Revolution for Dummies: Laughing through the Arab Spring

(Paperback)

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Hilarious and Heartbreaking. Comedy shouldnt take courage, but it made an exception forBassem. --Jon Stewart

"The Jon Stewart of the Arabic World"the creator of The Program, the most popular television show in Egypts historychronicles his transformation from heart surgeon to political satirist, and offers crucial insight into the Arab Spring, the Egyptian Revolution, and the turmoil roiling the modern Middle East, all of which inspired the documentary about his life, Tickling Giants.

Bassem Youssefs incendiary satirical news program, Al-Bernameg (The Program), chronicled the events of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, the fall of President Hosni Mubarak, and the rise of Mubaraks successor, Mohamed Morsi. Youssef not only captured his nations dissent but stamped it with his own brand of humorous political criticism, in which the Egyptian government became the prime laughing stock.

So potent were Youssefs skits, jokes, and commentary, the authoritarian government accused him of insulting the Egyptian presidency and Islam. After a six-hour long police interrogation, Youssef was released. While his case was eventually dismissed, his television show was terminated, and Youssef, fearful for his safety, fled his homeland.

In Revolution for Dummies, Youssef recounts his life and offers hysterical riffs on the hypocrisy, instability, and corruption that has long animated Egyptian politics. From the attempted cover-up of the violent clashes in Tahrir Square to the governments announcement that it had created the worlds first "AIDS cure" machine, to the conviction of officials that Youssef was a CIA operativerecruited by Jon Stewartto bring down the country through sarcasm. Theres much moreand its all insanely true.

Interweaving the dramatic and inspiring stories of the development of his popular television show and his rise as the most contentious funny-man in Egypt, Youssefs humorous, fast-paced takes on dictatorship, revolution, and the unforeseeable destiny of democracy in the Modern Middle East offers much needed hope and more than a few healing laughs. A documentary about his life, Tickling Giants, debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2016,and is nowscheduled for major release.

Reviews

"Hilarious and Heartbreaking. Comedy shouldn't take courage, but it made an exception for Bassem." -- Jon Stewart "A smart, refreshing and hilariously funny account." -- Salon.com "An entertaining and eminently readable book about a Middle Eastern country written for Americans. If you have been bluffing your way through political conversations pretending to know the differences between Islamists and secular Muslims, Youssef's book is an easy, painless way to rectify that error." -- The Ringer If you want to understand the Arab Spring-even though it was really the African Spring, set off by a 'small puny motherfucking country called Tunisia'-then this odd book is just the guide. -- Kirkus Reviews

Author Bio

Bassem Youssef was the host of Albernameg, the first-of-its-kind political satire showin the Middle East from 2011 until the show's termination by the Egyptian government in 2014. Youssef is currently the host of The Democracy Handbook, a digital series with Fusion TV, and now lives in the United States.