DIARY OF A STAGE MOTHER’S DAUGHTER BY MELISSA FRANCIS

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The life of a child star in the 1980s appeared to be charmed. However, in her memoir, DIARY OF A STAGE MOTHER’S DAUGHTER (now in paperback) Melissa tells the startling tale of a family under the care of a highly neurotic and dangerously competitive “tiger mother.” While Melissa thrived under pressure, her older sister — who had tried her hand at acting and shrank from the limelight — was often ignored by their mother in a shadow of neglect and disappointment.

It wasn’t until after Melissa had graduated from Harvard University, found love, and married that her sister’s personal problems culminated in a life-and-death crisis. When Melissa realized the role her mother continued to play in her sister’s downward spiral, she resolved to end the manic, abusive cycle once and for all.

What makes the book so compelling aren’t just the behind-the-scenes details but the spirited conclusion.”

—Entertainment Weekly

“A quick but heartbreaking guide for how not to raise children.”              —USA Today

“One of those intimate, heartbreaking, doubled-edged stories that is hard to read, impossible to put down.”                                                                                                  – Kirkus Reviews                                                                                                                                 

DIARY

KATE The Future Queen BY KATIE NICHOLL

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Ever wonder how the life of Kate Middleton unravelled and became who she is today? Kate Middleton is a style icon, a powerful symbol of the new British Royal Family, a modern-day princess, and of course, the wife of one future King of England and the new mother of another. But despite the paparazzi that capture her every outfit and wave, surprisingly little is known about Kate herself. Who is this middle-class girl who captured the heart, first of Prince William, and then of her nation and the world? In Kate: The Future Queen, Katie Nicholl, Royal Editor for the Mail on Sunday and contributing editor for Vanity Fair, goes deep beyond the polished accent and impeccable wardrobe to reveal the complete true story of Kate Middleton for the very first time.

Best Selling author of William and Harry Behind the Palace Walls, gives never before heard stories and so much more!

From Royals Expert Katie Nicholl, The Most Intimate and Revealing Account Yet of the Beloved Future Queen of England

KATE

Thinking in New Boxes By Luc De Brabandere and Alan Iny

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thinkingpicHave you ever been told to think outside the box? Well, how about coming up with great ideas by thinking in a new box?!

In THINKING IN NEW BOXES:  A New Paradigm for Business Creativity,  Luc de Brabandere and Alan Iny, two leading strategists from The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), share other examples of organizations that created entirely new “boxes” for themselves and arrived at redefining, growth-propelling “Eureka!” moments—such as NASA, Philips, Generali Insurance, and La Poste, France’s national postal system—as well as the companies that found themselves facing near-death “Caramba!” moments, like Blockbuster after Netflix’s revolutionary mail-order and digital business model.  From bold re-imaginings of a company’s entire mission to smaller—but just as vital—tweaks to a department’s day-to-day business and even to the personal obstacles of a mid-life crisis, this new book offers a revolutionary road map for sustainable creativity that will radically change not just the way you do business, but the very way you view the world.

Just think about it, if the owners of Nintendo, looking to expand their business, had simply thought “outside the box”—a catchphrase that has become synonymous with business creativity over the past 40+ years—they potentially would have discovered innovative ways to make and sell playing cards, but it is unlikely they would have become a global leader in high-tech video consoles.  Instead, Nintendo got truly creative and cast aside most of their old identity to create radically new “boxes” that brimmed over with opportunity. So next time someone tells you to think outside the box, just think how much more creative you can be if you just think in a new box!

THE QUEST BY NELSON DEMILLE

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille

takes readers on a deadly search for the Holy Grail in

THE QUEST

quest2

Originally released as a mass-market paperback in 1975 as DeMille’s first full-length novel, it has now been entirely rewritten and greatly expanded with new characters and a new ending. From the war-torn jungles of Ethiopia to the locked archives of the Vatican, an unlikely trio who are bound by love and a deathbed promise begin a search for the holiest of relics. Their quest begins when they encounter a dying priest in the jungle who tells them that the Holy Grail is hidden nearby.   As journalists and adventurers, they feel chosen to find the Grail — to uncover the legend that has lasted more than 2,000 years — and to tell an amazing story. Their decision leads them to the camps of a murderous army, to the secrets of the Vatican, and to the search for a hidden monastery.

“Nelson DeMille is a true master.” —Dan Brown, author of Inferno

“A marvelous contemporary writer with something to say, something as rare as it is rewarding.” —New York Daily News

“One of the greatest storytellers of ours or any time.” —Providence Journal

“Authors just don’t get any better than Nelson DeMille.” —Denver Post

CONTAGIOUS: Why Things Catch On – Jonah Berger

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ContagiousWhy do certain products and ideas become popular?

Why are some stories and rumors more infectious than others?

What makes online content go viral?

 

Wharton Professor, Jonah Berger

Explores How Social Influence Shapes Everything We Do in

 

CONTAGIOUS: Why Things Catch On.

 

Jonah Berger has spent the past decade studying social influence, and his research and ideas are often featured in publications like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Science and countless others. In CONTAGIOUS, Berger combines his groundbreaking research with powerful stories to explain the secret science behind word-of-mouth and social transmission.

We all know ideas and information spread through word-of-mouth. But according to Berger, the key to making things really popular happens long before it’s discussed at the water cooler or “liked” online. It starts with the message.

THE BLOOD SUGAR SOLUTION COOKBOOK by Dr. Mark Hyman

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Over 50 percent of meals in America are eaten outside the home, where highly processed, high-fat, high-sugar, low-fiber foods are consumed in abundance. The major culprit of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease is insulin imbalance, and it has emerged as a major crisis in American families. Today one in two Americans has either pre-diabetes or diabetes. In less than a decade the rate of pre-diabetes or diabetes in teenagers has risen 9 percent, to 23 percent. That means almost one in four kids has pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes. Shocking, and yet perhaps even more so, 37 percent of kids at a normal weight have one or more cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or high blood sugar, because even though factory food doesn’t necessarily make you fat, it does make you sick!

Blood Sugar Solution Cookbook

In The Blood Sugar Solution, Dr. Hyman revealed the root causes of chronic disease, the secret to losing weight, and a roadmap for preventing diabesity and getting healthy. In THE BLOOD SUGAR SOLUTION COOKBOOK, Dr. Hyman begins by showing readers how to take an assessment of their own health status and how to prepare their kitchen to follow The Blood Sugar Solution six-week program, and he presents the principles for eating healthy for life. Following are 175 original, wholesome, and delicious recipes—from Dr. Hyman’s own collection as well as from his community of chefs—that are free of allergens and harmful inflammatory ingredients. Readers can exchange toxic factory-made foods for nutritious, easy-to-make dishes (including dessert!) that showcase a variety of cuisines, including Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry, Mexican Shrimp “Ceviche,” Tuscan Zucchini Soup, Strawberry Ice Cream, Dark Chocolate Silk Pudding, and much more.

 

Dr. Hyman believes the cure for what ails us—both in our bodies and in our nation—can be found in the kitchen. It is a place to rebuild community and connection, strengthen bonds with family and friends, teach life-giving skills to our children, enrich and nourish our bodies and our souls. Think of THE BLOOD SUGAR SOLUTION COOKBOOK as a roadmap to pleasure and health.

Cutting Through the Crowd of Stories

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November is coming up and it’s a big sweeps month.  By “big” I mean important, as sweeps go.  They seem to count more heavily than July sweeps in setting ad rates for TV stations.

So what to do if you have an important November campaign that requires that you do a Satellite Media Tour or an Integrated Media Tour™?  How do you cut through and get the bookings?

Like it or otherwise, sweeps is about sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll … the stuff that broadcasters believe draws an audience, which is exactly what they’re after during sweeps.

So if you want your SMT to be chock-full of bookings, one of the first questions to ask is, is it ‘sexy?’  Are we offering something that is compelling enough to cut through all of the high profile ‘special series’ that fill news programs during this time?

It’s Who Says It.

Spokespeople are key to the success of any SMT or IMT™ — they have to be good.  But you might have the greatest talent who can deliver your messages frontward and backward, but are they high profile enough to have the chance?

Celebrities win hands down — certainly A- and B-list and even Cs.  That’s why they command the big bucks, which may also be the reason that your spokesperson is other than a celebrity.

Your spokesperson should be someone who is an expert in his or her field and more than that, someone who the local markets are unable to duplicate.  That means that they have credentials that are recognized nationally.

Tell Me a Story.

Right up there with your spokesperson is the “Story.”  To cut through sweeps, it must be compelling, unique or have just the right amount of kitsch to get the bookings.  If it’s time-sensitive and captivating, you’ve got most of the formula.  If it’s real news with a harder edge, you’re in.

Take It on the Road.

To add appeal to your story, produce the SMT from a unique, remote location, which will add excitement and panache to any local news or talk program.  For a recent SMT for a backyard wood deck sealer, we originated our tour right from Niagara Falls where the product is used on the visitors’ viewing platforms and stairs.

Integrate.

For stronger, more impressive results, integrate your SMT with radio interviews, targeted, guaranteed TV placements, an audio news release and a web video.

Movin’ On Out… of Sweeps

If you are able to move your SMT with a softer feature story and a lower profile spokesperson out of sweeps, timing is still very important.  Avoid the first couple of days after sweeps as producers tend to take off some time to recover from the intense month.