Page Four THE MICHIGAN DAILY Sunday, October.21,.1973 Page Four THE MICHIGAN DAILY sunday, October 21, 1973 ml BOOKS Attention Grad Students Take a more active role in your student government Rackham Student Government is announc- ing the formation of Committees for Grad- uate Affairs. THESE COMMITTEES INCLUDE: Elections Teaching & Finance . Teaching Fellows Communications Women in the Foreign Students University Program Planning For further information contact Rackham Stu- dent Government, or call 763-0109 NO PRODIGY An insider's account misses its target 4N & Centicore Bookshops 335 Maynard 1229 South University 4 663-1812 665-2604 O CENTICORE HAS BOOKS ABOUT ~ NDIANS INDIANS OF THE PLAINSj TO LIVE ON THIS EARTH REALITY AND DREAMS THE NAVAJO STEALING THE PUMPKIN: Traditional Poetry of the Indians of North America ECOLOGY AND HEALTH EATER'S DIGEST: The Consumer's Factbook of Food AdditivesQ THE UNCLEAN SKY4 HARVESTING THE CLOUDS ENVIRONMENT WATER IS EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS SSCI ENCE CRYSTALS AND CRYSTAL GROWING0 SOUND WAVES AND LIGHT WAVES4 SYNTHETIC POLYMERS4 INTERIOR BALLISTICSt & EVERYTHING4 ADHOCISM: The Case for Improvisationu GROOKS, Numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 64 THE FINE ART OF MIXING DRINKS I TOUCH THE EARTH, THE EARTH TOUCHES ME 1, 4,1 THE DANCE OF LEGISLA- TION By Eric Redman; Simon and Schuster, New York; 319 pages; $7.95. By ALAN LENHOFF WJHEN A twenty-four year old student sets out to write an "insider's account" of the U. S. Senate, one might expect that his inexperience would work against him. In Eric Redman's case, that lack of experience is painfully clear. What Redman offers the reader is not meant to be well-reasoned political analysis. Nor is he join- ing in the spirit of Watergate by exposing Senate improprieties. Instead, Redman offers a wide- eyed, first-person account of the sensitive underpinnings of Con- gress' - the staffs and commit- tees - as he traces the devel- opment and eventual passage of a piece of minor legislation, the National Health Service Corps Act of 1970. The bill, which set up a team of medical personnel to be deployed in poverty areas, is traced from Redman's perspective as a novice staffer of Sen. Warren G. Mag- nuson (D-Wash.). As such, the reader is privy to Redman's pri- vateconversations andinegotia- tions as he works for the mea- sure's adoption. THE RESULT is a legislative roller coaster ride, as Red- man relates a story in which he vacillates between exhilaration and utter despair each time his pet bill faces a challenge. It certainly makes for a sus- pensefully, gripping tale. But is it an accurate account? It appears that Redman has embellished the behind-the-scenes action for the sake of dramatic spice. Indeed, much of the book's interest rests upon Red- man's humorous portrayalof himself as an incompetent ner- Ivous wreck. Ultimately, most of the prob- lems the bill encounters are at- tributable to Redman's bungling. Somehow, the baby - faced An- dover - Harvard - Oxford stu- dent gets "taken" at almost ev- ery turn, either by other congres- sional staffers, or by slick civil servants who enter the picture. The author apparently wishes the reader to identify with him during these disconcerting moments. If the reader does sympathize, it is short-lived. It is not long be- fore Redman somehow encoun- ters two persons even more naive than;himself - and he promptly seizes upon the opportunity by lying to them in order to extract promises of support for the bill. QIMILARLY, in his exuberance to render his story suspense- ful, Redman leads the reader to believe that President Nixon will veto the measure. Certainly, Nix- on has every reason to veto it. HEW Secretary Richardson had recommended a veto, and Nixon had previously announced his in- tention to dismantle the entire Public Health Service, of which Manuson's proposal would be- come a part. But when Nixon does sign the bill into law, Redman offers the reader no explanation. The end- ing in happy (Redman presum- ably, is happy enough to drink himself to death) and the reader is expected to accept this abrupt change of events, as he would in a piece of melodramatic fic- tion, with no further explanation necessary. Thus, in his zeal to make poli- tics dramatic to the reader, Redman has written a piece of drama with very little political significance. In retrospect, it is evident why Redman felt the need to embel- lish his account in this manner. Generally, minor legislation spon- sored by a key Senator (Magnu- son is the third ranking member of a Democratic Congress) sails through with little or no opposi- tion. This case hardly seems an exception, as the measure passed both houses nearly unanimously. Redman also fails to. get the Brundy", and how he used to refer to the premier of France as "Mr. Poopidoo". "There is something out of the ordinary about a man who cancels two days of campaign appearances because his dog has died," Red- man writes. If Redman's book offers any real insight into the legislative branch of the federal govern- ment, it is in the realm of ex- posing some of the petty political MOTORMOUTH CoselI: From the man who should know By JOHN PAPANEK F ALL THE names and faces that parade through our newspapers and light up our tele- vision screens, very few land with enough punch to register a substantial impression on the vast- ness of the American public. Some faces and personalities become known and judged through constant exposure - Nixon, Agnew, and some flash-in-the-pan stars like Sam Ervin. The rest go fading in and out in blorious mediocrity. One personality that has been sharp enough to deliver a blow to an entire public is Howard Cosell. The sound of his name evokes an intense reaction from anyone who's ever heard Howard's voice: gushing over the greatness of Vince Lom- bardi; needling Muhammad Ali; lambasting an Olympic coach whose runners missed an event; blowing his own horn wit unmitigated conceit and cockiness. To most of us, Cosell is no more than a voice with a face, yet somehow he has the power to make a viewer's blood boil, make him wretch, or make him clench his fist in agree- ment. Howard's success story is not miraculous; dur- ing his climb to the top, he has continuously am- plified the very character, traits that people find so obnoxious. "Tell is like it is," is Cosell's credo, and when it comes to the subject of Howard Co- sell, he bars no holds. What could be more au- dacious than to publish an autobiography jacketed with a caricature of smirking Howie, entitled Cosell by Cosell? Whether you love Cosell for his totally re- freshing approach to sports journalism, or you simply love to hate him, his book is a dream come true; 390 non-stop pages of classic Cosell, writ- ten entirely in Howie's own unique narrative style. Witness: "arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, prosecuting, distasteful, verbose, a show- off. I have been called all of these. Of course, I am." AS YOUR EYES skim the words, Cosell's un- mistakeably nasal Brooklyn twang rings clear- ly in your ears. He does his entire act - re- lating hilarious stories about his episodes with Ali, Joe Namath, Sonny Listori, Dandy Don Mere- dith, Lombardi, tells of his film career. as the "star" of Woody Allen's Bananas; his hard fought climb out of the Jewish ghetto of Brooklyn up the corporate wall at ABC; and of course constant barbs at "The Establishment," self-righteously aligning himself as one of the great revolu- tionaries of the day. COSELL AND ALI made each other. The two got together early in their respective careers (Cosell had been doing local radio and television ...... . ..,:. , "The story of a legislative roller coaster ride, as Redman vacillates between exhilirat ion and utter despair each time his pet bill faces challenge . . . Ultimately most of the prob- lems it encounters are attributable to Red- man's bungling for he baby-faced Andover- Harvard Oxford student gets 'taken' at al- most every turn . . ,. - Cosell's credo- "Tell it lake it is" for years before getting much national exposure) and their on-camera antics are priceless. Both men were smart enough to see great public ap- peal possibilities. Cosell would badger A, and Ali would threaten to "whup Cosell." Before Ali's rematch with Sonny Liston, Ali came glaring at Cosell with cameras rolling: "Stop, everybody, I want you to know this is Howard Cosell. And I'm going to whup him. He thinks Sonny Liston can beat me. (To Cosell:) What do you think is going to happen to the Big Black Bear this time?" Co- sell. "I still think he can beat you!" Ali: "What? You Kidding? You must be kidding. I'LL WHUP YOUR'HIINEY. You hear that? You folks hear that? Howard Cosell . ." COSELL LIKES to display example of what he calls "verbal dexterity." He relates the story of his first interview with Liston, a thug who had a record of 20 arrests. Cosell and Rocky Marciano, his partner for the broadcast of Liston's fight with Floyd Patterson, ventured to Liston's training camp-a deserted race track guarded by a squad of pistol-toting goons. Cosell watched while Liston's floosie wife climbed into the ring where Sonny was sparring and started twisting to "Night Train." Howie sent Marciano oved to do the inerview. Liston snarled, "I ain't talking." So Cosell took charge: "I took my life in my hands and stepped in. I said 'Now look, Sonny, you're going to- be heavy- weight champion of the world and it's not going to take you long. You're going to have to pre- sent a whole new image to the American public, because you have a lot to make up for. I don't give a damn if you hate me; I don't like you either, and I just met you. But you gotta do this interview." And of course, Liston did it. I like Cosell. Howard transcends what spectator sports in America has come to signify: medio- crity. He is sincere in doing his job properly, and the fact that he has made such a splash is testa- ment to his ability. Howard has the kind of per- sonality that makes people want him around. You might have known someone like him in high school. Obnoxious, vain, cruel, et al, but fun. If nothing else, you hungered for a chance to knee him in the groin. TAPE RECORDER 0r 0. U h " " -N SPECIALISTS AUTHORIZED WARRANTY "THE FULLY-EQUIPPED & REPAIR STATION AUDIO LABORATORY" reader to warm up to Sen. Mag- nuson, whom he attempts to por- tray as a liberal hero of sorts. At times, Redman's slavish loyalty is not unlike the dog who is fond of sniffing the seat of his mas- ter's pants. MAGNUSON'S Senate record is at odds with Redman's liberal portrait. Long known as one of the Senate's most effective "pork barrellers," Magnuson jumped on the social welfarebandwag- on when his long-time pal LBJ assumed the presidency. But a Senator doesn't spend 40 years in Washington without paying for it - both to his colleagues and to the special interest groups who keep the campaign coffers filled. Thus, Redman is hard-pressed to defend the Senator's affirma- tive votes on the SST (no doubt, dictated by pressure from the Seattle - based Boeing Co.), the controversial "no knock" police search provision, and his votes against reform of the seniority system. But if Redman cannot make us love Magnuson's voting record, he is determined to make us love the man for all his foibles. He relates anecdotes about how Mag- nuson once introduced Avery Brundage of the International Olympic Committee as "Average goals which motivate the mem- bers of Songress. IN EFFECT, Redman is a per- fect aide to Magnuson. He is loyal to the end, and his loyalty overshadows any ideals he may have. Thus, he is willing to com- promise the contenttof the Health Corps bill, in order to ensure that no matter what the bill says, his boss reaps the accolades. And for that the legislative process surely suffers. NEW & NOVEL Theroux: Disarming in his sim, " Advent 0 Akai " Altec * Ampex " Bell & Howell " BSR 0 Concord " Craig "Crown " Dual " Dynaco - " Electro-Voice " Garrard 0 Grundig 0 Harmon/Kardon - * JBL Kenwood " KLH 0 Lenco0 * Magnocord " Maontz - ....: " Mayfair " Miracord e sC " Norelco 0 Philips " Pioneer "*Revox . " Roberts 0 Sonsui *'' ': 0 " Sanyo - Scan-Dyna e * " Schaub-Lorenz 9 9 9 3 " Sony/Superscope " Telex 0 Thorens " Tandberg " Teac MC Adams Digital Audio Analyzer " Toshiba " Uher ' tem Model 2000A and Phase Lock * V-M " Walledsak and Flutter Analyzer Model 1000. r CONSUMER AND PROFESSIONAL MODELS " WE DO CUSTOM MODIFICATIONS ----- By RHEKA JOSEPH SAINT JACK By Paul The- roux. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. $5.95, 247 pages. IF THE novelist is to enjoy a readership at all he must enter- tain and inform. Paul Theroux does both in Saint Jack. In an age where futuristic novels seem to be everybody's bottle of booze, Theroux's novel reeks of the salt air of Singapore and is disarm- ing in its simplicity. We have had picaresque novels in the past, from Don Quixote romping through unrealized ': 1 dreams in Spain, to Tom Jones savoring his amorous experiences in seventeenth century England. And now, Saint Jack calls the tune in Singapore. Who is Saint Jack? He is Jack Flowers, the Boston brahmin, a college drop- out with an impeccable good taste for the sensuous goodies of life, a wit who would shame a Maugham out of his driest hu- mor, and a pimp who likes his girls. All handwriting exposes, in its loops and slants, the soul of the writer yearning for aexpression. This is Flowers' observation as he starts his memoir, which is more than a catalogue of unre- lated experiences. One soon finds ShF atV FOLLETTS or BOOKS and SUPPLIES that his initial sobriety, even pes- simism, are entirely alien to his nature. His middle age is the hobgoblin of his mind. Fifty is a dangerous age, he says, for one like him who has a tendency to board sinking ships. Much in the same manner that he lowered himself from the rusty stern. of the Allegro when he arrived in Singapore fourteen years ago, he wryly observes that when the ship is swamped to her gunwales the man of fifty swims to shore, to be marooned on a little island from which there is no rescue, only different kinds of defeat. IT IS at the age of fifty, then, that Flowers finds himself working in ship chandling for a tubby Cantonese called Hing. It is also at the age of fifty that he meets William Leigh, a new re- cruit from England, who is sent over to audit the books at Hing's office. Flowers at once recog- nizes in Leigh an extension of himself and feels for him an in- ward clutching at self-pity. Flow- ers' humaneness would have given of itself if Leigh only stop- Sys- Wow ' f', , L r7:id- Mac .+r+ AiNCApp A BUTTERFIELD THEATRES EXCLUSIVE FOOTBALL WIDOWS NIGHT AT THE MOVIES Every Monday night thru Monday, Dec. 10th Is your husband hypnotized by the TV escapades of the LIONS, Dolphins, etc.? Fly the coop! We welcome "football widows" with sp cial low admission pricesand all the popcorn you can eat for 25c. MONDAY NIGHT all Football widows admitted FOR $1. MAKE UP A PARTY of "widows" and attend these Butterfield Theatres STATE-CAMPUS- MICHIGAN & WAYSIDE Sun., Oct. 21 SDT Spaghetti Dinner 5-8 p.m. 1405 H I LL ST. $1.75 Proceeds for Israeli Emergency Fund plicity ped being prissy and calling him Flowers. He decides to ob- serve Leigh closely, this version of himself. IN PARTS II and III, Flowers evaluates his own dreams, ambitions and reactions to life. He has always dreamed of being rich; being poor was the pro- mise of success and the antici- pation of fortune made the ro- mance. He composes a litany to himself which begins Sir Jack, President Jack, King John, as if he cannot decide which title suits him best. In his fantasy he sees no reason for stopping at king. Saint Jack! But his more concrete ambi- tion lies in the direction of writ- ing. He writes verses and begins an autobiographical book about a character called John Fiori, a fashionable version of Jack Flow- ers. But writing is lonely and he is often bored with it. If the book is a success he decides to write another about success and if it should fail he would write one about failure. How an American lives in a British colony is sufficient mater- ial in itself for a novel and it is worth the reader's while to find out whether or not Flowers re- turns to his homeland. USING a simple, racy style, Theroux avoids all of the convulsions of obscurity that nar the works of good novelists in their efforts to be profound. The plunge toward neo-realism as ex- emplified in Theroux's novel places real people in realistic sit- uations. This is all the more true because he knows his milieu and can offer precisely what it de- mands of him. Further, his travel experiences guard against sins of insularity and parochialism. His greatest asset is that he has ab- sorbed an eclectic philosophy of life and with it an easy tolerance of idiosyncrasies. And this has fond its wav into his novel. .. . - I I Complete Audio Repair I we know how to properly repair & align tape recorders "ALL MAKES & MODELS" 663-4152 300 S. THAYER lower concourse of Bell Tower Hotel-Ann Arbor II 1l Why shoul be a Why study for the priesthood? Why be part of a dying institu- tion? Why commit yourself to celibacy? Indeed, why get closer to misery in a world that is already miserable enough? There aren't any easy answers to these questions- even for a Paulist. But he knows that today's world desperatelv and listens for the sounds of love. Men like the Paulists rekindle our spirits and their love for Him includes and embraces all of us. Every Paulist is a mission- ary. Whether he is in the pulpit or the parish house, on campus or in ghettos ... whether he communicates with the spoken word or the printed word, the Paulist is talking about what concerns him most: the love of Christ for all people. If you are looking for answers, talk to us. Together we may find them. For more information about the Paulist priesthood, send for THE PAULIST PAPERS-an exciting new kit of articles, posters INASSAU MASS MEETING MARKLEY HALL: Lounge 4 Tues., Oct. 23 7:00 P.M. UNION: Assembly Hall Wednesday, Oct. 24t 7:00 P.M. FREE FILM & FUN BOTH NITES!!! Coll U.A.C. Travel for details 763-2147 on any book/books Ned's Bookstore & Student Book Service (formerly of Ann Arbor) ANNOUNCE GIGANTIC WAREHOUSE SALE OCT. 1 OCT. 23 ;.