The stinkers, the rascals, the
reprobates. . . and the just plain
dumb.
(Yes, Bill, he's talking
about you.)
Geraldo Rivera. The Coca-Cola
Company. Victoria Gotti. Tom Cruise.
Various members of the Bush
administration. All have earned the
dishonor of "Worst Person in the
World," awarded by MSNBC's witty and
controversial reporter Keith
Olbermann on his nightly MSNBC show
Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Now,
he brings all his bronze, silver,
and gold medalists together in this
wildly entertaining collection that
reveals just how twisted people can
be—and how much fun it is to call
them out on it. Plus, he reveals the
winner of the most coveted award of
all: "Worst in Show."
From tongue-in-cheek observations
to truly horrific accounts,
Olbermann skewers both the mighty
and the meek, the well-known and the
anonymous for their misdeeds,
including:
Ann Coulter, for, among other
things, calling Muslims "ragheads"
in a speech to the Conservative
Political Action Conference in
Washington
22-year-old Ronald MacDonald, who
was accused of theft at his place of
employment . . . Wendy's
Barbara Bush, for making a
generous donation to the Hurricane
Katrina Relief Fund earmarked
exclusively for the purchase of
computer software . . . software
sold by her son, Neil
For his first book
as a newsman, the smart, sarcastic
host of MSNBC's nightly newsmagazine
program Countdown with Keith
Olbermann has compiled nearly one
years' worth of his wickedly
righteous Worst Person in the World
feature. Of course, when he says
"worst," Olbermann isn't talking
about Hitler; these
specimens-including Tom Cruise, OJ
Simpson and Ann Coulter-are "the
mortal enemies of honesty and
dignity, of selflessness and class."
Though the peppery host often
pillories the merely stupid or
ridiculous behavior of regular
Americans and celebrities, the
recurring theme is corporate,
political and media malfeasance of
every stripe. FEMA, the Department
of Homeland Security, school boards
around the country, Rush Limbaugh
and George Bush all make multiple
appearances. But the real star of
the book-not counting Olbermann
himself-is his ratings rival Bill
O'Reilly (their shows air at the
same time), who gets taken to task
again and again. Depending on your
politics, you're either going to
love or hate the fierce, progressive
Olbermann, and his printed rants
aren't nearly as cathartic as they
are when delivered in his confident,
mocking boom, but this collection
makes a fine book for flipping.
- Publishers Weekly
