The New York City – Southern New York Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society announced the winners of the 18th Annual Books for a Better Life Awards on March 10, 2014 during a ceremony at The TimesCenter in Manhattan.
Hosted by television personality Meredith Vieira the evening also featured the induction of Richard Pine, partner at Inkwell Management, and New York Times Opinion Columnist and New York Times Magazine Food Columnist Mark Bittman, into its Hall of Fame. Award presenters included Arianna Huffington, journalist, author and founder of the Huffington Post, best-selling author Lee Woodruff and New York Times Book Review Editor Pamela Paul. Attendees of the ceremony also heard from author Kristie Salerno Kent, who has been living with MS since 1999. Kent served as mission speaker and received the Acorda MS Spotlight Award.
Since its inception in 1996, the Books for a Better Life Awards has recognized more than 700 self-improvement authors and raised more than $2.1 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 as well as the Society’s critical research initiatives. The Awards recognize self-improvement authors whose messages are aligned with the chapter’s mission of inspiring people to live their best lives
The following are the Books for a Better Life Award winners:
CHILDCARE:
Masterminds and Wingmen
By Rosalind Wiseman
Harmony Books
COOKBOOK:
Isa Does It: Amazingly Easy, Wildly Delicious
Vegan Recipes for Every Day of the Week
By Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Little Brown and Company
FIRST BOOK:
Knocking on Heaven’s Door:
The Path to a Better Way of Death
By Katy Butler
Scribner
GREEN:
Toms River: A Story of Science & Salvation
By Dan Fagin
Bantam
INSPIRATIONAL MEMOIR:
Taylor's Gift: A Courageous Story of
Giving Life and Renewing Hope
By Todd and Tara Storch
with Jennifer Schuchmann
Revell
MOTIVATIONAL:
Handling the Truth
By Beth Kephart
Gotham Books
PSYCHOLOGY:
Outsmarting Anger: 7 Strategies for Defusing
our Most Dangerous Emotion
By Joseph Shrand, M.D. and Leigh Devine, MS
Jossey-Bass
RELATIONSHIPS:
Carry On Warrior: Thoughts on Life Unarmed
By Glennon Doyle Melton
Scribner
SPIRITUAL:
What We Talk About When We Talk About God
By Rob Bell
HarperOne
ACORDA WELLNESS AWARD:
Bouncing Back
By Linda Graham, MFT
New World Library