Jon Stewart "Blurb" on Glenn Beck Book
Thursday, September 16 By Andrew Shaffer 
In addition to the TIME quote that appeared on the hardcover's back cover ("Leading the lunatic fringe"), Simon and Schuster have added a less-than-flattering quote from The Daily Show's Jon Stewart:
"Finally! A guy who says what people who aren't thinking, are thinking."
Is this a smart move on Simon and Schuster's part? It seemed to work for the hardcover, which featured even worse "blurbs"--"A half-informed radio blowhard," raved Vanity Fair--while still hitting #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.
My first thought is that a positive blurb isn't going to entice a new reader to to pick up a book by such a polarizing figure as Beck.
My second, more cynical, thought is that there aren't any other authors or celebrities willing to give Beck a positive blurb, and that this is the strategy that Simon and Schuster are stuck with. Your thoughts?
Reader Comments (2)
Well, I think there would be lots of conservative authors who would be willing to give him at least a tepid blurb. But I think this is actually a much smarter strategy. As you say, no one who's not already into Glenn Beck is even going to touch that book -- even if Obama, Arianna Huffington and the NYT editorial board all sang his praises. Pointing out instead how "some people" have disdain for anyone who likes Beck might just convince some closet fans to pay up and buy the book.
Also, I don't think those are truly "blurbs" so much as examples of the leftist "bumper sticker slogans" referenced right above on the cover copy.
Good point--I don't think they're blurbs, really. And a quote from Obama of the NYT editorial board in praise of Beck's writing would probably drive his core fan base away.