Better World Books Podcast: Christopher Gavigan

Posted by Dana on 08.27.2009 at 4:30 pm

Healthy Child Healthy World is an easy to use guide for creating a safe, green and clean home for your babies and children (even the ones who haven’t been born yet – and the ones that are grown up but just act like babies!).

Complete with a shopping guide, recipes for cleaning products and expert opinions, this is a great resource for parents and parents to be (and would make a great baby shower gift…I’m just sayin’).

The best part about the book to me was the celebrity “Parentblog” entries that gave some great insight into how Read more…

 

 Interview with Christopher Gavigan: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (273)

3 Comments » | Tagged Author Podcast, Brooke Shields, Christopher Gavigan, dana barrett, Green for kids, Gwyneth Paltrow, Healthy Child Healthy World, Meryl Streep, Michelle Obama, Tobey Maguire

Better World Book Club: The Shadow of the Wind

Posted by Dana on 08.20.2009 at 11:44 am

Don’t forget to sign up for the Better World Book Club.  Discuss the monthly pick with us here on the blog or take it back to your neighborhood book club.  We set you up with everything you need for your meeting…. a synopsis of the book, discussion questions and even a great recipe.  Sign up by going to manage subscriptions now.

Our Latest Pick

THE SHADOW OF THE WIND by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

If your book club has ever read a book where you struggled to find something to talk about, you will really appreciate THE SHADOW OF THE WIND.  There is so much to talk about with this book, I barely know where to begin.

From its Russian doll  – book within a book style to its use of religious imagery to the often parallel lives of two seemingly unconnected characters you will not run out of conversation.  I promise.

Our book, THE SHADOW OF THE WIND is about a book that Daniel Sempere finds in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books Read more…

3 Comments » | Tagged Better World Book Club, Baked Goat Cheese in Tomato Sauce, Better World Book Club, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Discussion Questions, THE SHADOW OF THE WIND, Whole Foods

Better World Books Podcast: Lisa Unger

Posted by Dana on 08.18.2009 at 9:27 am

Talk about a page turner.  Lisa Unger’s DIE FOR YOU gets going on page one and never really lets up.   And though it really moves, somehow the characters (especially Isabelle), really come to life and some big issues are tackled.  Lies, secrets, love and family to name a few.

I had the opportunity to speak to Lisa on the phone recently about her latest book, why you should consider it for book club and what the genre of literary suspense actually is.  We also tackled some of the big questions in the book like “Was love really real if it didn’t last?”, and Read more…

 

 Interview with Lisa Unger: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (259)

Have your say » | Tagged Author Podcast, Better World Books Podcast, book club, dana barrett, Die For You, Lisa Unger, Literary Suspense

Book Review: THE KING OF MADISON AVENUE by Kenneth Roman

Posted by admin on 08.11.2009 at 1:06 pm

He was an ultra-successful door-to-door salesman for Aga stoves. He was an Oxford dropout. He was a chef in a famous French kitchen. He was a spy during WWII. He was a researcher with George Gallup. He was a farmer and an expert on Amish life. He was an advertising legend. He was David Ogilvy.

In his new biography, The King of Madison Avenue: David Ogilvy and the Making of Modern Advertising, author Ken Roman details the life and times of one of the most interesting, eccentric, and brilliant minds of the 20^th century.

Roman, a former colleague of Ogilvy’s and one-time CEO of the firm Ogilvy & Mather, gives readers an inside look at David Ogilvy, advertising genius and creator of some of the most well known advertising campaigns in history. The Rolls Royce tagline Ogilvy wrote in 1958 is still considered by many advertising experts to be the greatest tagline of all time: “At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise comes from the electric clock.” Roman details this and many more of Ogilvy’s advertising exploits, but these stories are only a prelude to the heart of this book, which is all business. Read more…

1 Comment » | Tagged Book Reviews, advertising, business books, David Ogilvy, Kenneth Roman, Ogilvy & Mather, R. Stephen Prather, The King of Madison Avenue

Better World Books Podcast: Mike Farrell

Posted by Dana on 08.07.2009 at 4:26 pm

Meeting Mike Farrell was cool.  There is no other way to say it.  I grew up watching M*A*S*H and felt like I already knew him.  This feeling was only amplified by reading his very personal and heartfelt memoir JUST CALL ME MIKE. So when I saw Mike heading across the floor of the Chicago Green Festival, I ran right up to him and said “Hi Mike” as if we were old friends.  Of course he was a bit perplexed.  I realized my gaffe right away and quickly introduced myself.  As a famous actor, I’m sure he gets that kind of thing all the time so he was very gracious.

Once I got my foot out of my mouth, and the startstruck look off my face, we sat down for a great interview where we talked about Mike’s activism, his childhood, his book tour road trip – and yes, just a teensy bit about M*A*S*H.

I hope you enjoy the interview! Click here to check out more great authors talking about their books on our podcast page!

 

 Interview with Mike Farrell: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (280)

1 Comment » | Tagged Author Podcast, Chicago Green Festival, JUST CALL ME MIKE, M*A*S*H, Mike Farrell

Better World Books Podcast: Greg Palast

Posted by Dana on 08.03.2009 at 1:53 pm

Greg Palast is a character.  And I mean that in the best possible way.  This is a guy you want at your dinner parties.  Sadly, I don’t actually have dinner parties – but if I did, Greg Palast would always get an invite.  From his signature hat to his biting wit and his unforgiving commentary, Greg will keep you laughing until he’s made a difference.

The way the schedule worked out at the recent Chicago Green Festival, I was able to sit in on Greg’s lecture before I interviewed him.  It’s always great when I can do that as it gives me whole new level of understanding about an author that I don’t always get by just reading their Read more…

 

 Interview with Greg Palast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (255)

1 Comment » | Tagged Author Podcast, Armed Madhouse, dana barrett, Elections, Greg Palast, Oil, Palast Investigates, podcast, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy