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 entertainment capital of the world. Along the way he stumbled through several attempts to make his mark - as a punk rock musician, a modern dancer, a bouncer, a construction worker and a stand-up comedian. 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 beer.) But his story has a happy ending: in 1993, the washed up Ferguson washed up in the United States - which, from the age of seven, he had always seen as a beacon of goodness and possibility. Finally sober, Ferguson landed a breakthrough role on the hit sitcom "The Drew Carey Show", a success that eventually led to his current starring role as the host of CBS' "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.

In Riding the Elephant, Craig regales readers with new essays, rendered in the voice fans have come to love. In lyrical prose that is at once hilarious and unexpectedly moving, he discusses his deep love for his native Glasgow, the psychological changes of fatherhood, and looks at ageing and mortality with a perspective that he was incapable of as a younger man. Each story is strung together in a colourful tapestry that ultimately reveals a complicated man and the personal progress he's made. For fans of Craig, comedy, and inventive storytelling, Riding the Elephant is a must-read memoir.

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.