Iggy's Ellipses

That dot dot dot (...) can sure do wonders when you're trying to flog a book. Just ask "Honest" Iggy, currently in major freak out mode due to an ex-MP and mega-hyped allegations about cocaine and "busty hookers." Endeavoring to shift a few more copies of his snoozerama True Patriot Love, Iggy and his publisher resorted to a little ellipis legerdemain. From the Ceeb:

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff was accused Friday of twisting media reviews to promote paperback sales of his latest book, True Patriot Love.

The book traces the influence of several generations of Ignatieff's mother's family, the Grants.

The jacket of the book includes a number of excerpts from newspaper critiques that leave the impression it won rave reviews when first published last spring.

Take this snippet from the National Post: "Plenty of scope for a rich story ... Some wonderful anecdotes, particularly about George P. Grant ... Well written."

In fact, the Post review in its entirety was far from laudatory.
"True Patriot Love offers little that is new on the Grants save some wonderful anecdotes, particularly about George P. Grant," wrote reviewer Robert L. Fraser.

"As an exploration of patriotism, it offers up clichés about modern Canada but little more.True Patriot Love is a well-written disappointment."

Oops! Well, it's definitely not as sexy as that "busty hookers" trope, but it has prompted at least one Tory to call Iggy's suitability for the highest office into question:

"This is the type of dishonesty that not even a first-year university student could get away with," Alberta Tory MP Chris Warkentin told the House of Commons.

"I am wondering if the leader of the Opposition really believes that this is honesty or if this is maybe a case of deceitfulness."

I think there are plenty of other reasons to question Iggy's fitness for office. This is maybe--or merely--a case of Iggy trying to sell more crappy books.