I am looking forward to organizing the Holiday Book Fair and signing event scheduled for Friday, December 1st at 8:00 AM, hosted at Zingerman’s Roadhouse. This event, organized in collaboration with Ari from Zingerman’s, will showcase 14 local authors specializing in books on leadership. Register for the event here.
As I prepare for this event, I reflect on my own journey to becoming an author and the genesis of each of my books. My memories flood back to Mr. McKay, my 12th-grade English teacher at Ferndale High School, who, for the first time, recognized my talent as a writer while reading my paper on “Madame Bovary” aloud to the class.
Fast forward to 1987, during my time as a family therapist at the Ann Arbor Center for the Family. It was then that a friend, Richard Meth, proposed a collaboration on a book about working with men in therapy. Joined by colleagues Barry Gordon, JoAnn Allen, and Sylvia Gordon, our collective effort resulted in our first book’s publication in 1989: Men in Therapy: The Challenge of Change.
The thrill of seeing our book featured at Borders and the subsequent invitations for book signings were truly gratifying. Unexpectedly, an invitation to the Today show to discuss our work on men’s therapy added an exciting dimension to our journey.
Two books published by Harper Books, Awakening from the Deep Sleep and What Every Man Needs to Know, reached 60,000 copies collectively, a testament to the relevance of insights shared about men’s personal development. And the relevancy of these books led me to an appearance on the Oprah show in 1996.
I’ve authored a total of ten books, each with its unique story. One of the most heartwarming experiences was creating Conversations with My Old Dog – a collection of letters penned to my faithful companion, Lucy. This book, born in 1999 before Amazon, was a labor of love that resonated deeply with readers, sparking the inception of my publishing company, Adpar Press.
In 2007, during a period of economic challenges, I authored Leadership in Unbalanced Times with Kathleen O’Gorman. My literary journey also includes several collaborative works. Following this, I co-authored Self-Aware: A Guide for Success in Work and Life and its companion piece, Journal for Self-Aware: A Guide for Success in Work and Life, with Dunrie Greiling, targeting young adult readers. For iAware: Becoming Self-Aware and College Bound, I joined forces with high school students Lauryn Humphreys and Ali Houmani. Additionally, Tech Leadership 4.0: Leading in a Technologically Driven World was a collaboration with my engineer friend, Mike Anleitner.
My latest release, Men: A Guide for Healthy Aging: 365 Ideas on Staying Strong in Mind, Body, and Spirit. If you would like a beta reader for Men: A Guide to Healthy Aging, please email me. Moreover, I am currently immersed in a book about Michigan Football grads and Conversations with My Old Dog Book II.