America on Purpose Review
America on Purpose - Craig Ferguson
There is something amazing about reading someone's own words describing their own lives. You gain their voice, their perspective, and really, you gain a window into their own thoughts and progression through life. Julie Andrews's memoir, Home, was one of the first I remember reading, and I loved it so much that I decided to start reading others.
I didn't know that much about Craig Ferguson prior to reading this book. All I knew was that I loved his monologues and that he was Scottish. Reading this gave me a whole new respect for him. Not only is it funny and silly like his comedic style, it is shockingly honest and reflective. Starting from his early days and ending with his start of hosting the Late Late Show, one learns all about his trials, his rock bottoms, and his enduring strength. Craig is open about his flaws and his mistakes without being deprecating or overly apologetic. He simply states them as the facts they are, and progresses to show how each success and failure shaped him, and led him to his current life. His resilience and strength are truly inspiring.
Definitely recommended. And like any good comic, Ferguson closes his book with the strongest chapter. Below are some of my favorite quotes:
"We're not just a nation. We're not an ethnicity. We are a dream of justice that people have had for thousands of years."
"I am the child of two parents and two countries. My mother put the blue in my eyes and my father gave me grit. Scotland made me what I am and America let me be it...I didn't become any less Scottish when I became an American. The two are not mutually exclusive. I am proud of my heritage. I will always be Scottish in my heart, but my soul is American, which means: between safety and adventure, I choose adventure.
Scottish by birth, but American on purpose."
