POISONER IN CHIEF Sidney Gottlieb and the CIA Search for Mind Control

Sometimes truth is stranger, and scarier, than fiction; this is one of those crazy stories. In the 1950s, scientists working for the CIA conducted drug experiments on unwitting individuals as part of an unsuccessful effort to brainwash them. Sadly, the impact of this important story is blunted by James Linkin's overly aggressive tone, which becomes a bit exhausting. One might get past this problem in light of Kinzler's grave conclusions about state-sponsored torture and the roots of extraordinary rendition, but Linkin's decision to adopt a digital-sounding voice for Sidney Gottlieb is a serious mistake that really grates. Gottlieb, who headed up the drug program, may have had a stutter, but he should still sound like a real person. A.B. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2020]