PR Week:

PR pros will find 'Slick' to be a smart read

If you'd like to spend time with a PR guy who concocts a spin cycle that twirls faster than James Carville on "Crossfire," get this novel for some interesting reading and even a few professional tips.

Protagonist Scott Singer--a.k.a. "SLICK"--is trying to save his rap-star client from the aftermath of a high-school shooting, allegedly based on one of the singer's sexually explicit songs. To complicate things, there's a woman waiting in the wings, ready to accuse the singer of rape. In one fell swoop, our hero needs to not only save his client's reputation and singing career, but leave the rap industry exonerated--vindicated even.

Slick's strategy is pretty far-fetched, until you realize it will probably work.

Price can turn a phrase. He engages you with specifically drawn characters, taking you on a PR journey off the beaten path of anyone who does typical product PR. Only political PR could be more manipulative. It's a tale I'll keep in mind as the elections draw nearer. (Kelly Fitzgerald -- 8/9/04)