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Craig Ferguson
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American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot Paperback – Illustrated, May 11, 2010

by Craig Ferguson (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,815 ratings
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“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 Bestselling 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 U.S. 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.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    May 11, 2010
  4. Dimensions
    5.31 x 0.65 x 8 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0061998494
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0061998492
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A fine writer, witty, reflective, and candid.... Ferguson is a kinetic cutup teeming with foolishness, brilliance, defiance, and heart. All this is captured in his book as an entertaining connect-the-dots journey.” — Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers

“Hilariously vivid.” — People

“Funny and poignant and inspirational and brilliant. Nowhere in his story of emigration and redemption does Craig Ferguson realize that as lucky as he thinks he is to be ‘American on Purpose,’ we are luckier still to have him.” — Keith Olbermann

“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, author of The Given Day

“A great read . . . almost as good as my memoir.” — Carrie Fisher, author of Wishful Drinking

“Ferguson has given us a biographical treatment that is both brutally honest and inspirational…American on Purpose is a book that should be read.” — Chicago Sun-Times

“Hilarious and revealing...witty and emotional.” — The Daily Beast

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 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 U.S. 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.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Perennial; 1st edition (May 11, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0061998494
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0061998492
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 0.65 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,815 ratings

About the author

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Craig Ferguson

Craig Ferguson

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Craig Ferguson is the host of The Late Late Show and has worked as a drummer, a bartender, a stand-up comedian, and as an actor on The Drew Carey Show. He is the author of the novel Between the Bridge and the River, and lives in Los Angeles, California.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
1,815 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kelly G
5.0 out of 5 stars Scottish by birth, but All-American
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2013
Verified Purchase
Like many people in America, I discovered Craig Ferguson when he played Mr. Wick on "The Drew Carey Show." To put it bluntly, I hated him. I only looked as far as the character he played (which, now, says much about his acting ability) and found him weak, conniving, shrill, and patronizing. Once he left the show, I never missed him. Fast forward to 2009; I'd been unemployed for over a year and my ability to remain optimistic about life in general was rapidly disappearing. I was unable to sleep at night because I was sleeping all day. So, as such, I was flipping through the channels late one night and was stopped by a show featuring the "Spanish Word of the Day." I don't remember what the word was, I don't remember exactly what happened next. All I know is that I kept watching long enough for a tall, lanky Scottish man to come on the screen and be censored by an Italian flag and a "Tutti Frutti!"

It was love at first obscenity.

From his poor beginnings in Cumbernauld to his great successes in Los Angeles, Craig Ferguson is the embodiment of the American Dream. It happens much as you would expect - poor kid wants more, poor kid works hard, poor kid falls down a lot, poor kid moves to America, poor kid falls down some more, poor kid eventually becomes rich kid. There is little about Ferguson's story that people can't recognize in their own quests for self-fulfillment. Yet, as he tells his tale, Ferguson is witty, humble, and honest in ways that I think most people aren't when relating similar stories. He comes clean about his drug abuse and alcoholism; he owns it as a part of him. There's no escaping it; it made him who he is today and he knows it. He doesn't sugarcoat anything as he admits that his substance abuse played a large role in destroying both his first marriage and his relationship with his first true love. A later chapter, simply titled "Rehab," is one of the most poignant points of the book as he describes his literal struggle between choosing life or death. Anyone who has ever dealt with addiction or any kind of mental illness can relate to this and I was truly in tears. Keep in mind though that Ferguson's goal isn't to garner sympathy; as he says in the prologue, he tries to "spare [himself] no blushes." He is simply relating truth as he remembers it (or doesn't as the case may be). Most importantly, he wants you, American or not, to understand why he, a Scottish man, had to be American so badly. And, if you're a natural-born American like myself, you're actually kind of proud to be one once he's done. By the time I finished the book, Craig Ferguson had, in me, gained a life-long fan.

This book is funny, it's tragic, it's beautifully written...a Scottish immigrant has written a quintessential American story. It's a triumph in every word.
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V. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars A Deeply Personal Memoir, Honest and Humorous
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2018
Verified Purchase
If you've ever had insomnia or are just a natural late night person, then you no doubt watched Craig Ferguson on his late night TV show. (The show ended December 2014, five years after this book was published.) He is Scottish...profane...compelling.

Ferguson had some of the arguably most memorable and unscripted, off-the-cuff interviews on late (late) night television. It was no secret he came up the long, hard way. The man loved his booze and drugs. It almost killed him. Fortunately, he was also far luckier than most, and apparently there was a star somewhere that guided his steps.

This book is a no-holds barred, down and dirty memoir. Born of middle-class, hard-working Scottish parents, he was the third of four children (two girls, two boys). He was bitten by the America bug early after receiving a large colorful poster from NASA and the drive to come to America was born and never left.

Raised in the "second-worst" city in the UK (Cumbernauld), the schools provided a scrappy, terrifying education--right up until he quit at age 16. He's had ample opportunity now to reflect on how he's gotten here--circumspect and thoughtful, he decries himself as often as he praises those he credits with keeping him alive and opening one opportunity after another. The book is filled with clever and witty sayings, self-deprecating stories from his early beginnings in the spotlight as a drummer through his late, late night TV talk show. He discusses the depth of his alcohol consumption along with the full array of drugs in which he experimented from Scotland and England to New York City and eventually into Los Angeles.

Filled with cynical thoughts, humorous bits of memories, setbacks and triumphs, the book is biting and deeply personal and comes off as a refreshing tale of salvation. My problem, as always, is in the profane language. Still, I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity to download from BookBub, read and review, and would heartily recommend this book to any who think they've sunk too low to save. Not true. 4.5/5 stars
9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Paul Chavez
5.0 out of 5 stars todo bien
Reviewed in Mexico on September 15, 2017
Verified Purchase
no considero que sea necesario un comentario, la verdad es que todo llego bien y el producto fue de mi agrado
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Chrismonymusk
5.0 out of 5 stars Great insight into the early years of a great chat show host.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 15, 2018
Verified Purchase
Really enjoyed this book. Until Craig Ferguson did a guest appearance on Still Game, I have to admit that I had never heard of the guy. Then discovered the clips from the Late Late Show in America and have now become an ardent fan. His shows are hilarious and his book is a reflection of his unique humour. It details his early life in Scotland which at times wasn't easy and his battle with the booze and his dalliance with drugs. He always had a desired to live in The States and he achieved that aim and became, in my opinion, one of the best, if not THE best, chat show hosts. As you can see, I have become a big fan and his book is funny entertaining and we'll written. Handed it to a friend who also enjoyed reading it.
One person found this helpful
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Junaid
5.0 out of 5 stars Honestly beautiful and beautifully honest
Reviewed in India on June 17, 2017
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You gotta read it if you like Craig. Heck, I'd recommend it even if you weren't interested in him as a well-known personality. It is a damn good read and it's very well written.

Having adored him for his genuineness on the show, the book goes much deeper and expands upon similar experiences. Craig has always been adorable, funny and insightful.
3 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Craig Ferguson is not only funny, but honest and genuine
Reviewed in Canada on March 28, 2017
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Very candid, emotional story. Craig Ferguson is not only funny, but honest and genuine. A bit of a bugger and he doesn't hold back. He is a great writer and I learned some new words.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Australia on May 4, 2017
Verified Purchase
Fantastic
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