Vol. 38, No. 3
Fall 2008

BOOK TALK IS BACK!

(Book Talkis presented by Reader Advisor Librarian Henry Hayden and is a review of a featured book and narrator plus Library News. Comments and suggestions are invited either through email or by calling 602-255-5548)

What Happened Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception

By Scott McClellan

(RC 66655 on 3 cassettes)
Narrated by Butch Hoover

Political insiders are quick to note that the George W. Bush White House is perhaps one of the most loyal yet secretive administrations in history. So when Scott McClellan - the President’s past Press Secretary - came out with a critical book about the President’s top advisors and the President himself, it quickly became number 1 on the New York Times’ bestseller list. The public couldn’t wait to hear a controversial insider’s story!

Unlike many books by cabinet appointees, this one does not attempt to skirt around controversial issues nor hide in mundane recollections. It is shockingly brutal yet amazingly honest, at least in the eyes of Scott McClellan. Many readers may start out thinking this is but another vengeful Bush bashing. However, as McClellan’s tale unfolds his sincerity and detailed analysis make this book a must. Especially for those interested in a ‘behind the scenes view’ of the Bush White House and what the author calls “Washington’s Culture of Deception.”

From The Book Jacket
“In 1999, at the age of thirty, Scott K. McClellan accepted what he considered the job of a life-time: working as press spokesman for Texas governor George W. Bush, just as Bush was beginning his campaign for the presidency. Drawn to Bush’s strong, successful record of bipartisan leadership and commitment to compassionate conservatism, and later inspired by his promise to restore dignity to a White House sullied by scandal and partisan warfare, McClellan would serve the president for more than seven years, becoming part of his inner circle of trusted advisers and attaining the job of White House Press Secretary.”

Narration
For those of you who follow narration reviews from The Arizona State Braille and Talking Book Library, you are well aware that Butch Hoover is one of Reader Advisement Librarian Henry Hayden’s favorite narrators. Hoover’s narration of What Happened is but another example of his superior skills. What makes this narrative presentation so special is a personal understanding of the author by the narrator. It’s as though Hoover senses Scott McClellan’s intense desire to provide a very personal and honest rendition of his historical political experience. Thus, Hoover goes to work portraying this with the human voice, often using cadence and voice inflexion to give the listener a deeper experience than one limited to the print world. In short, the author is brought alive through the golden voice of Butch Hoover!!.

Stay Tuned For More Exciting Information!!!