Al Franken: Giant of the SenateAl Franken: Giant of the Senate
Score Modern
What it's about
Al Franken, the Saturday Night Live writer and comedian, tells the story of how he ran for the Senate in Minnesota, won by 312 votes after a months-long recount, and then learned to be a senator. It's a memoir of a political campaign and of Washington from the inside, written by someone who never stops being funny.
Why it's worth reading
It reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It's one of the funniest political memoirs ever written, and a sharp look at how the Senate works.
You'll love it if you liked
A Promised Land
The Truth with Jokes
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African ChildhoodGood to know
It was published in 2017, before Franken resigned from the Senate. It's openly partisan and openly comic.
By the numbers
- Readers81 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller42 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #19 of the 44 politics books we rank
- #149 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #475 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #911 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
More by Al Franken
If you like this, read next
When Breath Becomes Air
The Passage of Power
Master of the Senate
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators
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Quick answers
Is Al Franken: Giant of the Senate worth reading?
Yes. It reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It ranks #911 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 73.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Al Franken: Giant of the Senate about?
Al Franken, the Saturday Night Live writer and comedian, tells the story of how he ran for the Senate in Minnesota, won by 312 votes after a months-long recount, and then learned to be a senator. It's a memoir of a political campaign and of Washington from the inside, written by someone who never stops being funny.
How long does it take to read Al Franken: Giant of the Senate?
About 8 hours (304 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Al Franken: Giant of the Senate?
If you liked it, try A Promised Land by Barack Obama, The Truth with Jokes by Al Franken or Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah.