Oh, the Things I Know!: A Guide to Success, or, Failing That, Happiness Book

A Grammy® nominee.

The bestselling author and Emmy®-winning television star guides graduates across the uncertain seas of post-academic life. Inspired, inspiring, and laugh-out-loud funny.

He's taken on political satire and skewered self-help. Now Al Franken turns the world of earnest, inspirational self-help books on its head.

More advanced than Robert Fulghum, more fit than Maria Shriver's husband, Oh, the Things I Know! is Franken's commencement address for the 21st century. A cradle-to-grave guide for living, it takes young grads from their first job ("Oh, Are You Going to Hate Your First Job!") through their twenties and thirties ("Oh, the person of Your Dreams vs. the Person You Can Actually Attract!"), into marriage and parenthood ("Oh, Just Looking at Your Spouse Will Make Your Skin Crawl!"), and all the way up to senior citizenship ("Oh, the Nursing Home You'll Wind Up In!").

What does a mega success like Al Franken have to say to ordinary people? "There's no point in getting advice from hopeless failures." Filled with wit, wisdom, observations, and practical tips, this is an easy-to-follow user's manual for human existence. Why travel life's highway all by your lonesome when you can bring Al Franken along?

Library Journal

Fans of Franken's brilliant political satire (Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot) will be disappointed with his latest book. Oh, the Things I Know, while humorous in places, does not live up to the biting acerbity of Franken's political wit. It also pales in comparison with his earlier "self-help" persona, Stuart Smalley of Saturday Night Live fame. In this audio the author offers guidance, of a sort, through many of life's travails. Throughout, Franken appears to put aside what he is best at, humor, and tries to turn out a chapter or two of what Oprah is best at, concern and helpful advice for daily living. Those of us who have laughed out loud while reading his earlier books will be dissatisfied with this slim attempt at humor. Most libraries would be better served with any of Franken's other works.-Theresa Connors, Arkansas Tech Univ., Russellville Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.