THE AGENDA

Bob Woodward introduces the abridged tape of his book about the first year of the Clinton administration, as seen from inside the White House. Happily, Kevin Spacey, a far better reader, continues the tale of meetings upon meetings, mostly concerning efforts to pass Clinton's budget plan in 1993. The entire production sounds as if someone has chosen random eighteen-and-a-half minute segments from one year of White House tapes. Is the book itself or its abridgment responsible for this lack of continuity and organization? Woodward promotes The Agenda as a combination of journalism and history, but this version does little to advance either discipline. S.F.W. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 94]