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    American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot
    Unavailable
    American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot
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    American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot
    Ebook329 pages5 hours

    American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot

    By Craig Ferguson

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    In his memoir American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson, host of The Late, Late Show, traces his journey from working-class Glasgow to the comedic limelight of Hollywood and American citizenship. Moving and achingly funny, American on Purpose moves from Ferguson’s early life as an alcoholic to his stint on The Drew Carey Show to his decision to become a U.S. citizen in its unique and honest look at his version of the American dream.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateSep 22, 2009
    ISBN9780061959158
    Unavailable
    American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot
    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

    437 ratings48 reviews

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    • 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
      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
      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.
    • 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 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
      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.
    • 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.
    • 3/5
      After a promising start (a hilarious story of Craig Ferguson speaking at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner – including meeting Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney) this book quickly devolves into the pleasant telling of Ferguson’s life – with a particular emphasis on his self-destruction through alcoholism (with a few drugs thrown in for good results.) I do not mean to denigrate what Ferguson has gone through – the importance of these events is plainly evident. But it is all told so “pleasantly”, the whole book is so pleasant, that the overall impact is reduced. That isn’t to say that the book is a waste of time. It is a nice, easy read, and there are interesting tidbits about Ferguson’s life, about how he got into comedy, and of how he got into television (twice). But, it does feel as thought Ferguson holds back a little bit (can anyone really have that many broken relationships to end on such friendly terms?)(and, I’m not going to blame anyone for holding back – I can’t even imagine taking on the task, let alone being completely honest) and it feels like there was a much more entertaining book within him that was asking to be written.
    • 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
      being a die hard fan of Craig Ferguson's Late Late Show, I really liked learning more about his background
    • 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!
    • 5/5
      I like this book
    • 4/5
      A fun little read
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 5/5
      I like Craig Ferguson a lot. I enjoyed this, even though I don't usually read memoirs.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 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.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 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.
    • 2/5
      An Ok tale of Ferguson's adventure into achieving citizenship as an American and training as a comedian. The best part is his foray from addiction to recovery. Not nearly as funny as I was expecting. In fact, whole chapters zip by without an attempt at humor. oh, well.
    • 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.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      This is not a funny book, but it is a moving one, particularly when Ferguson discussed his alcoholism and rehab, particularly his efforts to make restitution. Really, an anatomy of addiction and recovery.
    • 4/5
      Craig Ferguson, host of The Late Late Show on CBS has always wanted to be an American. Even before he knew what he wanted to do for a living, he knew he'd be doing it in America. In this memoir, he chronicles the bumpy and hilarious road he took to get there. Ferguson is funny and self-depricating, more than fair to his exes and people who have wronged him, pointing out that due to his behavior, it was more his fault than theirs. His journey wasn't an easy one, and his fortitude is to be commended, as well as his conversational and detailed writing style. I had read Ferguson's fictional work, Between the Bridge and the River and had wanted to know more about a man that I only knew minimally from sporadic viewings of The Drew Carey Show and his late night talk show. I was mightily impressed and plan to check out more of his work, particularly the straight-to-video film The Big Tease, which sounds hilarious and totally got a raw deal from the studio. Kudos to Ferguson and a great big (belated) welcome to America!
    • 4/5
      I read the beginning of this on a whim late one night, hoping for a laugh or two. I got that and many more, as well as an interesting story about how a guy from Glasgow gets to Hollywood. He hosts the Late Late Show and I never figured out why he looked familiar until I read that he was the snotty English boss on the Drew Carey Show. The memory banks get awful dusty sometimes. Many other reviews summarize the story of school and counterculture in Glasgow, breaking in to showbiz and coming to America three times. I was impressed with the book.
    • 3/5
      Very well written. His personality comes through. Addictive early years in Scotland. Love of all things American.
    • 4/5
      For someone who’s livelihood is made making folks laugh, Craig Ferguson is a rather serious bloke. American on Purpose is a wonderful, moving, inspiring, and at times even funny, tale of Craig’s quest for the Holy Grail. Like so many of us in recovery he mistakes many things, people, substances, for the grail before coming to his own “there’s no place like home” moment. There were two aspects of Craig’s tale of Glasgow defection I found especially poignant. The first is that his description of his adventure thus far has no hint of self-pity. Even those parts of his life that were difficult, whether because of his own actions or a strange twist of karma, seems to be told with a smile, or at least looking you in the eye. The second is similar. There is humor in the “I can’t believe I did that / said that / took that / slept with that”, but there remains an understanding of the guilt and shame tsunami that washes up the morning after such behavior. The final aspect shows, in addition to the fact that I cannot count, Craig has merged his dream of becoming an American with his willingness to live a day at a time. Speaking of he and his son’s new found American past time baseball, Craig describes the American mindset “My son and I are Americans, we prepare for glory by failing until we don’t.”Indeed he has not failed to tell what he used to be like, what happened, and what he is like now, in a very enjoyable recovering Scottish/American dialect.
    • 3/5
      An amusing and honest autobiog charting the Scottish Funnymans life up to the marriage to his third ( and he insists final) wife, and his appointment as perment host of the US cha show "The Late Late Show". Ferguson deals frankly with his alcoholisim, and consistently paints beliveable charicatures of all the characters who have touched his life, and made him the man he is today.