And now for something complete different...

Sept. 2, 2024

I realize that Labor Day is a moment to celebrate America’s workers, and having once been a quasi-organizer, I fully support the movement.

That said, if you’re looking for a different take on union politics, The Porkchoppers by Ross Thomas is for you.

It’s a blisteringly funny, cynical novel about a national union election, populated by backstabbers, drunks, manipulators, crooks, Hollywood wannabes, philandering wives, smarmy yes men, con artists, and the occasional half-good guys.

Cleverly plotted, great characters, and dialogue that just leaps off the page (in other words, like every book by Ross Thomas), this is a terrifically entertaining book about how power corrupts -- and how corrupt and often dim-witted politicians enable it.

Oh, and the title?

“Porkchoppers” is union slang for an officer primarily concerned with his own personal benefits.

And there you have it.