Carlson said after that, they didn't pay much attention to Don and proceeded to basically do what they wanted with the show. Carlson indulged in a few stories about the show, leading us into it's quick demise (it only lasted 8 months).

He goes on to tell us about his being asked by CNN to co-host 'Crossfire' much to the dismay of people like Tom DeLay. His spokeswoman told the New York Post that he was "not a real Republican." Bob Novak was not thrilled with the idea either. We're told about his surviving a plane crash in Pakistan three weeks after 9/11 and was told by investigators that they didn't know why the plane, which landed in the desert, didn't "burst into a ball of flame."

Carlson was also the subject of a rape accusation (the woman had severe mental problems and the accusation was bogus) and the fear he experienced in those couple of days. He had an adventure in Vietnam with Senator John McCain, where he was close to spending time in a Vietnamese prison because of his big mouth (he was freed thanks to the intervention of the Clinton state department emplyee James Rubin).

What sets the book apart however, is Carlson's frank and honest opinions of the people he has to deal with along the way.

Regarding James Carville (one of the liberal co-hosts of Crossfire), Carlson initially thought Carville came off like like a madman in order not to be bothered by CNN suits, but at one point realized that it was all real. "There was nothing phony about his outrageousness. He actually didn't care. For rea;. And it was clear he was having a great time not caring." One time, Carville decided to tell Carlson about one of his sexual fantasies - right before 'Crossfire' started with a studio audience listening in. When a horrified producer started yelling in Carlson's ear to get him to make Carville stopped, Carville noticed the look on Carlson's face and said, "Is that Sam? Is that Sam Feist our corporate butt-boy producer? Sam, if you an hear me, lighten up." Carlson writes, "It was at that moment that James Carville became one of my favorite people."

Jesse Jackson was described as "phonier than I imagined" when it was obvious that Jackson didn't have a clue what he was talking about prior to a segment of "Both Sides" but came off looking like an expert once the cameras rolled. According to Carlson, not only had his staff prepared questions to ask about the issue, but also prepared answers.

He says Chris Matthews hyperactive way of doing his show "is not an act" and gives an example of how Matthews would respond to a simple question like, "Are there any coffee cups in here?"