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  • American on Purpose

  • The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot
  • Written by: Craig Ferguson
  • Narrated by: Craig Ferguson
  • Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (41 ratings)

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American on Purpose

Written by: Craig Ferguson
Narrated by: Craig Ferguson
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Publisher's Summary

“With American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson somehow manages to avoid the pitfalls of self-indulgence and self-importance that plague most (okay, all) Hollywood autobiographies. He has, instead, written a book that is hilarious and irrepressibly daft, yet also kind, poignant, and undeniably wise. It was a joy to read.” (Dennis Lehane, New York Times best-selling author of The Given Day)

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 led 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 US citizen, a milestone he achieved in early 2008.

In American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson talks a red, white, and blue streak about everything our Founding Fathers feared.

©2009 Craig Ferguson (P)2009 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about American on Purpose

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I couldn't have loved it more!!

I loved it so much that I started again to listen twice!! Thanks Craig

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Really enjoyable.

Very entertaining. I liked it for I was also born in Glasgow and now live in Canada. I remember seeing Craig perform at the Tron Theatre in the Trongate. My gran lived nearby on Bell Street. She used to live on High Street just down the road from George Square. Craig's stand up show had a bit about instead of Saving the Whale then what about the plankton? I also remember having a drink with my pal at the Cul-de-Sac bar in Glasgow's west end and Craig was with his pal Robbie Coltrane who could be spotted fleeing down Byers Road in his convertible MG. Oh the 80's!

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I want to listen to the book again*

I fell. Asleep while reading it the first time I did get some of it before I fell asleep and it was quite interesting.

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