Anything Goes!: What I've Learned from Pundits, Politicians, and Presidents

As this collection of anecdotal, behind-the-scenes moments demonstrates, talk-show maven King enjoys incredible access to newsmakers. Indeed, private conversations with President Clinton and other high-level people help drive this breezy, entertaining book. King takes readers to a series of scenesDthe Democratic National Convention in Atlanta in 1988, his TV studio in January 1992 after Clinton's famous appearance on 60 Minutes, and Miami in 1958, where King accidentally hit a car driven by a man named John F. Kennedy, who asked for King's vote in two years when he would run for president. With his customary down-to-earth simplicity, King offers his thoughts on such matters as Clinton's political tenure (""He stayed on course despite `bimbo eruptions'"") and racism (""The [O.J.] verdict proved racism is quiet"") and small glimpses of the famous, like JFK Jr. and Marlon Brando. The momentary snapshots of personalities and thoughts, along with juicy snippets from his show (for instance, how Ross Perot came to say he might be a candidate for president in 1992, followed by the debate King hosted in which Gore decimated Perot), don't add up to much, but it's a quick and easy summary of some of the major events of the last decade. King has a huge fan base. This book will be a mighty bestseller. (Nov. 3)