The New York City - Southern New York Chapter of the National MS Society is thrilled to announce the finalists (see below for a full list) for the 14th Annual Books for a Better Life Awards. The winners will be announced Monday, February 22, 2010 during an awards ceremony at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York City hosted by Robin Roberts, co-anchor of ABC News’ “Good Morning America.” Carolyn Reidy, president and CEO, Simon & Schuster, Inc. will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Awards.
Cami Walker, author of the New York Times bestseller 29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life (Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2009) will receive the MS Awareness Award for bringing the MS movement to the forefront of the minds of all those who read her inspiring story of giving. Walker, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2006, created the online 29-Day Giving Challenge (29Gifts.org) in April 2008, and has continued her own giving cycle every month since. The MS Awareness Award honors an author whose work helps move us closer to creating a world free of MS by increasing people’s understanding of this disease that affects 400,000 Americans alone. Past recipients of this award are Montel Williams, Teri Garr, Richard M. Cohen and the authors of MS for Dummies.
14th Annual Books for a Better Life Awards
Monday, February 22, 2010
Millennium Broadway Hotel
145 West 44th Street (between 6th Avenue and Broadway)
New York, NY 10036
Cocktail Reception 6 p.m.
Awards Program 7 – 8:30 p.m.
To purchase a ticket or sponsorship package and join us Monday, February 22, 2010 click here. Please note all sales are final. No refunds will be extended.
If you cannot attend and would like to make 100% tax-deductible donation click here.
If you cannot attend but would like to congratulate an author, honoree, publisher, agent, friend or just get your name in front of over 300 publishing industry executives at the Awards consider purchasing an ad in our tribute journal. You can download an advertisement order form here and fax it to the attention of Sarah Buck at 212-986-7981. If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Buck at 212-453-3220 or sbuck@msnyc.org.
14th ANNUAL BOOKS FOR A BETTER LIFE AWARD FINALISTS
Childcare/Parenting
|
TITLE |
AUTHOR |
PUBLISHER |
|
The Curse of the Good Girl |
Rachel Simmons |
The Penguin Press |
|
The Lost Child |
Julie Myerson |
Bloomsbury |
|
NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children |
Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman |
Twelve Books/Hachette Book Group |
|
Saving Sammy: Curing the Boy Who Caught OCD |
Beth Alison Maloney |
The Crown Publishing Group |
|
Stepmonster |
Wednesday Martin, Ph.D. |
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
First Book
|
TITLE |
AUTHOR |
PUBLISHER |
|
The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World |
Jacqueline Novogratz |
Rodale Publishing |
|
Live Through This |
Debra Gwartney |
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
|
In the Sanctuary of Outcasts |
Neil White |
William Morrow |
|
Josie's Story: A Mother's Inspiring Crusade to Make Medical Care Safe |
Sorrel King |
Grove/ Atlantic, Inc. |
|
Shop Class As Soulcraft |
Matthew B. Crawford |
The Penguin Press |
Green
|
TITLE |
AUTHOR |
PUBLISHER |
|
The Backyard Homestead |
Carleen Madigan, Editor |
Storey Publishing |
|
Clean Food |
Terry Walters |
Sterling Publishing |
|
Ed Begley, Jr.'s Guide to Sustainable Living |
Ed Begley, Jr. |
The Crown Publishing Group |
|
Just Food |
James E. McWilliams |
Little, Brown and Company |
|
Super Natural Home: Improve Your Health, Home and Planet -- One Room at a Time |
Beth Greer |
Rodale Publishing |
Inspirational Memoir
|
TITLE |
AUTHOR |
PUBLISHER |
|
Hands of My Father: A Hearing Boy, His Deaf Parents, and the Language of Love |
Myron Uhlberg |
Bantam |
|
The Kids Are All Right |
Diana & Liz Welch with Amanda & Dan Welch |
The Crown Publishing Group |
|
Not Becoming My Mother |
Ruth Reichl |
The Penguin Press |
|
The Possibility of Everything |
Hope Edelman |
Ballantine |
|
Strength in What Remains |
Tracy Kidder |
Random House |
Motivational
|
TITLE |
AUTHOR |
PUBLISHER |
|
Emotional Freedom |
Judith Orloff, M.D. |
The Crown Publishing Group |
|
How to Rule the World from Your Couch |
Laura Day |
Atria Books |
|
Less: Accomplishing More by Doing Less |
Marc Lesser |
New World Library |
|
Throw Out Fifty Things |
Gail Blanke |
Grand Central Publishing |
|
When Everything Changes, Change Everything |
Neale Donald Walsch |
Hampton Roads |
Personal Finance
|
TITLE |
AUTHOR |
PUBLISHER |
|
1,001 Things They Won't Tell You |
Jonathan Dahl and the Editors of SmartMoney |
Workman Publishing |
|
The Cure for Money Madness |
Spencer Sherman |
Broadway Books |
|
The Difference |
Jean Chatzky |
The Crown Publishing Group |
|
Rich Like Them |
Ryan D'Agostino |
Little, Brown and Company |
|
Your Money Ratios |
Charles Farrell, J.D., LL.M. |
Avery Books |
Psychology
|
TITLE |
AUTHOR |
PUBLISHER |
|
Connected |
Nicholas A. Christakis, M.D., Ph.D. and James H. Fowler, Ph.D. |
Little, Brown and Company |
|
How to Instantly Connect with Anyone |
Leil Lowndes |
McGraw-Hill |
|
The Narcissism Epidemic |
Jean M. Twenge, Ph. D. and W. Keith Campbell, Ph.D. |
Free Press |
|
Play |
Stuart Brown, M.D. with Christopher Vaughan |
Avery Books |
|
The Pursuit of Perfect |
Tal Ben-Shahar, Ph.D. |
McGraw-Hill |
Relationships
|
TITLE |
AUTHOR |
PUBLISHER |
|
Brothers: 26 Stories of Love and Rivalry |
Andrew Blauner, Editor |
Jossey-Bass, an imprint of Wiley & Sons, Inc. |
|
The Girls from Ames |
Jeffrey Zaslow |
Gotham Books |
|
Jane Brody's Guide to the Great Beyond: A Practical Primer to Help You and Your Loved Ones Prepare Medically, Legally, and Emotionally for the End of Life |
Jane Brody |
Random House |
|
Perfectly Imperfect: A Life in Progress |
Lee Woodruff |
Random House |
|
You Were Always Mom's Favorite: Sisters in Conversation Throughout Their Lives |
Deborah Tannen |
Random House |
Spiritual
|
TITLE |
AUTHOR |
PUBLISHER |
|
The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World |
His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler, M.D. |
DoubleDay Religion |
|
Conquering Fear: Living Boldly in an Uncertain World |
Harold S. Kushner |
Alfred A. Knopf |
|
The Little Book on Meaning |
Laura Berman Fortgang |
Tarcher / Penguin |
|
Taking the Leap |
Pema Chödrön |
Shambhala Publications |
|
Writing in the Sand |
Thomas Moore |
Hay House |
Wellness
|
TITLE |
AUTHOR |
PUBLISHER |
|
Diet Myths That Keep Us Fat |
Nancy L. Snyderman, M.D. |
The Crown Publishing Group |
|
The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite |
David A. Kessler, M.D. |
Rodale Publishing |
|
Live a Little |
Susan M. Love, M.D. and Alice D. Domar, Ph.D. |
The Crown Publishing Group |
|
Second Spring |
Dr. Maoshing Ni |
Free Press |
|
Spent - releasing in paperback as Revive |
Frank Lipman, M.D. with Mollie Doyle |
Fireside Books/Simon and Schuster |
Since their inception in 1996, the Books for a Better Life Awards have recognized more than 456 self-improvement authors, raising more than $1.6 million for the New York City - Southern New York Chapter’s comprehensive support services and educational programs for people living with MS, their friends and families. The Awards recognize self-improvement authors whose messages are aligned with the chapter’s mission of inspiring people to live their best lives. To see a full list of past finalists and winners click here.
Five finalists were selected from nearly 500 entries for each of ten categories, including childcare/parenting, first book, green, inspirational memoir, motivational, psychology, relationships, spiritual, wellness and, back by popular demand, personal finance. An esteemed panel of book sellers and magazine, book club and television book editors selects the finalists and the winners are chosen by secret ballot of three expert judges for each category.
Awards Event History