In many places, Muzzled reads like a verbatim transcript of Smerconish's dictation, which is perfectly understandable (you sit down and type out a 292-page book while still maintaining a full-time day job), but it could have used a bit more editing before it was released. And I was really annoyed by the Smerconish keeps writing the word "MUZZLED" in all capital letters throughout the book, as though we were unfamiliar with the title.
Still, for the reader unfamiliar with Smerconish or his radio show (like I was), many aspects of Muzzled will come off as pleasantly surprising. Unlike some other talk-show hosts who've taken to the printed page, he actually backs up many of his claims with footnotes. And while he's certainly a conservative, he's not as doctinaire as some readers would expect. (He opposes gay marriage but argues strongly in favor of extending spousal benefits to same-sex couples, for example.)
Many of the people he criticizes in Muzzled and on his show were allowed on the program to make their case, and in a chapter on reparations for slavery (which Smerconish opposes, as do I) he reprints in full a listener's letter which eloquently argues in favour. On the other hand, a "letter to [his] son," dated 2020, reads like the work of a left-winger trying to satirize conservative punditry. ("...the ACLU was successful in getting eight of the [Ten] commandments declared illegal." "...some people like the system of deciding who gets into college based on race, gender and ethnicity alone.")
Muzzled has its moments, but Smerconish's book could have used some work. Still, now that I've read it, I'm curious to see what his show is like. (It's available online, but you have to register.)
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