Here's a list of recommended political books and humor books looking at the lighter side of politics, including best-sellers by Stephen Colbert, "The Daily Show," The Onion, Dave Barry, and others.
Parliament of Whores: A Lone Humorist Attempts to Explain the Entire Government
By P.J. O'Rourke, 1992 – One of the nation's funniest writers, P.J. O'Rourke uses his peculiar brand of humor to launch an all-out attack on the bureaucratic nonsense that has become ingrained in every branch of American government.
The Sinner's Guide to the Evangelical Right
By Robert Lanham, 2006 – From Bibles designed to look like glossy fashion magazines to mega-churches with ATMs, rock climbing walls, and in one case, a drive-thru McDonalds, the nuances of conservative evangelical culture are no mystery to Robert Lanham, who has his roots in the Bible Belt. Now, with his anthropological eye and trademark wit, Lanham has compiled a handy guide to the evangelical right for those who can expect to be left behind in the End of Days.
Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway
By Dave Barry, 2001 - In this vicious and unprovoked attack on America's most cherished political institutions, Dave Barry recounts how the nation was formed, proposes a revised Constitution for our times, offers a guided tour of Washington, and takes hilarious jibes at our electoral process.
A Hecukva Job
By Calvin Trillin, 2006 – Despite everything Trillin wrote about Bush in Obliviously On He Sails, his 2004 bestseller in verse, George W. Bush is still in the White House. Taking a philosophical view, Trillin says, "We weren't going to know whether you could bring down a presidency with iambic pentameter until somebody tried it." Now Trillin is trying again, back at his pithy and hilarious best as he comments on Bush’s decision to go to war in Iraq, his religiosity, and other topics.
Cracking Up: American Humor in a Time of Conflict
By Paul Lewis, 2006 – What do Jon Stewart, Freddy Krueger, Patch Adams, and George W. Bush have in common? As Paul Lewis shows in Cracking Up, they are all among the ranks of joke tellers who aim to do much more than simply amuse. Exploring topics that range from the sadistic mockery of Abu Ghraib prison guards to New Age platitudes about the healing power of laughter, Lewis demonstrates that over the past 30 American humor has become increasingly purposeful and embattled.
