SQUANDERING AIMLESSLY My Adventures in the American Marketplace

What would most Americans do with a financial windfall? The host of NPR's "Marketplace" takes several field trips to find out. His destinations include the Mall of America, Las Vegas, seminars for investors and entrepreneurs, an upscale retirement village and Levittown. Each segment starts with a lucky winner news clip and ends with what Brancaccio has learned. As you might imagine, a radio personality has no trouble putting his own material across, making it informative as well as entertaining. His sense of humor, often self-deprecating, and his unhurried, even stumblebum, approach make you feel a part of each adventure. Only the title seems amiss, but, then, "spending with direction" isn't too gripping. J.B.G. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 00]