# Al Franken's new book "Giant of the Senate" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 31, 2017, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804 "2017-05-31T23:12:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/1 "2017-05-31T23:12:58Z")
Anyone reading this? I’m about halfway through and it’s terrific – funny, self-deprecating, and educational. I highly recommend it – a very interesting (and frank, at least to me) look at recent politics. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/2 "2017-05-31T23:13:50Z")
I just heard him on Fresh Air. I think I kind of fell in love with him. Definitely going to read it. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/3 "2017-05-31T23:51:49Z")
The only bad thing about him being elected as a Senator is he stopped writing books. I had no idea this existed so thanks! Already ordered. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/4 "2017-05-31T23:58:02Z")
Well, as a Minnesotan with his re-election coming up, I look forward to dim bulbs claiming that the title is a legitimate claim by Franken and not comedy. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/5 "2017-06-01T01:04:28Z")
LOVE the front jacket photo. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/6 "2017-06-01T01:24:37Z")
Franken has a front row seat to all the rancor that exists in Congress. I’ll order his book. It’ll be interesting to read about life in Congress and how they get anything passed. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/7 "2017-06-01T03:28:23Z")
It was just released yesterday. I plan on picking up a copy this week. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/8 "2017-06-01T03:34:36Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Franken has a front row seat to all the rancor that exists in _Congress_. > > I’ll order his book. It’ll be interesting to read about life in _Congress_ and how they get anything passed. Obviously, someone has been paying attention. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/9 "2017-06-01T03:43:30Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > Obviously, someone has been paying attention. The Senate is part of Congress. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/10 "2017-06-01T04:58:01Z")
[The New York Times review](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/29/books/review/al-franken-giant-of-the-senate.html) has this snippet: _More interesting than Franken’s political points is his description of the value of humor as a force for bringing people together. He devotes a lot of space to his friendly relationships with Senate Republicans, from the cranky Kansan Pat Roberts to Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, “the funniest Republican in the Senate.” (Informed that Franken is taking a vacation in Puerto Rico, Graham deadpans, “Do two fund-raisers: one with the folks for statehood, one with the folks against statehood. They never talk to each other.”)_ OK, that is funny. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/11 "2017-06-01T08:30:24Z")
An early tilt at running for President? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/12 "2017-06-01T10:36:13Z")
Perhaps now that’s an added motivation, but it occurred almost inadvertently — 80 to 85 percent of the book was written before Trump was elected, and during that time Franken was pretty confident that Clinton would win (and he would support her re-election in 2020). Even that wouldn’t entirely rule out presidential aspirations, but they certainly weren’t a high priority while Franken wrote most of it. (Source: Franken’s interview with New York radio host Leonard Lopate). ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/13 "2017-06-01T13:00:03Z")
Also available via audiobook. Something to spend my Audible credits on! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/14 "2017-06-01T13:23:06Z")
I would not have guessed that Lindsey Graham had a sense of humor. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/15 "2017-06-01T13:51:50Z")
I’ve read most of his other books, so I’ll definitely pick up this one Thanks for letting us know it existed. Funny story: the first poiltics book I ever read was Rush Limbaugh’s The Way Things Ought to Be. The second politics book I ever read was Al Franken’s Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/16 "2017-06-01T15:12:29Z")
thanks for posting this, I have reserved a copy from my library. I loved Oh, The Things I know. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/17 "2017-06-01T15:21:46Z")
Amazon Prime says it will be delivered tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/18 "2017-06-01T15:22:02Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > _(Informed that Franken is taking a vacation in Puerto Rico, Graham deadpans, “Do two fund-raisers: one with the folks for statehood, one with the folks against statehood. They never talk to each other.”)_ > > OK, that is funny. And not entirely untrue 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/19 "2017-06-01T15:55:46Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I would not have guessed that Lindsey Graham had a sense of humor. Really? I recall him saying at least three or four funny quips in the 2015-2016 period. I was surprised at the time, but not anymore. The guy is genuinely funny. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/20 "2017-06-01T16:15:42Z")
Is it entirely text or are there illustrations & charts and such? If it’s all text I might download it to my Kindle Paperwhite, but it does not do well with illustrations. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804.md?page=2)