Here's a list of recommended political books and humor books looking at the lighter side of politics, including best-sellers by Stephen Colbert, Dave Barry, The Daily Show, The Onion, Bill Maher, and others. You may also be interested in the new books by About.com Political Humor Guide Daniel Kurtzman.
By Stephen Colbert, 2007 – The celebrated host of Comedy Central's
The Colbert Report speaks truthiness to power in his hilarious debut book. Always controversial and outspoken, Colbert addresses why Hollywood is destroying America by inches, why evolution is a fraud, and why the elderly should be harnessed to millstones. You may not agree with everything he says, but at the very least, you'll understand that your differing opinion is wrong.
By The Onion, 2007 – Today's news-parody consumer cannot possibly understand made-up current events without the context of fake world history and geography. That is why The Onion has published a world atlas: to help us.
By Will Durst, 2008 - With the sacred cows of American politics practically begging for someone to puncture their pomposity, comedian Will Durst hits them in the funniest places. In "The All-American Sport of Bipartisan Bashing," this equal-opportunity offender swats both partisan political piņatas from both sides of the spectrum upside their heads.
By Dave Barry, 2007 - Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Barry recaps the highlights and lowlights of the tumultuous years just past in this brilliantly funny new book. Covering events such as the 2000 Florida recount, Hurricane Katrina, the Iraq war, and Janet Jackson's exposed nipple, Barry gleefully exposes the absurdities of recent history in an entertaining volume that is sure to earn him a spot alongside Thucydides, Gibbon, Tuchman, and McCullough as one of the world's great historians.
By Jon Stewart and "The Daily Show" Staff, 2004 – Jon Stewart, host of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning "The Daily Show," and his coterie of patriots deliver a hilarious look at American government -- "a citizen's guide to democracy inaction." Every bit as funny as the show itself, the book offers insights into our unique system of government and explores the reasons why concepts like one man, one vote, government by the people, and every vote counts have become such popular urban myths. (Also available: The Teacher's Edition)
By Scott Dikkers and the Staff of The Onion, 2007 – Look back and laugh at the dumbest 100 years on record — as reported in high satirical style of "The Onion," America's funniest news source. Features such headlines as "World's Largest Metaphor Hits Ice-Berg," "Kennedy Slain by CIA, Mafia, Castro, LBJ, Teamsters, Freemasons," and "New President Feels Nation's Pain, Breasts."
By Glenn Beck, 2007 – Conservative talk show host Glenn Beck sounds off on problems ranging from illegal immigration to global warming to poverty and offers his own inconvenient solutions in this entertaining book.
Edited by Daryl Cagle and Brian Fairrington, 2007 – The creative minds behind the Professional Cartoonists Index have chosen more than 150 of the best cartoons world wide and compiled them all in this one, humorous and sometimes disturbing look-back at 2007. Covers events including the Iraq surge, Larry Craig's bathroom bust, the 2008 presidential race, loversick diaper astronauts, and more.
By Bob Harris, 2007 – A handy, often stunning guide to the world's recent conflicts, from the large and important to the completely absurd. Find out which faction is which in Iraq, what Al Qaeda, North Korea and Iran really want, and what they’re fighting over in Somalia, Darfur, and Kashmir.
By Bill Maher, 2005 – Bringing the brilliantly conceived "New Rules" segment of his HBO Show to the written page, Bill Maher rants about topics including cell phones, fast food, Martha Stewart, pretentious Chinese-pictogram tattoos on your lower back -- oh, and George W. Bush.