Super Short Summary

Originally published in 1994, Thank You for Smoking by Christopher Buckley is a political satire novel centered around Nick Naylor, a lobbyist for the fictional Academy of Tobacco Studies, an organization founded by the tobacco industry with the true purpose of countering negative scientific data and public condemnation of tobacco. Nick's job has made him a pariah, as he has humiliated everyone from grieving relatives of cancer victims to federal employees. He also must watch his back, as fellow Academy employees are after his job. His few friends are lobbyists for other controversial industries—gun and alcohol producers. Because he is erudite, good-looking, and resourceful, Nick is the darling of the talk show circuit. When someone tries to kill him, Nick's situation goes from bad to worse. A bestselling book that was adapted into film in 2005, Thank You for Smoking examines Washington lobbying, unethical industry behavior, and the manipulation of public opinion. Author Christopher Buckley, the son of conservative political icon William F. Buckley Jr., is a well-known satirist and commentator on social and governmental issues. This book contains references to suicidal ideation and drug use, as well as depictions of kidnapping, a mass shooting, and an attempted murder.