So Dan beat me to the punch on an I Am America (And So Can You!) book review. This could be due to the fact I still haven't read it all yet. I can blame my slow consumption on school work and my secret vampire slaying life, but it's really more of not being overly impressed by it. I agree with most of what Dan says in his review. A lot of what makes Colbert funny is his presentation and reading him just isn't the same. I had the same issue when I read Lewis Black's Nothing's Sacred. You really need to listen to these guys to enjoy their material, reading leaves out a crucial element of their comedy styles.
Another issue I have with the book (and with Colbert actually) is the constant use of satire. Satire is tricky--if you go too far you can come off as pedantic or just eye-roll worthy. I like Colbert, I just prefer the way Stewart lampoons politics and media without overt parody. Both Colbert and Stewart are funny, but Stewart would actually be someone you'd want to have over for dinner. And Colbert's book likely suffered because I enjoyed America the Book so much. Because of its congeniality and varied comedic tone, America the Book is both consistently hilarious and very effective as a piece of political writing .All that said the book is funny enough. If you like Colbert you'll probably want to read it just out of interest and if you're like me you'll want to own the first edition hard-copy to get that sweet sweet ribbon bookmark.
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