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    American on Purpose
    American on Purpose
    American on Purpose
    Audiobook7 hours

    American on Purpose

    Written by Craig Ferguson

    Narrated by Craig Ferguson

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    “With American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson somehow manages to avoid the pitfalls of self-indulgence and self-importance that plague most (okay, all) Hollywood autobiographies. He has, instead, written a book that is hilarious and irrepressibly daft, yet also kind, poignant, and undeniably wise. It was a joy to read.”  — Dennis Lehane, New York Times Bestselling author of The Given Day

    Ferguson delivers a moving and achingly funny memoir of living the American dream as he journeys from the mean streets of Glasgow, Scotland, to the comedic promised land of Hollywood. Along the way he stumbles through several attempts to make his mark—as a punk rock musician, a construction worker, a bouncer, and, tragically, a modern dancer.

    To numb the pain of failure, Ferguson found comfort in drugs and alcohol, addictions that eventually led to an aborted suicide attempt. (He forgot to do it when someone offered him a glass of sherry.) But his story has a happy ending: success on the hit sitcom The Drew Carey Show, and later as the host of CBS's Late Late Show. By far Ferguson's greatest triumph was his decision to become a U.S. citizen, a milestone he achieved in early 2008.

    In American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson talks a red, white, and blue streak about everything our Founding Fathers feared.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateSep 22, 2009
    ISBN9780061961458
    American on Purpose
    Author

    Craig Ferguson

    Craig Ferguson is the host of The Late Late Show. He is the author of the novel Between the Bridge and the River and lives in Los Angeles, California.

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    Reviews for American on Purpose

    4/5

    519 ratings55 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Good listen and gives ya a better insight on the man behind the comedy.
    • 5/5
      Excellent book, full of heart and laughter. Would read again.
    • 5/5
      Entertaining and heartfelt. I identified as an Israeli living in America.
    • 5/5
      A fabulous journey, told with the charm and wit we've come to expect from Mr. Ferguson. A story of true grit, determination, a bit o luck and serious reflection. I've always loved Craig Ferguson, and now I know exactly why.
    • 5/5
      Read by Craig. Fast and funny. Tells everything. If you like him you’ll love his book.
    • 4/5
      What an absolute badass fun book there are so many cool and interesting stories in here it's just really wow what a life
    • 5/5
      Had Craig Ferguson not had a book signing on a lazy Saturday morning in January, I probably never would have read his latest book and that would have been a shame. Craig came across as warm and generous at the reading and his fantastic memoir does the same. He grew up in a middle class family outside of Glasgow, struggled in school, both with his classmates and his teachers, and dropped out at 16. While trying to find his way, he developed drug and alcohol addictions, then went through rehab, and finally made his way to America for good where he found success as both a writer and a performer. He blames no one but himself for his troubles and gives high praise to the people who helped him along the way. Both funny and sad, his memoir is brutally honest and charmingly reflective. I had almost finished reading it when I noticed the audio version, read by him, on the library shelf. I couldn?t resist, so I started anew with Disc 1; it?s that good, plus I got to hear his wonderful Scottish brogue. Either way, it?s a winner.
    • 5/5
      I'm a huge fan of the Late Late Show, and when I saw this book at the library I picked it up with enthusiasm. I definitely was not disappointed. Ferguson writes with wit and wisdom, and shares stories both hysterical and heartbreaking. He writes in a clear and conversational voice, keeping the stories that make up his life short, sweet and to the point. His enthusiasm for America is admirable, and he unashamedly lays out his faults for everyone to judge. He is the first one to tell ya that he sucks at life, and really wants you to learn something from the mistakes he made. I'm really not one for memoirs and autobiography since I can't stand name dropping or celebrity... but Ferguson cuts through that with his viciously down-to-earth story of a Scottish addict with a fierce love of America who finally came out shining on the other side. Definitely in my top 5.
    • 4/5
      This read was incredibly touching and amusing. Craig Ferguson does a wonderful job expressing his wild experiences.
    • 5/5
      I love him he's hilarious. it's impossible to be sad or depressed with him around.
    • 3/5
      A well-written autobiography that recounts his misspent youth and the path that led him to America and to his current job as host of a late-night show.
    • 5/5
      Candid and let’s face it, the accent is cool AND adorable. Thanks, Craig, for an enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      being a die hard fan of Craig Ferguson's Late Late Show, I really liked learning more about his background
    • 4/5
      I think a lot of people may assume this book is meant to be humorous, an adventure, and otherwise funny--but that's not the intent of this book.Ferguson is trying to be real with readers, and he does throw some wit and funny moment in, but it's largely a memoir about his experiences in show business and how he got there, along with the obligatory overview of his childhood. He doesn't talk a ton about his issues with addiction that I've seen, but in the book he delves into that part of his life, how he figured out what had to be done, and it's pretty impressive. I think far too many people stop doing the hard work of introspection and seeing themselves from others' perspectives for just a moment.
    • 5/5
      While it's no secret that I adore Craig Ferguson because of his late night talk show, I had yet to read or listen to any of his novels for some strange reason. Maybe I was worried that I'd be bored, disappointed, or Craigy-pants would lose his allure in some way.
      Now I must admit that I couldn't be more wrong to have waited so long. Ferguson is so open, completely honest, and so *REAL*, it's astounding. His fascinating novel is so much more than an autobiography, it's more like his soul was bared. Not once did Ferguson bore me; in fact, I couldn't wait to hear more of his fascinating life and adventures. And despite having quit school at the age of 16, Ferguson is not only well read, but loquacious, in parts funny and sad, and terribly, terribly wonderful.
      I must insist that if you get this novel from your library, that you give the audiobook a try instead. Ferguson reads the novel himself to you, like the worlds weirdest - and funniest - bedtime story. Ferguson is a natural born story teller, and it shows. The audiobook alone is worth the price, just to hear him call himself a dipsomaniac, or say the word "farty ". (Though I must say, the part about the killer mallards, and the huge cat named Ken that he had to babysit while the owners were away were so funny, I had to reverse the audiobook and listen to them again!!)
      So now I'm done with this novel and I want more..... Ferguson is so intelligent, and with that sharp wit, and the brilliant comedic timing, it just makes me miss him ever so much more now that he doesn't do his late night talk show. I hope he writes another novel, soon.

      Please give this novel, or its audiobook a try. I give it 5 huge stars, and recommend it to everyone, everywhere. It's just that good.
    • 4/5
      Very honest and entertaining life story. Well worth reading.
    • 4/5
      Funny and sincere autobiography from the former host of The Late Late Show. Though the title and cover focus on his love of America, it will come as no surprise to those who followed his sometimes very personal monologues that the real story is his time as an alcoholic.
    • 4/5
      Very enjoyable. Can't honestly say I was a big fan of CF but I found the book in a charity shop and thought it looked interesting. And it was! He writes very well - no punches pulled about how low he sank when his alcoholism had him at rock bottom and how he wrecked his relationships and almost his professional career. Touching moments but also hilarious ones, it's easy to read, engaging and interesting (even if you're a non fan).He never blames anyone but himself for the problems he had and never once feels sorry for himself either. Ultimately it's that candour and likeable honestly that ultimately make the book well worth reading.
    • 5/5
      I am not going to make a claim that this is high art but was a great read. His life was interesting and I admit to seeing some of the struggles of my life in his book. I have of course not dealt with them quite as spectacularly as he has.
    • 4/5
      In all, a solid read that's more funny in unexpected places as well as more serious than expected. Ferguson doesn't gloss over his frailties (addictions, screw-ups, etc.) but it makes his successes all the more sympathetic and enjoyable.

      If you've liked his acting or his talk show, this is worth a read; I'd love to read a similarly honest autobio from John Cleese or Rowan Atkinson, to be honest.
    • 5/5
      I love Craig Ferguson and I am glad I finally got to read this book. He is just fantastic and quite the character. This books goes into all the deep dark corners of his life. All the horrible things normal people are ashamed of, but he rises from it and become a better person. And awesome person. I get giddy like a fangirl and squee every time I see him.

      His story shows that it doesn't matter where you come from, or how much money you have in your pocket, you can make something of yourself. And American helped him do that. It gave him the freedom he needed to find out who he was, and that's what makes me love him more.

      He is perfect just the way he is, even with all his baggage. As long as he is on t.v and in movies, he will forever have a fan in me.
    • 5/5
      I like Craig Ferguson a lot. I enjoyed this, even though I don't usually read memoirs.
    • 4/5
      American on Purpose by entertainer Craig Ferguson is his moving and funny memoirs delivered in a straight forward style that starts literally at the beginning with his birth and upbringing in Glasgow, Scotland through to his success as a late night TV host. He doesn’t avoid the painful years of alcoholism and drug use, or his utter failure at his first two attempts at being a husband. I felt like writing this book was perhaps a type of therapy for him by letting him express and examine his demons.I have long been a fan of his and this book only enforced that for me. I enjoyed learning how certain things came about in his life but the two things that remain with me from the reading of his book is how likable he is, both in person and in print, and how very lucky it is that he is still alive.Overall I found American On Purpose to be funny, sincere and very well written. Craig Ferguson is a talented man, whether he’s playing the drums, being the host, doing stand-up comedy or writing a book.
    • 4/5
      While I don't rate Craig Ferguson as a comedian I did like this book.

      I liked that he doesn't try to blame other people for his problems. I also liked the fact that there where no big revelations, you know the ones like I was abused by this uncle or the priest or whoever and the first time you hear about this abuse is when the celeb in question is writing their autobiography. Craig seems to have had a typically working class upbringing and I can relate to that,especially the reaction of the parents when you get into trouble at school. They always assumed you had done something to merit the punishment.
    • 4/5
      I saw this man on t.v. for the first time in my life a few weeks back and I couldn't stop laughing, so when I saw his book on the shelf last week, I knew I had to read it.

      He put hiss verra own self through Hell... This is no holds barred account of: his life as a school kid, construction worker, musician, alcoholic, actor, three time husband, his step up to recovery, life in L.A. & t.v. show host. He talks about his family with love & honesty.

      There is no "poor me" in this and that is so very refreshing...he places blame on himself. But she sure likes the "F" word and it was in places that surprised me. I have never seen his movies, but they have done well, as did the sitcom he was in w/ Drew Carey (whom I do not think funny at all).

      So nice to not have had any whining, he owns his shite!
    • 5/5
      I love Craigy. Reading about his life and how he came to be the person he is today was great. We have something in common in our pasts so I was interested in his take on it. He is a right good fella!
    • 4/5
      This came out of our Little Free Library and I liked it a lot. Ferguson seems to be pretty truthful about how often he screwed up his life, and how much becoming an American meant to him. And he's an enjoyable writer.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book! Craig is one of my favorite comedians anyway, and I found his life story fascinating. Really well-written, too.
    • 4/5
      Excellent, well written, funny, very uplifting. Put Craig Ferguson on my top ten list of people I'd like to sit down to dinner with.
    • 3/5
      Some really great funny stuff interspersed with "meh." He's very introspective and brutally honest about his drinking problem. He should have been honest about the women in his life, too. It would have made a better book.