DAVE BARRY HITS BELOW THE BELTWAY

In past collections, Dave Barry has satirized American government; this time he focuses his comic genius completely on its stupidities and embarrassments. Barry skewers the media, the American educational system, lawyers, giant zucchini (seriously), teenagers and their music, and a dozen other topics in a string of digressions that he somehow manages to weave into the flow of his narrative. Barry skillfully replicates and exaggerates the language used in civics textbooks, campaign ads, and legal cases, producing a string of zany images and colorfully mixed metaphors. Dick Hill's narration is wonderfully flexible but occasionally overemphasizes jokes that would be funnier delivered straight. G.T.B. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 02]