest Recommendation

This book on audible is the only way to listen. It's like listening to Sen Frankin tell you a story. The story makes you connect with him and leaves you inspired.

Truly a Giant of the Senate

No one narrates Al's work better than Al. I listened to this whole the Comey hearing and threats to fire Mueller and the ADoJ have been pouring out of the WH twitter feed. I feel better for having listened to this book. There are smart people in government who are honest and who have integrity.

Don't buy book buy audiobook

There is no way it is the same book if you don't hear Senator Franken read it! If nuance is part of great humor and satire then you need to hear it from the horses mouth.

This is a refreshing look at politics from the inside

Although the author is a democratic senator, this book keeps perspective on the difference between disagreements over policy and character bashing.
Its a very enlightening book into how the debate works from a true outsider, a SNL comedian.
While he has his own strong views, he shares them as just that, HIS view point.
However, most of the book is spent enlightening the reader on how the government works behind the scenes. Its very good.
During this dark time in politics, a book like this is a refresh glimpse of hope that the adults will prevail and start working together again.

Profound clarity, inspiration, and irony…

When I finished listening to this audio book, I started over and listened to it a second time. Brilliant and every way. I hope he runs in 2020, because I cannot think of a better Presidential candidate than Al Franken. Provided, of course, we still have a country by then...

Franken At His Best

Just as I'm tempted to throw in the towel on American democracy, Al Franken provides a glimmer of hope with this memoir.

This book is written with the same comic flair as his earlier works. It covers his entire career in comedy, with plenty of insight into the workings of Saturday Night Live, where he spent 15 years. He also gives a fascinating behind the scenes view of getting elected to and serving in the U.S. Senate, with vivid character portrayals along the way.

If you're feeling depressed about the state of American politics, this book is the antidote!