SWIMMING ACROSS

This memoir of the early years of Grove, cofounder and chair of Intel, is written and read in a formal way that has a distancing effect. While enumerating bland details of daily life, the book, fortunately, offers some interesting glimpses into life in Hungary, first as a Jew living in hiding under the Nazis, and later under the Soviet regime. He reports the hardships and absurdities of life under the Soviets with understated irony. His escape from occupied Hungary and his difficult journey to America are the most affectingly told part of his story. Philip Bosco reads clearly at a good pace, but with a flatness that fails to capture any spark of life. Fans of Grove's business writings and those curious about life under communism may find enough to keep them listening. E.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 02]