The Political Journey

At the outset of the book, Franken candidly states his central purpose: "when I look back at my political journey, I can't help but feel like I'm as prepared as anyone could be for this moment. This book is the story of that journey." (3). With this seemingly unimportant statement, Franken reveals that the purpose of this book strays from that of a traditional memoir and instead resembles that of a critical modern political commentary and analysis. His underlying political motivations are successfully hidden under the guise of a personal memoir. Recalling his personal and professional histories in the way many politicians do for their memoirs, Franken frames his experiences in a way that, in his opinion, perfectly suits him for the current and entirely unfamiliar political realm in which we live. Be it lucky coincidence or forced perspective, Franken believes that the story of his professional...