Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
It Books (2010), Edition: 1, Paperback, 288 pages
Description
The host of "The Late, Late Show" traces his journey from working-class Glasgow to the comedic limelight of Hollywood, revealing his personal story of becoming an American citizen.
Media reviews
Ferguson admirably avoids wisecracks and instead goes for something like wisdom.
Ferguson [is] a fine writer — witty, reflective and candid.
User reviews
LibraryThing member richardderus
The Book Report: Scottish prole grows up in emotionally chilly, physically cold as hell Glasgow, turns to drugs and alcohol to fill gaping emotional void, screws over a variety of people as all alkies do, and one day wakes up to learn he doesn't like himself, his life, or his future. Rehab,
My Review: I herewith confess: If Craig Ferguson was even a teensy hint queer, I'd be on a plane to Cali and camped on his doorstep with flowers, candy, and a leg iron. He amuses and impresses me even more after reading his pretty darned candid memoir.
I'm a complete pushover for a man in a kilt anyway, but when he can act and tell jokes the way this man can...! Ferguson, the host of "The Late Late Show," made me laugh so hard I cried when he said of his son's mother: "No, really, she's a lovely woman. For legal purposes." I heard nothing of his show for the next five minutes because I was shouting with laughter, and Mr. Man was a little put out that I kept referring to that line (okay, I shamelessly stole it, and I still use it, and unless I get a cease-and-desist letter I'm gonna keep right on) to the point of having a jealous fit. (Thanks, Craig!)
I am also a sucker for men who come to the USA with dreams of success and end up in love with our amazing, incredible, flawed, imperfect, conservatism-ridden paradise. Ferguson fell in love with the USA in its warty glory, and he rightly credits this astonishingly open society with a goodly measure of his own success. His talent plays an acknowledged role, but he makes sure to tell his readers that his life wouldn't be possible anywhere else. It's very heartening to me, and it's an instructive reminder that, problems and blemishes be damned, the rest of the world rightly and justly thinks we're on to something here.
Lastly, but far from least, I'm a complete sucker for a good story told by a good storyteller, and this book most certainly is that. Ferguson can't resist telling tales, no doubt polishing them up a wee bit, but not always in his own favor. He can't resist making light of things that sink many an alkie person's life, and sank his own, and thus takes the ponderousness out of the idea of recovery. I've read a fair bit of recovery literature but I'm always fatally put off by the earnest, well-meaning "Amazing Grace"-ness of it all. A person's personal spiritual awakening is, and should remain, just that: Personal. In other words, BELT UP ABOUT JESUS. Ferguson not only does, he makes it clear that he has a BIG problem with religion. *swoon* My lands, just when I thought he couldn't get more magnetically, hypnotically gorgeously attractive!
So should others read this? Yes. It's fun, funny, and touching; it's honest and it's gritty; and in the end, it's a pleasure to get to know Craig Ferguson as well as if he were the bloke on the barstool next over.
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restitution, success, and true love follow.My Review: I herewith confess: If Craig Ferguson was even a teensy hint queer, I'd be on a plane to Cali and camped on his doorstep with flowers, candy, and a leg iron. He amuses and impresses me even more after reading his pretty darned candid memoir.
I'm a complete pushover for a man in a kilt anyway, but when he can act and tell jokes the way this man can...! Ferguson, the host of "The Late Late Show," made me laugh so hard I cried when he said of his son's mother: "No, really, she's a lovely woman. For legal purposes." I heard nothing of his show for the next five minutes because I was shouting with laughter, and Mr. Man was a little put out that I kept referring to that line (okay, I shamelessly stole it, and I still use it, and unless I get a cease-and-desist letter I'm gonna keep right on) to the point of having a jealous fit. (Thanks, Craig!)
I am also a sucker for men who come to the USA with dreams of success and end up in love with our amazing, incredible, flawed, imperfect, conservatism-ridden paradise. Ferguson fell in love with the USA in its warty glory, and he rightly credits this astonishingly open society with a goodly measure of his own success. His talent plays an acknowledged role, but he makes sure to tell his readers that his life wouldn't be possible anywhere else. It's very heartening to me, and it's an instructive reminder that, problems and blemishes be damned, the rest of the world rightly and justly thinks we're on to something here.
Lastly, but far from least, I'm a complete sucker for a good story told by a good storyteller, and this book most certainly is that. Ferguson can't resist telling tales, no doubt polishing them up a wee bit, but not always in his own favor. He can't resist making light of things that sink many an alkie person's life, and sank his own, and thus takes the ponderousness out of the idea of recovery. I've read a fair bit of recovery literature but I'm always fatally put off by the earnest, well-meaning "Amazing Grace"-ness of it all. A person's personal spiritual awakening is, and should remain, just that: Personal. In other words, BELT UP ABOUT JESUS. Ferguson not only does, he makes it clear that he has a BIG problem with religion. *swoon* My lands, just when I thought he couldn't get more magnetically, hypnotically gorgeously attractive!
So should others read this? Yes. It's fun, funny, and touching; it's honest and it's gritty; and in the end, it's a pleasure to get to know Craig Ferguson as well as if he were the bloke on the barstool next over.
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LibraryThing member tututhefirst
Alright, I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for a man in a kilt. The cover of this one grabbed my interest; several of my LT friends recommended it highly, and the scottish accent was a big draw.
Craig Fersugon, currently the host of the LateLate Show on CBS, was born in Scotland. Listening to him read his
In the story, he takes us through years of drinking, drugging, bouncing from job to job, woman to woman, sleeping on friend's floors to buying a house in the country with a very wealthy woman. We accompany him through 3 unsuccessful marriages and several other romantic relationships.
He drops many names, not in a name-dropping fashion, but more to establish opportunities received and often blown. He drifts back and forth from Scotland to London to the US and back again. Finally, he lands in a very expensive re-hab unit outside of London. Unlike many other "I found religion when I gave up the bottle" memoirs, he tells this part of the story very matter-of-factly, and without the excruciating detail many such stories subject the reader to. While he is brutally honest about his failures, he is deeply apologetic about the havoc wreaked and the lives injured over the years. He is justly proud of his now 17+ years of sobriety--it took him over 7 years to pay off debts he owed to a long line of friends.
His career since coming to the US in 1993 has steadily improved. He is now a writer, an actor, a producer and director. He is very proud of becoming an American citizen and speaks powerfully of why he is. He recognizes that the U.S. is not a perfect place to live, but still wouldn't be anyplace else. He is even more proud of his life- having his own show on CBS, living a sober life, and being ---finally-- a loving husband and father. He still remembers with great affection the giant color poster he received from NASA when he was a child and wrote to say he wanted to be an astronaut. It was this first touch with American in fact, that put the idea into his head that he wanted to go to America.
In short, this is a story worth reading. The language can be a tad raw, but it is true to who the author is. If you really want the full flavor, I'd recommend the audio format. Listening to him read the story truly brings it alive. It is laugh out loud funny, inspiring, and memorable. He explains in the ending paragraphs exactly what being an American means to him.
America truly is the best idea for a country that anyone has ever come up with so far, not only because we value democracy and the rights of the individual, but because we are always our own most effective voice of dissent...we must never mistake disagreement between Americans on political or moral issues to be an indication of their level of patriotism. If you don't like what I say or don't agree with where I stand, then good....I'm glad we're in America and don't have to oppress each other over it. We're not just a nation, we're not an ethnicity, we are a dream of justice that people have had for thousands of years.
Americans taught me failure was only something you went through on your way to success. For me becoming an American was not a geographical or even political decision. It was a philosophical and emotional one based on a belief in the reason and fairness of opportunity.
Craig Fersugon, currently the host of the LateLate Show on CBS, was born in Scotland. Listening to him read his
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delightful memoir, one has no doubt about his origins. He speaks easily, eloquently, poignantly of his childhood and adolescence - his less than stellar record in the educational system, and his early start at drinking alcohol. Needing some type of employment, he joined on with a punk band as a drummer. The drummer skill set stays with him to this day.In the story, he takes us through years of drinking, drugging, bouncing from job to job, woman to woman, sleeping on friend's floors to buying a house in the country with a very wealthy woman. We accompany him through 3 unsuccessful marriages and several other romantic relationships.
He drops many names, not in a name-dropping fashion, but more to establish opportunities received and often blown. He drifts back and forth from Scotland to London to the US and back again. Finally, he lands in a very expensive re-hab unit outside of London. Unlike many other "I found religion when I gave up the bottle" memoirs, he tells this part of the story very matter-of-factly, and without the excruciating detail many such stories subject the reader to. While he is brutally honest about his failures, he is deeply apologetic about the havoc wreaked and the lives injured over the years. He is justly proud of his now 17+ years of sobriety--it took him over 7 years to pay off debts he owed to a long line of friends.
His career since coming to the US in 1993 has steadily improved. He is now a writer, an actor, a producer and director. He is very proud of becoming an American citizen and speaks powerfully of why he is. He recognizes that the U.S. is not a perfect place to live, but still wouldn't be anyplace else. He is even more proud of his life- having his own show on CBS, living a sober life, and being ---finally-- a loving husband and father. He still remembers with great affection the giant color poster he received from NASA when he was a child and wrote to say he wanted to be an astronaut. It was this first touch with American in fact, that put the idea into his head that he wanted to go to America.
In short, this is a story worth reading. The language can be a tad raw, but it is true to who the author is. If you really want the full flavor, I'd recommend the audio format. Listening to him read the story truly brings it alive. It is laugh out loud funny, inspiring, and memorable. He explains in the ending paragraphs exactly what being an American means to him.
America truly is the best idea for a country that anyone has ever come up with so far, not only because we value democracy and the rights of the individual, but because we are always our own most effective voice of dissent...we must never mistake disagreement between Americans on political or moral issues to be an indication of their level of patriotism. If you don't like what I say or don't agree with where I stand, then good....I'm glad we're in America and don't have to oppress each other over it. We're not just a nation, we're not an ethnicity, we are a dream of justice that people have had for thousands of years.
Americans taught me failure was only something you went through on your way to success. For me becoming an American was not a geographical or even political decision. It was a philosophical and emotional one based on a belief in the reason and fairness of opportunity.
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LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
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
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.
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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.
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LibraryThing member thediaryofabookworm
An off the cuff birthday present from the hubby, American on Purpose landed in my lap without my even knowing it existed. I'm a big Craig Ferguson fan, and I love the Late Late show but am generally far to old, responsible and sleepy to stay up for it these days (I mean it doesn't start until
Well lucky me! Because what a terrific, surprising read it was.
Obviously I've been on a huge YA bender lately, barely mixing it up with the occasional Middle school book and the even more occasional historical book. But I tossed everything to the side for Craig and jumped right in to it.
Refreshing, hysterical, completely honest without being awful to those he's hurt in his life, Craig tells the story of his childhood in Scotland, his alcholism, his struggles with employment etc. right up until nowish in his life. It was oddly uplifting, I mean he's come out pretty good, and gosh, if he can clear through 250,000$ + of debt then the rest of us should be able to deal with whatever paltry sums we have owing on homes, student loans, credit cards etc. right?!
More than anything though he made me laugh out loud, a lot. And that's an accomplishment with a book, few are funny enough to get passed the grin stages and into the embarrassing guffaws in public. But if I wasn't laughing I was almost always smiling, even his bad times are filled with stories of the great people who cared enough to help him and the positive funny things that happened.
So if your stuck in a rut with your reading, or if you love Craig Ferguson, or even if you just want to laugh out loud, I highly recommend you pick up American on Purpose today.
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midnight local time out here). So I missed any mention of him writing a biography.Well lucky me! Because what a terrific, surprising read it was.
Obviously I've been on a huge YA bender lately, barely mixing it up with the occasional Middle school book and the even more occasional historical book. But I tossed everything to the side for Craig and jumped right in to it.
Refreshing, hysterical, completely honest without being awful to those he's hurt in his life, Craig tells the story of his childhood in Scotland, his alcholism, his struggles with employment etc. right up until nowish in his life. It was oddly uplifting, I mean he's come out pretty good, and gosh, if he can clear through 250,000$ + of debt then the rest of us should be able to deal with whatever paltry sums we have owing on homes, student loans, credit cards etc. right?!
More than anything though he made me laugh out loud, a lot. And that's an accomplishment with a book, few are funny enough to get passed the grin stages and into the embarrassing guffaws in public. But if I wasn't laughing I was almost always smiling, even his bad times are filled with stories of the great people who cared enough to help him and the positive funny things that happened.
So if your stuck in a rut with your reading, or if you love Craig Ferguson, or even if you just want to laugh out loud, I highly recommend you pick up American on Purpose today.
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LibraryThing member spvaughan
PUBLISHER'S SUMMARY:
In American on Purpose, Craig 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
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: in 1993, the washed-up Ferguson washed up in the United States. Finally sober, Ferguson landed a breakthrough part on the hit sitcomThe Drew Carey Show, a success that eventually led to his role as the host of CBS's The 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, just before his command performance for the president at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. In American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson talks a red, white, and blue streak about everything our Founding Fathers feared.
©2009 Craig Ferguson; (P)2009 HarperCollins Publishers
I have vague memories of Steve Allen and Jack Parr. Mostly Johnny Carson entertained me. Johnny was warm and funny and enjoyed his guests. His was quick and bright and funny. But you never felt like you knew him. Here in is the difference, I think the man you see on the TV, this Scotsman from Glasgow, lets you in on his reality. That is why I wanted to hear him read his words; to see if I was right. I am so I was!
No one's life is easy, surely not his, but he makes no apologies for it...it is what it is. He said something like, his son and he grow out of their mistakes. Isn't that lovely? His explanation of what addition was/is like for him is probably one of the best I have heard.
Oh, don't doubt it, he is really glad to be an American.
Is it a "tell all" book?
Yes, about himself. No about others, he changes the names of people where he feels appropriate.
Who is this for?
If you are listening to it, those who like the Scottish burr. People who like memoirs. People who like a bit of a giggle. People that like him on TV and want to know more about the man; like did you know he wrote a novel before this book?
Oh,all of you who like a good story told in the first person, read the book! For you vampire lovers, he likes them and likes to play them.
What more can I say? I love this story and will listen to it again in future...just to make sure I didn't miss anything the first time. That is my story and I am sticking to it!
(Oh, if you have have watched the program, you know Craig does have to be bleeped something....he is not bleeped here but it is not excessive and is part of who he is. Just do a mental bleep and go on.
Of course I now have another book to add to my evergreen and growing list...yes, I gotta read that first book!)
In American on Purpose, Craig 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
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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: in 1993, the washed-up Ferguson washed up in the United States. Finally sober, Ferguson landed a breakthrough part on the hit sitcomThe Drew Carey Show, a success that eventually led to his role as the host of CBS's The 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, just before his command performance for the president at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. In American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson talks a red, white, and blue streak about everything our Founding Fathers feared.
©2009 Craig Ferguson; (P)2009 HarperCollins Publishers
I have vague memories of Steve Allen and Jack Parr. Mostly Johnny Carson entertained me. Johnny was warm and funny and enjoyed his guests. His was quick and bright and funny. But you never felt like you knew him. Here in is the difference, I think the man you see on the TV, this Scotsman from Glasgow, lets you in on his reality. That is why I wanted to hear him read his words; to see if I was right. I am so I was!
No one's life is easy, surely not his, but he makes no apologies for it...it is what it is. He said something like, his son and he grow out of their mistakes. Isn't that lovely? His explanation of what addition was/is like for him is probably one of the best I have heard.
Oh, don't doubt it, he is really glad to be an American.
Is it a "tell all" book?
Yes, about himself. No about others, he changes the names of people where he feels appropriate.
Who is this for?
If you are listening to it, those who like the Scottish burr. People who like memoirs. People who like a bit of a giggle. People that like him on TV and want to know more about the man; like did you know he wrote a novel before this book?
Oh,all of you who like a good story told in the first person, read the book! For you vampire lovers, he likes them and likes to play them.
What more can I say? I love this story and will listen to it again in future...just to make sure I didn't miss anything the first time. That is my story and I am sticking to it!
(Oh, if you have have watched the program, you know Craig does have to be bleeped something....he is not bleeped here but it is not excessive and is part of who he is. Just do a mental bleep and go on.
Of course I now have another book to add to my evergreen and growing list...yes, I gotta read that first book!)
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LibraryThing member NarratorLady
Normally I'd stay far away from a celebrity autobiography: surely these people are hugely compensated (fawned on, outrageously paid, treated like mini-gods) for doing their jobs. Do we really need to hear in their own words their early struggles that lead to their fabulous successes? Well, in this
I don't watch Craig Ferguson's show much but it's only due to the late time slot (12:35 AM!). When and if Letterman retires and this hugely funny and inventive Scot takes over, even the 11:35 PM start time will be a stretch. But I have taped the show when he has an interesting guest and he's always entertaining. Plus I love his accent even if it has been watered down by living on this side of the Atlantic for 15+ years.
But here's why I chose to read his book: during one of the shows I taped, he began his "monologue" by mentioning Britney Spears. This was when she was shaving her head and breaking windows with baseball bats. Just the mention of her name sent the audience tittering, but Ferguson held up his hand and told them not to laugh. He explained that when he watched the endless videos of her, he saw a young woman in pain. He said that he didn't know what her issues were but he had experienced his own life going off the tracks - and without the media scrutiny. He delivered a heartfelt and eloquent lecture on how this person needs our sympathy, the people who love her need some support to help her get on the right track and the dogged pursuit of her needs to stop. I thought: this guy is more than a crazy-haired Scot with a weird laugh.
Growing up in Glasgow, Ferguson came from a loving family but a horrendous school system where corporal punishment was the rule. He left at 16 and apprenticed as an electrician but the lure of show business - and of America - was always there. Eventually he joined several punk rock bands as a drummer and thoroughly enjoyed the lifestyle of drugs and alcohol. He segued into stand up comedy, inventing the alter ego "Bing Hitler" and became a hit at the Edinburgh Festival. His engagingly quick wit got him gigs in television and he connected with Britain's up and coming actors. But just as things should have been improving, they began to deteriorate. His dependence on alcohol caught up with him and after an aborted suicide attempt - he was on the way to jump off London's Tower Bridge when a friend asked him to come have a sherry, distracting him from doing the deed - he got a newly sober friend to take him to rehab.
It's a common story and Ferguson's telling of it is forthright. He gives much credit to his many friends who believed in him and employed him when he dried out. He blames himself still for the bad behavior that marked his first 30 years. Somehow he manages to inject lots of rueful humor into this sad tale - being self deprecatory is his stock in trade.
There are two keys to his success: his love of reading - he is completely self-taught - and a tenacious work ethic. The reading led to the writing of several movie scripts which he did while appearing as a regular on "The Drew Carey Show". These led to trying out for "The Late Late Show" and beating out three other, better known contestants for the job.
His initial reviews were awful but after taking the advice of veteran producer Peter Lasallie ("It's after midnight and they don't want you yelling at them. You have a creepy laugh: knock it off.") he hit his stride and loves his job. He also loves being an American and his riff on the inanity of patriotism being hijacked by one group - as if the other group isn't patriotic because they don't believe the same things - is wonderful.
I was hugely entertained by this book. I'd highly recommend that anyone interested listen to it rather than read it. Ferguson's humor, charm and talent come through and you don't have to stay up till all hours to enjoy it.
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case, the answer is possibly yes. This guy knows how to write and a well written book is always a pleasure.I don't watch Craig Ferguson's show much but it's only due to the late time slot (12:35 AM!). When and if Letterman retires and this hugely funny and inventive Scot takes over, even the 11:35 PM start time will be a stretch. But I have taped the show when he has an interesting guest and he's always entertaining. Plus I love his accent even if it has been watered down by living on this side of the Atlantic for 15+ years.
But here's why I chose to read his book: during one of the shows I taped, he began his "monologue" by mentioning Britney Spears. This was when she was shaving her head and breaking windows with baseball bats. Just the mention of her name sent the audience tittering, but Ferguson held up his hand and told them not to laugh. He explained that when he watched the endless videos of her, he saw a young woman in pain. He said that he didn't know what her issues were but he had experienced his own life going off the tracks - and without the media scrutiny. He delivered a heartfelt and eloquent lecture on how this person needs our sympathy, the people who love her need some support to help her get on the right track and the dogged pursuit of her needs to stop. I thought: this guy is more than a crazy-haired Scot with a weird laugh.
Growing up in Glasgow, Ferguson came from a loving family but a horrendous school system where corporal punishment was the rule. He left at 16 and apprenticed as an electrician but the lure of show business - and of America - was always there. Eventually he joined several punk rock bands as a drummer and thoroughly enjoyed the lifestyle of drugs and alcohol. He segued into stand up comedy, inventing the alter ego "Bing Hitler" and became a hit at the Edinburgh Festival. His engagingly quick wit got him gigs in television and he connected with Britain's up and coming actors. But just as things should have been improving, they began to deteriorate. His dependence on alcohol caught up with him and after an aborted suicide attempt - he was on the way to jump off London's Tower Bridge when a friend asked him to come have a sherry, distracting him from doing the deed - he got a newly sober friend to take him to rehab.
It's a common story and Ferguson's telling of it is forthright. He gives much credit to his many friends who believed in him and employed him when he dried out. He blames himself still for the bad behavior that marked his first 30 years. Somehow he manages to inject lots of rueful humor into this sad tale - being self deprecatory is his stock in trade.
There are two keys to his success: his love of reading - he is completely self-taught - and a tenacious work ethic. The reading led to the writing of several movie scripts which he did while appearing as a regular on "The Drew Carey Show". These led to trying out for "The Late Late Show" and beating out three other, better known contestants for the job.
His initial reviews were awful but after taking the advice of veteran producer Peter Lasallie ("It's after midnight and they don't want you yelling at them. You have a creepy laugh: knock it off.") he hit his stride and loves his job. He also loves being an American and his riff on the inanity of patriotism being hijacked by one group - as if the other group isn't patriotic because they don't believe the same things - is wonderful.
I was hugely entertained by this book. I'd highly recommend that anyone interested listen to it rather than read it. Ferguson's humor, charm and talent come through and you don't have to stay up till all hours to enjoy it.
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LibraryThing member mommablogsalot
This is one of the better memoirs I’ve read – I love Craig and his talk show and reading about his life was a lot of fun. Craig’s life reads like something out of fiction – so much has happened to him and he’s really come along way – and his writing style is clever and funny. I really
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enjoyed this one from beginning to end. Show Less
LibraryThing member lynndp
This is an autobiography of Craig Ferguson. Written with considerable candor it was warm and funny, did not gloss over the author's mistakes and failings and gave thanks and credit to those individuals who were helpful as well as those who perhaps saved his life.
LibraryThing member GAYLEGREY
Very enjoyable, light. Love him. Proud to be American, how unusual is that in Hollywood?
LibraryThing member JackieBlem
Funny, intelligent, thought provoking and honest--this is a great read!
LibraryThing member Copperskye
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
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.
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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.
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LibraryThing member yeremenko
I will start by saying I like Craig Ferguson more than Conan, Dave, and way more than Jay.
This is refreshing in terms of a celebrity Bio, but on the other hand not all that interesting. I will give him credit for his honestly and lack of victim ethos, but in the end he drinks a lot, finally gets
Some interesting anecdotes but only mildly interesting.
This is refreshing in terms of a celebrity Bio, but on the other hand not all that interesting. I will give him credit for his honestly and lack of victim ethos, but in the end he drinks a lot, finally gets
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help, etc.Some interesting anecdotes but only mildly interesting.
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LibraryThing member oregonwmn
I like Craig Ferguson. I rarely see his show, but when I do, I always enjoy it. I have seen a couple of his movies. I am not sure why I downloaded his book American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot, but I am sure glad I did. Mr. Ferguson is an interesting guy. He wrote
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from the heart and told the good and bad of his life's journey. The book was candid and flowed well. I would recommend this book if you like Craig Ferguson or even if you don't. It is a very interesting read about a boy with a dream and how he made that dream come true. Sure he screwed up along the way, but determination and hard work (and a "bit of luck") got him to where he is today. Show Less
LibraryThing member NogDog
At times interesting, funny, sad, and inspiring. Highly recommend to all.
LibraryThing member nmele
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.
LibraryThing member Florinda
Maybe it’s part of a mid-life identity crisis, but as a second- and third-generation American, I’ve discovered that I’m becoming increasingly interested in immigrant stories. Craig Ferguson has quite the immigrant story. He’s also got an addiction-and-recovery story; a true Hollywood story;
Growing up in Glasgow, Scotland as the third of four children in a working-class Presbyterian family, Craig Ferguson hated school and had no idea what he wanted to do with his life - until he discovered America. A visit to New York City as a young teenager firmed up his ambition: he would live in America one day. He had no idea how he’d get there, or what he’d do once he did, but it was going to happen. And it did, eventually, although there were quite a few rocks and forks in the road, and the first attempt didn’t take.
While Ferguson became an American on purpose, much of his early work came about by accident and/or by acquaintance - that is, there were people he wanted to hang out with, and he was drawn to try the things they did. Ferguson left school at sixteen, but he was an avid reader and eager to educate himself on his own, and he gravitated toward creative people - musicians, actors, writers, and artists. He also gravitated toward illicit drugs and, especially, alcohol, and the combination led to an increasingly unstable life of small successes and larger disappointments until he finally admitted he had a problem and that he needed to make it stop.
Sober for almost 20 years now, and in America for almost that long (as a naturalized citizen since 2008), Craig Ferguson has had varying degrees of success in a range of show-business jobs - actor, screenwriter, novelist, producer, director, stand-up comic, and currently as the host of a late-night TV talk show. I’ve been watching that show for a little more than a year (via DVR - I am NOT a late-night person) and I’ve really grown to like it. In addition to the humor, I think one of its strengths comes from Fergsuon’s genuine interest in having real conversations with many of his guests.
In this book, particularly in the audio version, Ferguson’s genuine interest seems to be in taking an honest, warts-and-all look at where he’s been and who he’s become. Sometimes self-deprecating, sometimes deeply self-critical, and sometimes seemingly awed by the turns his life has taken, he’s a good writer and an engaging narrator, and I found his story far more interesting than I expected to - I listened to it at every opportunity. I appreciated his openness about his less-laudable life choices, and his generosity toward those who’d been particularly significant both professionally and personally, including a few long-term girlfriends and three wives. In spite of - or perhaps partly because of - his somewhat regrettable past, Craig Ferguson strikes me as being a genuinely decent guy.
My husband read American on Purpose in paperback last year and has been after me to read it for months now. The book’s still on my nightstand, but thanks to audio, I get to move it to the “read” column; I’m glad I listened to it - and to my husband.
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a not-quite rags-to-riches story; and a couple of “triumph of hope over experience” stories (he’s on his third marriage after two divorces). All of those stories are his own life story, told in this straightforward, traditional autobiography, and I found it very funny, occasionally shocking, and surprisingly moving. Growing up in Glasgow, Scotland as the third of four children in a working-class Presbyterian family, Craig Ferguson hated school and had no idea what he wanted to do with his life - until he discovered America. A visit to New York City as a young teenager firmed up his ambition: he would live in America one day. He had no idea how he’d get there, or what he’d do once he did, but it was going to happen. And it did, eventually, although there were quite a few rocks and forks in the road, and the first attempt didn’t take.
While Ferguson became an American on purpose, much of his early work came about by accident and/or by acquaintance - that is, there were people he wanted to hang out with, and he was drawn to try the things they did. Ferguson left school at sixteen, but he was an avid reader and eager to educate himself on his own, and he gravitated toward creative people - musicians, actors, writers, and artists. He also gravitated toward illicit drugs and, especially, alcohol, and the combination led to an increasingly unstable life of small successes and larger disappointments until he finally admitted he had a problem and that he needed to make it stop.
Sober for almost 20 years now, and in America for almost that long (as a naturalized citizen since 2008), Craig Ferguson has had varying degrees of success in a range of show-business jobs - actor, screenwriter, novelist, producer, director, stand-up comic, and currently as the host of a late-night TV talk show. I’ve been watching that show for a little more than a year (via DVR - I am NOT a late-night person) and I’ve really grown to like it. In addition to the humor, I think one of its strengths comes from Fergsuon’s genuine interest in having real conversations with many of his guests.
In this book, particularly in the audio version, Ferguson’s genuine interest seems to be in taking an honest, warts-and-all look at where he’s been and who he’s become. Sometimes self-deprecating, sometimes deeply self-critical, and sometimes seemingly awed by the turns his life has taken, he’s a good writer and an engaging narrator, and I found his story far more interesting than I expected to - I listened to it at every opportunity. I appreciated his openness about his less-laudable life choices, and his generosity toward those who’d been particularly significant both professionally and personally, including a few long-term girlfriends and three wives. In spite of - or perhaps partly because of - his somewhat regrettable past, Craig Ferguson strikes me as being a genuinely decent guy.
My husband read American on Purpose in paperback last year and has been after me to read it for months now. The book’s still on my nightstand, but thanks to audio, I get to move it to the “read” column; I’m glad I listened to it - and to my husband.
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LibraryThing member arnett4388
I really enjoyed this book, it wasn't a laughing out loud book, it was a more serious tale of Craig's life. I like him alot and I like his show, and I enjoyed reading about his life.
LibraryThing member Faintdreams
An amusing and honest auto
biog 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
biog 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
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of all the characters who have touched his life, and made him the man he is today. Show Less
LibraryThing member lanewillson
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,
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.
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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.
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LibraryThing member latorreliliana
Very well written. His personality comes through. Addictive early years in Scotland. Love of all things American.
LibraryThing member reannon
I have to admit that after years of watching Craig Ferguson's talk show, he's come to feel like a friend... but I promise not to stalk him. I read his novel, Between the Bridge and the River, and enjoyed it, so have been anticipating this book. I enjoyed the book, though after listening to so many
Craig grew up near Glasgow, dropped out of school at 16 because he hated it in school so much - apparently it was a violent place not conducive to learning, though he has been an avid reader all his life. He spent a few years at this and that, and found what he wanted to do in comedy, after a while playing the drums in a few bands. However, he had also found the bottle and that it numbed his terrors.
Ferguson had wanted to live in America since his first trip to New York when he was 13. He made it, and here he went to rehab His life improved a lot after that. He got a job as a regular on the Drew Carey show, made a few movies, then got the job as host of the Late Late Show.
It is easy, after the painful years we've had in the U.S., to forget why people from other places aspire to come here:
"For me, becoming an American was not a geographical or even political decision. It was a philosophical and emotional one, based on a belief in reason and fairness of opportunity." (p. 268).
A friend of mine loves a saying, "God make me as good a person as my dog believes I am". So my new prayer is "God make this as good a country as our immigrants believe it is".
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of his stories on the Late Late Show there isn't a lot of the book that is surprising. It is nice, though, to have it laid out as a coherent narrative rather than a story here and there.Craig grew up near Glasgow, dropped out of school at 16 because he hated it in school so much - apparently it was a violent place not conducive to learning, though he has been an avid reader all his life. He spent a few years at this and that, and found what he wanted to do in comedy, after a while playing the drums in a few bands. However, he had also found the bottle and that it numbed his terrors.
Ferguson had wanted to live in America since his first trip to New York when he was 13. He made it, and here he went to rehab His life improved a lot after that. He got a job as a regular on the Drew Carey show, made a few movies, then got the job as host of the Late Late Show.
It is easy, after the painful years we've had in the U.S., to forget why people from other places aspire to come here:
"For me, becoming an American was not a geographical or even political decision. It was a philosophical and emotional one, based on a belief in reason and fairness of opportunity." (p. 268).
A friend of mine loves a saying, "God make me as good a person as my dog believes I am". So my new prayer is "God make this as good a country as our immigrants believe it is".
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LibraryThing member EmScape
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,
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!
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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!
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LibraryThing member spitfire8125
This is one of those books that you can't put down. I bought it to occupy myself for many days and wound up reading it so often that I was done in two.
American on Purpose is written in the sort of down-to-earth and easy to read language that you might expect from Craig Ferguson. His life story,
American on Purpose is written in the sort of down-to-earth and easy to read language that you might expect from Craig Ferguson. His life story,
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seemingly lifted from the pages of a novel, is a wild up and down of triumphs that make you want to cheer and long stretches of misery that make you sad and angry at the same time. American on Purpose, as the title suggests, does offer a unique view of America from the eyes of a foreigner. More than that, though, it is a thought-provoking look into alcoholism and addiction that has resonated more profoundly with me than any other book on the subject that I've read to date. Show Less
LibraryThing member sperzdechly
This is a literary slideshow through the author's life. It shows some nice photos and some nasty ones, all of them commented with witty and self-deprecating humor. I wish we could stop and go deeper with a few ones, but the author allows just a glance and pushes forward...
I have serious doubts if
If you've ever watched the Late Late Show, you'll get exactly the kind of humor you'd expect. It's light, funny, and can unexpectedly turn very dark and serious... for a moment. It helps to go softly through the trauma of poverty, alcoholism, drug addiction, personal and professional failures, keeping them all at a distance for most of the time. I liked the short serious bits that felt more sincere and I wish they were longer.
Overall, it's a good book. There are some laughing-out-loud funny moments and some painful ones as well. I recommend the audiobook read by the author for an extra dose of Scottish accent and authenticity.
I have serious doubts if
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this book was written for readers, it feels like it was written more for the author. It gives him a chance to appreciate everyone who supported, inspired, or influenced him. I mean EVERYONE, even nameless drunkards that happened to be in a right place and time. There are numerous short episodes in this book that could've been cut out as they are not really interesting or meaningful for the whole arc... but I believe there were kept to not miss any character that shaped Craig into a person who he is now.If you've ever watched the Late Late Show, you'll get exactly the kind of humor you'd expect. It's light, funny, and can unexpectedly turn very dark and serious... for a moment. It helps to go softly through the trauma of poverty, alcoholism, drug addiction, personal and professional failures, keeping them all at a distance for most of the time. I liked the short serious bits that felt more sincere and I wish they were longer.
Overall, it's a good book. There are some laughing-out-loud funny moments and some painful ones as well. I recommend the audiobook read by the author for an extra dose of Scottish accent and authenticity.
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LibraryThing member revslick
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.
Language
Original publication date
2009
Physical description
288 p.; 7.8 inches
ISBN
0061998494 / 9780061998492