Talk: A Novel
Talk: A Novel
Overview
“Michael Smerconish has taken to heart the classic advice to first-time novelists to "write what you know": in his case, the overheated, intrigue-laden, agenda-strewn landscape where presidential politics and talk radio intersect. The resulting book is an absolute treat from first page to last. Fun and funny, raucous and razor-sharp, brimming with vitality and buzzy verisimilitude, TALK delivers truths large and small about the freak show that our ideologically polarized media environment has become. And does so with all the flair and savvy that are Smerconish's on-air trademarks.”- Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, coauthors of GAME CHANGE and DOUBLE DOWN“Smerconish has taken the plunge into fiction and it is a beautiful swan dive, perfectly timed and executed, as though he’s been doing it all his life...Michael Smerconish’s talk show character of Stan Powers is complex, thoughtful, and ultimately honest with his listeners and himself. You will love this guy, and this book.”- Nelson DeMille, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author (Gold Coast, The General’s Daughter, Plum Island)"If you've ever wondered what one of those hyper-ventilating, 'look-out! The sky is falling!' radio leatherlungs is really thinking, here is a bracing dose of candor, offered by one of the medium's most insightful figures. It's a gift to his listeners that Michael does not practice what his character screeches...and a gift to his readers that he renders this world so compellingly."- Jeff Greenfield, Five-Time Emmy-winning TV correspondent“Whether you love or hate talk radio--and no one's neutral on this one-- you will devour Talk. It's scintillating, sexy and smart. It also makes a powerful point you will love or hate but can't ignore. Read Talk and talk about it.”- Alan Dershowitz, Author of Taking the Stand: My Life in the Law“What a rollicking, romping, rip-roaring, read! Seriously, I am so impressed. Smerconish managed to compress into one book all the horrors, humor, and humiliations of both modern-day politics and talk radio. Of course it's fiction, but for those of us who have lived in those worlds, "Talk" hits awfully close to the bone, and delivers more insight into modern politics and media than any nonfiction I've read. And it's a pure hoot.”- Mark McKinnon, Media Advisor to George W. Bush, Cofounder of No Labels"In his first novel, TALK, Michael Smerconish, a guy who actually brings rational, thoughtful opinion and insight daily onto the national stage, has drawn back the curtain on two universes - politics and talk radio - that have dominated so much of the discourse around the direction of the country. Who knew? Smerconish writes as well as he talks. Buy the book. Learn a lot."- Mike Barnicle, Columnist, Contributor to MSNBC's Morning Joe program“You want a preview of how we will pick our next president? Read this compelling first novel by Michael Smerconish. I couldn’t put it down. Talk is the fascinating behind the scenes story of how big time politics and the big time communications are on a daily collision course. The resulting police report: careers are made, lives are destroyed and somebody ends up standing at the presidential podium.”- Sal Paolantonio, national correspondent, ESPNDescription
Condition Guidelines
Books - New and Used
The following guidelines apply to books:
- New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
- Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
- Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.
Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.
Shipping & Delivery
Shipping Fees
- Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
- Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
- No additional fees and charges.
Delivery Times
The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.
Estimated delivery times:
- Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
- Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days
Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.
Tracking
All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times.
Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.).
If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.
Returns & Refunds
You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.
Additional non-returnable items:
- Gift cards
- Downloadable software products
- Some health and personal care items
To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)
- Book with obvious signs of use
- CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
- Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
- Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery
Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.
Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.
If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:
- Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
- Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
- Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.
Shipping Cost
We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.
Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.
If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
Overview
“Michael Smerconish has taken to heart the classic advice to first-time novelists to "write what you know": in his case, the overheated, intrigue-laden, agenda-strewn landscape where presidential politics and talk radio intersect. The resulting book is an absolute treat from first page to last. Fun and funny, raucous and razor-sharp, brimming with vitality and buzzy verisimilitude, TALK delivers truths large and small about the freak show that our ideologically polarized media environment has become. And does so with all the flair and savvy that are Smerconish's on-air trademarks.”- Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, coauthors of GAME CHANGE and DOUBLE DOWN“Smerconish has taken the plunge into fiction and it is a beautiful swan dive, perfectly timed and executed, as though he’s been doing it all his life...Michael Smerconish’s talk show character of Stan Powers is complex, thoughtful, and ultimately honest with his listeners and himself. You will love this guy, and this book.”- Nelson DeMille, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author (Gold Coast, The General’s Daughter, Plum Island)"If you've ever wondered what one of those hyper-ventilating, 'look-out! The sky is falling!' radio leatherlungs is really thinking, here is a bracing dose of candor, offered by one of the medium's most insightful figures. It's a gift to his listeners that Michael does not practice what his character screeches...and a gift to his readers that he renders this world so compellingly."- Jeff Greenfield, Five-Time Emmy-winning TV correspondent“Whether you love or hate talk radio--and no one's neutral on this one-- you will devour Talk. It's scintillating, sexy and smart. It also makes a powerful point you will love or hate but can't ignore. Read Talk and talk about it.”- Alan Dershowitz, Author of Taking the Stand: My Life in the Law“What a rollicking, romping, rip-roaring, read! Seriously, I am so impressed. Smerconish managed to compress into one book all the horrors, humor, and humiliations of both modern-day politics and talk radio. Of course it's fiction, but for those of us who have lived in those worlds, "Talk" hits awfully close to the bone, and delivers more insight into modern politics and media than any nonfiction I've read. And it's a pure hoot.”- Mark McKinnon, Media Advisor to George W. Bush, Cofounder of No Labels"In his first novel, TALK, Michael Smerconish, a guy who actually brings rational, thoughtful opinion and insight daily onto the national stage, has drawn back the curtain on two universes - politics and talk radio - that have dominated so much of the discourse around the direction of the country. Who knew? Smerconish writes as well as he talks. Buy the book. Learn a lot."- Mike Barnicle, Columnist, Contributor to MSNBC's Morning Joe program“You want a preview of how we will pick our next president? Read this compelling first novel by Michael Smerconish. I couldn’t put it down. Talk is the fascinating behind the scenes story of how big time politics and the big time communications are on a daily collision course. The resulting police report: careers are made, lives are destroyed and somebody ends up standing at the presidential podium.”- Sal Paolantonio, national correspondent, ESPNDescription
Condition Guidelines
Books - New and Used
The following guidelines apply to books:
- New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
- Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
- Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.
Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.
Shipping & Delivery
Shipping Fees
- Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
- Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
- No additional fees and charges.
Delivery Times
The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.
Estimated delivery times:
- Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
- Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days
Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.
Tracking
All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times.
Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.).
If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.
Returns & Refunds
You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.
Additional non-returnable items:
- Gift cards
- Downloadable software products
- Some health and personal care items
To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)
- Book with obvious signs of use
- CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
- Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
- Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery
Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.
Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.
If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:
- Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
- Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
- Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.
Shipping Cost
We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.
Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.
If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
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