Electoral Dysfunction

Marguerite Gavin's brisk pace and clear tone, with just a touch of a grin at the funny places, makes listening to this darkly humorous analysis of our electoral process as entertaining as it is informative. Although hearing Mo Rocca read his introduction would have added to the fun, narrator Lloyd James's forthright delivery is smooth and effectively complements Gavin's style. Deftly altering emphasis and inflection, Gavin easily transitions from the surprising and instructive historical content to the droll accounts of how base politicians have tried to manipulate this touchstone of our democracy. Her subtle changes in pace and tone are just enough to indicate the switch of authors in the closing chapter. Listeners fortunate enough to pick up this intriguing look at politics are in for a treat. M.O.B. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine