Talking Back: To Presidents, Dictators, and Assorted Scoundrels

Mitchell's narration, as expected, is flawless. Her delivery is stamped with the distinctive inflections and authoritative husk TV viewers have come to know during her 30 years as a broadcast journalist, primarily with NBC. But for a memoir, this is a double-edged sword, for often the impression is: ""This is Andrea Mitchell reporting live from the career of Andrea Mitchell."" Rare are the truly personal moments, so her voice betrays little vulnerability. Even in the treatment of her marriage to Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan, she maintains a mostly matter-of-fact tone about its unusual nature given their respective professions. Mitchell does allow a bit of personality to shine with her impersonations of Ronald Reagan and whiffs of resentment when considering antagonistic Reagan chief of staff Donald Regan. No doubt Mitchell has had to be tough. From the Jonestown massacre to the Iraq War, from Carter to Bush II, she has covered it all, regularly landing exclusives and beating the competition in a traditionally male-dominated profession. But ultimately, Mitchell's unwavering manner, which serves her well as a journalist, deprives the listener seeking deeper passages into the human heart, especially one that has beat so close to some of this country's most historic events.