American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot

by Craig Ferguson | Biographies & Memoirs |
ISBN: 0061998494 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingwaterfallingwing of Rockledge, Florida USA on 3/1/2016
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3 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingwaterfallingwing from Rockledge, Florida USA on Tuesday, March 1, 2016
trade-size paperback.

from the back cover:
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 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 lead 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: success on the hit sitcom The Drew Carey Show, and later as the host of CBS's 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.

At times sad and funny, it was an interesting read. Although I never did watch The Drew Carey Show or the Late Late Show, I did see a couple of his movies. Was pleasantly surprised to learn of his connection to Peter Capaldi and to Doc Martin.

Journal Entry 2 by wingwaterfallingwing at Rockledge, Florida USA on Friday, April 8, 2016

Released 7 yrs ago (4/8/2016 UTC) at Rockledge, Florida USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Sent on as requested for the NonFic VBB.

Journal Entry 3 by tabby-cat-owner at Phoenix, Arizona USA on Sunday, April 17, 2016
I selected this book from the nonfiction vbb organized by booklady331. Thank you, waterfalling, for donating this book to the vbb and to sending it to me. It looks like an interesting read.

Journal Entry 4 by tabby-cat-owner at Bellingham, Washington USA on Sunday, March 22, 2020
It was actually painful to read the first part of this book, to read about Craig Ferguson's descent into alcoholism and drug abuse. Ferguson actually drops out of school to get away from the cruel treatment of bullies and teachers at age sixteen. He is definitely one of those people who had problems with alcohol from his first usage. By the end of the book, I was very impressed with the number of people that helped Ferguson throughout his life, with his career and also to enable him to become sober. Ferguson writes with a candor and humility, plus kindness, that makes his memoir refreshingly pleasant to read. I did watch Craig Ferguson on the Tonight Show a few times and I was impressed, but did not watch his show regularly. The same can be said for the Drew Carey Show. I find it interesting that sometimes the blurb on the back cover of the book is inaccurate. I believe that Craig Ferguson did not forget to commit suicide, the glass of sherry took away his intense pain and made it possible for him to continue living. I don't think that Craig Ferguson used alcohol and drugs to "numb his pain of failure", he was inextricably bound with his alcoholism from the beginning and many times, he refers to himself as crazy. It is amazing that he was able to accomplish what he did considering his alcohol and drug abuse. He was sober by the time he was on the Drew Carey Show and the Tonight Show.

This book was left in the Little Free Library. It was released for the March 2020 Oh, the Places We Can Go release challenge.

Journal Entry 6 by wingAnonymousFinderwing at Bellingham, Washington USA on Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Id give it an eleven if I could, his sense of humor agrees with me! Thank you!

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