But that theory was quickly shot down in flames by a squadron of hacks keen to point out that Mr Zuma - a man of great personal charm who can also wow a crowd with his singing and dancing - is simply not much of a wordsmith and that no grander conclusions should be drawn.

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The sympathy of many readers will be engaged by Mr Brody's anecdotes, by the charm of the personal portraits he paints, by his evident humanity and by the plausibility of his thesis.

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And somehow, this suggested a strange, slightly berserk piece that had both charm and humor, but also a certain personal poignance.

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