Oh, the Things I Know!

In Oh the Things I Know: A Guide to Success, or, Failing That, Happiness, Al Franken (currently US Senator from Minnesota but formerly writer and performer on Saturday Night Live) takes on the inspirational book genre. You know the books - right around graduation season hundreds of these books pop up everywhere from book stores to Hallmark stores to the check out aisle in your local grocery store. They are thin, easy to read, and contain every overused corny inspirational quote you've ever heard plus a few new ones for good measure. Franken attempts to spoof this genre.


Franken remains true to his comedic roots. There are some funny insights into life, and some excellent jabs at corny inspirational happy-successful-life books. However, the joke only lasts so long. By the end of the book (a very easy 140 pages long) I found myself bored with it. Truthfully, in sections I found it hard to distinguish when Franken was trying to be funny and when he was trying to give some real advice. Some of both is present...it would have been much funnier if he had continued with the joking around.

I'm not sure who would want to read this book. It's the weakest of Franken's books, and while it generates a few laughs, you'd be better off reading something else. I certainly wouldn't buy it from a store - it retails for $19.95 - but you could pick it up for nearly free from Amazon. But it's really not all that special.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

42 books, 146 days...at this rate I'll finish early!