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Jon Stewart: Beyond the Moments of Zen

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Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, has been called a “cultural force,” a “fourth branch of government,” and “the most influential man in America.” In this pioneering biography, award-winning journalist Bruce Watson charts Stewart’s remarkable rise from a wise-cracking New Jersey comic to a powerful pundit hosting presidents and prime ministers, all with a smirk.

57 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 28, 2012

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About the author

Bruce Watson

50 books33 followers
Bruce Watson is the author of "Light: A Radiant History from Creation to the Quantum Age" (Bloomsbury, Feb. 2016). Starting with creation stories and following the trail of luminescence through three millennia, "Light" explores how humanity has worshiped, captured, studied, painted, and finally controlled light. The book's cast of characters includes Plato, Ptolemy, Alhacen, Dante, Leonardo, Rembrandt, Galileo, Newton, Daguerre, Monet, Edison, Einstein... The American Library Association's Booklist called "Light: A Radiant History" "a dazzling book."

Watson currently writes the online magazine The Attic (www.theattic.space.) With weekly articles about American Dreamers, Wonders, Wits, Rebels, Teachers, and more, The Attic promotes “a kinder,cooler America.”

Watson is also the author of four other well-reviewed books, including "Freedom Summer: The Savage Season that Made Mississippi Burn and Made America a Democracy," "Sacco and Vanzetti: The Men, The Murders, and The Judgment of Mankind," and "Bread and Roses: Mills, Migrants, and the Struggle for the American Dream."

Watson has also written more than three dozen feature articles for Smithsonian. His work has appeared in the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, American Heritage, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Yankee, Reader’s Digest, and Best American Science and Nature Writing 2003.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
Profile Image for Janice.
185 reviews20 followers
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April 9, 2022
I’m not giving a number as a review of this book. All I will say is it gave me immense pleasure the couple days I read it. Jon Stewart reflects the definition of a mensch and his nightly show will always remain a source of my hope for the world.
Profile Image for Jessica Biggs.
1,245 reviews20 followers
March 6, 2018
Interesting overview of the TV show

I found this book to be very entertaining, mostly because I still miss watching Jon Stewart everyday. The book skimmed the surface of Stewart’s rise on the Daily Show, and some of his funnier moments. Not much info I didn’t already know
422 reviews
December 30, 2020
A short book about Jon Stewart’s history and The Daily Show. Not a lot of new information if you watched it over the years, but interesting to see how the show and Stewart’s influence grew.
Profile Image for Kimberly.
214 reviews12 followers
December 10, 2018
Stewart was said to host “aggressively but uncomfortably.”

Stewart was moving beyond stand-up, tapping the cultural chaos to reach not just young but smarter, more-jaded audiences.

“A career is a lovely place to hide from your social life.”

August 11, 1998, Comedy Central revealed that Jon Stewart would become the next host of its little-watched The Daily Show.

At home, “he never talks about politics or world events,” Tracey told Oprah Winfrey. “I forget how smart he is until I see him on television.”

By fall, Stewart’s shift from celebrities to politics, from fluff to substance, and from comedy to satire fit him like the three-piece suit that had once rubbed him raw.

Noting that 30 percent of American youth did not even know who was running for president, Stewart added, “Make them leave. It’s eight letters you have to learn, how ridiculous is that.”

To analyze the Florida recount, he consulted “the world’s foremost authority in mathematics,” Sesame Street’s purple vampire puppet, The Count.

Preparation for each program began with a meeting Stewart called “my morning cup of sadness.”

Stewart was upbeat about the expansion. “We’re excited about the opportunity to let down the entire world,” he said, and The Daily Show Global Edition was soon drawing rave reviews from Canada to Australia.

He said what a lot of viewers feel helpless to correct, that news programs, particularly on cable, have become echo chambers for political attacks, amplifying the noise instead of parsing the misinformation.”

Stewart defended his show, admitting that it had a liberal point of view but not, like Fox News, a liberal agenda. “We don’t have an agenda to change the political system. We have a more selfish agenda, to entertain ourselves.”

Stewart disputed the notion that his show creates cynics. “What’s more cynical than forming an ideological news network like Fox and calling it fair and balanced? What we do, I almost think, is adorable in its idealism.”

Stewart cited GOP fear-mongering, “So much of this has been about fear of you – an elitist, a celebrity, a Muslim terrorist sympathizer, a socialist, a Marxist, a witch – that’s right, they’ve been calling you a witch. . . . Has any of this fear stuff stuck to the electorate?” Obama admitted to “a certain segment of hardcore Sean Hannity fans that probably wouldn’t want to go have a beer with me, but for the average voter . . .” The candidate then made Stewart laugh by suggesting that just being on The Daily Show might brand him a socialist.

Stewart then summed up the rage against Wall Street. There were two stock markets, he said, “one that has been sold to us as long-term - put your money in 401ks, put your money in pensions, and just leave it there - don’t worry about it; it’s all doing fine. Then there’s this other market, this real market, that’s occurring in the back room, where giant piles of money are going in and out and people are trading them, and it’s transactional, and it’s fast. But it’s dangerous, it’s ethically dubious, and it hurts that long-term market. . . .It feels to us like we are capitalizing your adventure by our pensions, and that it is a game that is going on, but that you go on television as a financial network and pretend it isn’t happening.”

“Restore Sanity.” On September 16, Stewart made the announcement: We live in troubled times with real people facing real problems with real, if imperfect, solutions that I believe 70 to 80 percent of our population could agree to try and could ultimately live with. Unfortunately, the conversation and process is dominated by the other 15 to 20 percent. You may know them as the people who believe that Obama is a secret Muslim planning a socialist takeover of America so he can force his radical black liberation Christianity down our throats. Or that George Bush let 9/11 happen so he could pad Dick Cheney’s Haliburton stock portfolio. You’ve seen their signs - Obama is Hitler, Bush is Hitler . . . We have seen these folks, the loud folks, over the years dominate our national conversation on our most important issues.

As Christmas approached, he invited four First Responders on his show. Seated with the uniformed firemen and policemen, Stewart asked their response to the GOP filibuster of the bill that would close gaps in their health coverage. “Disgusted” and “disappointed,” the men answered. They explained their 9/11-related maladies and compared their jobs to those of Congress people about to recess for the holidays. Congress got the message. The bill was signed in the waning hours of its session.

Stewart announced another high-profile extracurricular performance, a debate with Bill O’Reilly. “So your suggestion is Barack Obama came into office and everybody went, ‘Lawd have Mercy, I don’t have to work anymore.’” Speaking without notes or placards, Stewart reframed O’Reilly’s “entitlement society” into the legacy of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal. “We have to understand as a society we have already decided to take care of people who need help . . . Why is it that if you take advantage of a tax break and you’re a corporation, you’re a smart businessman, but if you take advantage of something that you need to not be hungry, you’re a moocher?” Stewart asked.

“It’s not like I thought the show wasn’t working any more, or that I didn’t know how to do it,” he told The Guardian. “It was more, ‘Yup, it’s working. But I’m not getting the same satisfaction.’” In the end, he said, his “morning cup of sadness” had runneth over.

Keeping up with the latest outrages on Fox News and other outlets was “incredibly depressing,” he added. “I think of us as turd miners. I put on my helmet, I go and mine turds. Hopefully, I don’t get turd lung disease.”
Profile Image for Betty McMahon.
Author 2 books50 followers
April 9, 2014
I've watched Jon Stewart for only a year or so. I started watching just because I wanted to see what he was all about. I found some of his humor to be sophomoric, agreed with some of what he had to say and cringed over some of it. But I kept watching. Why? Because I found him to be very intelligent and I especially liked his guest interviews. I read this book to learn more about his background -- and the book provided that.
28 reviews2 followers
December 23, 2016
For true Jon Stewart fans

Only three stars because I had just read An Oral History of the Daily Show and a lot of this covered the same ground - from the perspective of only one person, whereas the Oral History was made up of interviews and quotes from contributors to the show. Choosing between the two, I preferred the Oral History . However, this book was well written.
Profile Image for Varsha.
51 reviews19 followers
January 5, 2020
Let's start off with a quote:

The thing that I truly believe is that the overwhelming majority of the country is not this conflict-driven, identity-laden group of ideologues. It just isn't. And that, ultimately, always wins out. Because no matter what, the guy with the NRA bumper sticker and the 'Don't Tread On Me' flag is still going to pull over when he sees an accident and help out the 'No Nukes' guy and vice versa. Like with the World Trade Center. Nineteen guys can knock it down, but hundreds and hundreds are still going to rush to it to fucking pull people out. That's just the way it is. So I'm always of the mindset that any asshole victory is short-lived. It just is. They lose. Assholes lose. They're annoying.. They cause momentary hardships, but they ultimately lose. And that's a good thing.


So, a few things:
1. I love how Jon Stewart manages the occasional swear word even when trying to be inspirational.
2. The whole premise of this message may seem idealistic. I, too, have been guilty of wanting to block certain right-wingers from my life. And truth be told, at times, you do need to maintain your distance from some people, especially if they are poisonous to you.
3. However, I still like the underlying essence at play here, and there is truth to it. In my experience, people do help each other out. And no one asks beforehand what the other person's politics is. While the politics of human rights and freedoms permeates through every aspect of one's life (never let anyone tell you that you should be friends with someone who devalues your identity), the politics of Parties does not. Perhaps, it's my healthcare training that feeds this, but the oath we take is: first, do no harm. That means to no harm to anyone. Be they a peace-loving, pot smoking commie or a tattooed, gun-loving war hawk. Barring extremists, we do truly help each other.
4. This book was pure nostalgia. I read it in the span of an hour and was smiling like an idiot the whole time - and not just because it was about Jon Stewart (who I adore!). It reminded me of simpler pre-von Clownstick times when we all thought Bush was the worst thing to happen to this country (remember those days?!) and had high hopes for Obama. I miss those days.

P.S. Sorry, that this was more an idealistic spiel than a book review. Oops. Sue me or whatever.
Profile Image for Glenda Lynne.
92 reviews9 followers
September 30, 2018
Locked and Loaded

I love Jon Stewart... not just because he is incredibly funny, but also because he is so astute and articulate and brilliant. Thus I was a bit worried about reading his biography. Too often biographies seem written in order to promote the author’s Own agenda. Happily, this book did not fail in its mammoth undertaking. I learned new things about the real life human being, the larger-than-life myths, and the enduring legacy that Jon Stewart is continually building. It was a joy to read!
Profile Image for Maj.
407 reviews21 followers
August 30, 2017
Pleasantly brief, delivered pretty much what I expected from it.
When it came to TDS I didn't learn many new things - having read the Oral History TDS book first.
Did find out a few to me new personal nuggets - and, more importantly, stuff about his early career.

One day I'd love to get to know more about Jon's early life, but that'll have to come from him.
32 reviews
March 9, 2022
Hmmmmm

Well, I should have read more about this one. Definitely not authorized. No real personal insights. No interviews with Jon Stewart. 2 stars for a very few things I learned, a few times I laughed or remembered a good Jon story.
Profile Image for Sue Ricketts.
133 reviews1 follower
March 13, 2022
Interesting Bio

Jon Stewart was not big in Canada because his satirical comedy was geared to American politics. This story tells his history from the early years through to the end of his run at Comedy Central in New York city.
Author 10 books7 followers
March 15, 2022
This book was okay. It's mostly about The Daily Show with little insight into the man himself. Meh.
Profile Image for Kelly.
325 reviews1 follower
May 13, 2022
he changed the industry

And I still miss seeing him on TV. Easy read that follows his career path along with a bit of personal insight.
Profile Image for Debby.
863 reviews4 followers
August 3, 2022
Interesting book about Jon Stewart's satire and mostly his work on the Daily Show
Profile Image for Ray Campbell.
964 reviews6 followers
February 18, 2014
This is a short biography of John Stewart which includes a brief sketch of his early life, rise to fame and ascendance as host of The Daily Show. The book begins and ends on the Mall in Washington during Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. The book does a nice job of tracing the metamorphosis of Stewart from stand-up comic and tentative performer into a powerful cultural force influencing millions with guests ranging from cultural icons to world leaders.

I seldom read a book in one sitting. Granted, this is a short book, but I went straight through in a couple of hours laughing, getting choked up and remembering. I don't watch The Daily Show on a daily basis. When I do catch it, it's usually the re-broadcast the next day at the earlier time. However, I consider myself a fan. I have spent an evening from time to time watching interviews on Comedy Central online and always click through when friends post links on Facebook. I think that more than agreeing with him on specifics, his over arching message which promotes honest, productive dialogue and consideration over punditry, is one that needed a hero in our modern age. It is too easy to become cynical with PACs, SuperPACs and mud-fests posing as debates. Stewart is so passionate about what we are as a nation and what we should expect of each other that he is easy to cherish. So, I enjoyed this little book; perhaps you will too.

Profile Image for Cindy.
27 reviews
September 20, 2016
I miss Jon Stewart. I had no idea his career developed right before my eyes. He just always seemed there - always present. I loved this book; it took me back to his beginnings. Always looking to find his mojo - ironically Dick Cheney and George W. gave him a leg up. Jon found his stride quickly, a satiric light on the absurdity of the media and the political arena especially. I watched his burn out play out on the Daily Show and the book helped to lay out the path that finally got him to that place. While there were no surprises here, it was fun to look at the fullness of his career and to be reminded why I miss him so much. Admittedly, I took great delight to read about all of the research done on the impact Jon and his team made. It was a quick, delightful read about a good guy who inspired us to think critically and to be true to who you are. Great book.
1 review
July 22, 2013
Overall, a good and fast (short book) read. It tracks well the movement of Jon Stewart's career with numerous quotes taken from some of his more memorable shows. As a regular viewer along with my wife, "The Daily Show" never fails to entertain while jabbing at those most deserving of it, primarily in the political arena. My biggest complaint is that it is so pro-Jon that not a word is mentioned of his all-too-frequent tendency to fall back on sophomoric humor that is clearly targeted at the easy laughs it brings from his younger audience members. These un-
Zen-like moments are at sharp odds with the sharp wit and intelligence that characterize Jon Stewart's satire.
Profile Image for Scott Holstad.
Author 132 books98 followers
October 15, 2013
This is a pretty good book if you like Jon Stewart -- and I do. It's a puff piece by a fan boy, but you get to relive some great moments from the show and he does a decent job of showing how Stewart started his career doing stand up and moved up to The Daily Show. It's a short book, a fast read, easy to digest. Not much meat though, and I could have stood to have had more input from producers, writers, and even Stewart himself, although he's much quoted from his shows. Cautiously recommended.
Profile Image for Debbie.
135 reviews5 followers
April 18, 2014
I've always liked Jon Stewart, and decided to learn more about him with this book came up for my Kindle. Watson pretty confirmed my opinion that Jon Stewart is genius when it comes to comedy and satire. Learning about his early career and how he arrived at the pinnacle was interesting and enlightening. He is very determined to maintain his privacy as relates to his family, which is understandable. If you like his show, and would like a little back story, then this book will provide that.
208 reviews5 followers
February 20, 2016
A bio of Jon Stewart, former host of the Dailey Show. Entertaining, enlightening, it follows Jon s life and career. For those who don t watch him, its a logically and chronologically told story of a brilliant and unique man - comedic to politically thoughtful and activist, yet still comedic! How unique is that... He will be missed on the show. I know he has more to give to society and life, and will. I look forward to the rest of the story. I recommend to readers who get satire.
Profile Image for Amanda.
263 reviews50 followers
September 26, 2015
I really enjoyed this look into Jon Stewart's life. Its not very personal, which I think is a plus, considering, he is such a private man. This mostly focused on Jon's movie and tv career, with The Daily Show being the main focus. I would recommend this if, you are wanting a look into his showbiz career but, if you are looking for a personal look into his life, I think, you will be disappointed with this read.
Profile Image for Karen.
34 reviews1 follower
April 5, 2016
Left me wanting to know more of Jon's character and a follow through of what he continues to accomplish and affect as his life goes on. This read gave me the insight on what made Jon Stewart the man we got to know as he opened up to us all on The Daily Show. I warmly suggest this story if you want to know where Jon began and how he became the impetus for a younger generation paying attention to US politics.
Profile Image for Michele.
20 reviews
August 17, 2013
Light reading, which is fine. I'd be uncomfortable with a book claiming to probe the psyche of such a private man. No huge surprises ( though I was clueless about Stewart's brother's position), but a nice chronological narrative on the metamorphosis of The Daily Show and Stewart's slow rise to a position of great respect and affection in the modern American collective.
22 reviews
July 15, 2016
Very well documented, this book is basically a bunch of quotations joined together by commentary. I didn't feel that I knew Jon Stewart any better at the end of the book than I did at the beginning. That's okay - he is a very private person and I respect that. And I did learn a little more about his career.
Profile Image for Lisa.
497 reviews77 followers
April 4, 2014
An Entertaining Read

As a fan of Jon Stewart, though I knew he was funny, there was a lot I didn't realize about him; how smart he is, how passionate he is; and how influential he is. There isn't a lot of new information or direct comments from Jon but it's still an informative, entertaining read. I'm really.glad I read it.
4 reviews
October 24, 2014
Great feel good book.

I've always liked Jon Stewart, but now I have a deep respect for him as well after reading this book. And he makes me believe in the American people again. I'm proud to have raised two sons of whom Stewart speaks as being a great generation to lead this country. Quick read. You'll enjoy it.
600 reviews
August 29, 2015
Jon Stewart: beyond the moment of zen

Watson does another brief but insightful look at a man who became a political voice for a generation. Since Stewart is a private man, all the focus is rightly on his impact in satire and attention to human foibles, especially in media and polity
Profile Image for Sam.
36 reviews6 followers
April 24, 2013
A good read, though the occasional typos in the Kindle version were annoying. The book may be a little heavy in its praise of a famously self-effacing man, but it does a good job of chronicling his career, particularly onscreen.
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