Last Call

Listeners will hear about Al Capone in Daniel Okrent's book about Prohibition and the events leading up to it. They'll hear more, though, about political hypocrisy and the futility of trying to dry out a nation. Okrent looks back on the arguments and their consequences with humor. Listeners will hear him smiling as he wordily describes principals on both sides of the debate and turns plenty of ironic and sarcastic phrases. At the same time, Okrent did his research, and his portrait of the Prohibition era is full of detail listeners probably haven't heard elsewhere. It's entertaining, but it will also make listeners think as Okrent details the folly of the government's war on alcohol. J.A.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine