BOOKS . . . VALUES MATTER

Presented essentially as an open letter to President Clinton, the new book by columnist Ben Wattenberg describes how Clinton swayed from the centrist social positions that got him elected and suggests ways in which he, or whoever captures the "values" debate, can win the presidency in '96. "Wattenberg is at his most impressive when dealing with the specifics of the disjunction between what Clinton promised and how he has governed," says TIME's Elizabeth Gleick. "These rare sharp moments, however, are surrounded by more stuffing than a Thanksgiving turkey. Wattenberg fills 400 windy and repetitive pages with folksy statements ('Is there hope for American kids? You bet there is') and self-important quotations from his own previous work." The result, Gleick says, is "a book that reads like a cynical proposal to land a big fat political consulting contract for the '96 election, and any candidate who heeds his words will do."