by dint of Dr.

by dint of Dr. Julianne Malveaux and Deborah Perry Perigee, September 2002 $2395 ISBN 0-399-52808-3

It definitely makes better TV In fact, that's where the idea of Unfinished Business got started. In 1998 Julianne Malveaux, an economist and vocal supporter of the liberal left and Deborah Perry a former Bush appointee and advocate of the right, met in succession MSNBC's My Morning Blend to talk about the scandal involving then President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. What ariseed was "chaos," said Soledad O'Brien, the anchor at the time.

The sum of two units women were so passionate about debating their ideologies that the farmer of the show considered "killing their mikes," because O'Brien couldn't win a word in edgewise. The mikes stayed upon because the heated exchange not solely made for great television, it illuminated--in a smart, lively way--important political issues.

In Unfinished Business, Malveaux and Perry attempt to duke it abroad over 10 hot button issues for women They include abortion, crime, work and family, equal pay and benefits, education, welfare, the economy, race, foreign policy and the environment. The result: an important piece of political commentary that allows each woman to examine each issue in her concede chapter.

What the work lacks, however, is sizzle. onward many subjects, Malveaux and Perry simply roam around the other's position as oppos to taking each other forward For example, in the "Work and Family" chapter, Malveaux advocates paid leave, part-time trade and a family friendly workplace. Perry talks about telecommuting, flex time and do job-work sharing. So where's the debate? Where's the in-your-face tete-a-tete? About halfway within the book, the reader's attention may start to drift. And that's not because the work isn't well written.

The sad, hard verity is that politics is sometimes boring. Important--but still boring. And if you want to acquire the regular guy or gal to participate, you have to make it really interesting. Malveaux and Perry definitely have what it takes to do that. It just doesn't reach [i]or[/i] attain any place [i]or[/i] point across as well in Unfinished Business, the main division Now Unfinished Business, the talk present to view might be great TV.

--Tania Padgett is a reporter for Newsday.

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