The Natasha Factor: Politics, Media and Beyond (Alison Rogers, Lothian, $29.95 tpb, ISBN 0734406835, November)

Her leadership was brutally cut short but she was arguably the most likeable politician this country has ever seen. Whether it was bad timing or weak leadership that precipitated her downfall, the fact remains that as leader of the Australian Democrats ‘Tash’ brought celebrity status to a profession that was and is sorely in need of a star. As Natasha Stott Despoja’s former media adviser, Alison Rogers provides us with a behind-the-scenes perspective of what happened before, after and during a controversial period in the Democrats’ history. Rogers’ insightful commentary on the party leadership battle, the 2001 Federal Election and the subsequent end of Stott Despoja’s reign as leader points to a good politician who was hard done by. Unfortunately, Rogers’ personal anecdotes too often get in the way of an interesting topic. Rogers does state in the prologue that this book is not a biography, but rather her personal account of what happened during this period, which is by no means objective. As much as the self-indulgence detracts from the book, it does provide a rare insider’s insight into politics. As the author is also a former ABC broadcaster, look out for the deluge of publicity.

Tony O’Loughlin is a bookseller at The Avenue Bookstore in Albert Park

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2004, Thorpe-Bowker