American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot by Craig Ferguson

From Barnes & Noble

The subtitle "Improbable Adventures" actually understates the skittish life path of this book's author. Late, Late Show host Craig Ferguson was born in Glasgow, where he walked mean streets, performed in a punk band called Bastards from Hell, and appeared in alternative comedy clubs as Bing Hitler. From those unremunerative enterprises, he lurched into temporary occupations as a construction worker, a bouncer, and a bartender. In that last job, he seemed to have found his true tragic calling. He became his own best customer, rapidly lapsing into a downward spiral of alcohol and drugs that nearly killed him. Somehow he not only survived and recovered; he found a new career, a new country, and a new sense of purpose. Heartfelt, fun, and inspiring.

From the Publisher

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 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: in 1993, the washed-up Ferguson washed up in the United States. Finally sober, Ferguson landed a breakthrough part on the hit sitcom The Drew Carey Show, a success that eventually led to his role as the host of CBS's The 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, just before his command performance for the president at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. In American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson talks a red, white, and blue streak about everything our Founding Fathers feared.

The New York Times - Andy Borowitz

There's no one else like [Ferguson] on television, and he's achieved something unusual in late night: a sense of intimacy with his audience. In American on Purpose he establishes a similar bond with the reader. Like Steve Martin in his similarly engaging memoir, Born Standing Up, Ferguson tells the life story of a comedian without letting jokes get in the way.

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