cover image The Lies of Sarah Palin: The Untold Story Behind Her Relentless Quest for Power

The Lies of Sarah Palin: The Untold Story Behind Her Relentless Quest for Power

Geoffrey Dunn. St. Martin's Press, (320p) $25.99 ISBN 9780312601867

Even before she became a mayor, Sarah Palin wanted to be president. In this full-court press of a polemic, Dunn, an investigative reporter and senior correspondent for Metro Newspapers, serves up this and oth-er choice tidbits surrounding the former Alaska governor's meteoric rise to political superstardom. For Dunn, Palin's political leanings recall the xenophobic Know-Nothing party of the 19th century and are fueled more by self-gratification than any serious interest in policy issues. Palin's long and diverse list of spurned and scorned friends and associates, mainly in Alaska, provide devastating examples of her pen-chant for playing fast and loose with the truth and other detailed character quirks. Dunn concludes that Palin is "all id%E2%80%A6lazy beyond belief and carelessly impulsive." Unfortunately, a journalist's insistence on Palin's suffering from a "narcissistic personality disorder" without consulting actual psychologists or psy-chologists undercuts this otherwise riveting political drama. Palin enthusiasts are likely to cry foul, but anyone looking for a lively and through account of the Palin phenomenon will be well-rewarded. (May)