cover image The Best Democracy Money Can Buy

The Best Democracy Money Can Buy

Greg Palast. Penguin Audiobooks, $29.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-14-280065-2

Whether one believes Katherine Harris's claim that Palast's conclusions are ""twisted and maniacally partisan"" or Tribune Magazine's declaration that he is ""the greatest investigative reporter of our time,"" one thing is plain: Palast does not shy away from controversy. This collection of reports touches on a number of familiar topics, including Enron, the presidential election of 2000 and the Bush family's purported connection to Saudi Arabia. These issues have been explored in more depth by other authors, but what makes this audiobook so entertaining is its all-star anti-administration cast, including Al Franken, Janeane Garofalo and Jim Hightower. All of the readings are well-executed, but the full plate of narrators can cause confusion. It's unclear how the text is divided up amongst the readers, and at any moment, a new chapter may begin with a new, unidentified voice. Despite the guessing-game nature of the audio presentation, this is still a fun, provocative listen.