Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Publishing Portal--January 23, 2024








The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.


*New Book from Eckhartz Press!


=The book is called Hospital Heal Thyself: A Mathematician's Plan for Saving Lives and Billions of Dollars  and it's written by veteran health-care journalist Mark Taylor. The endorsements of the book are astounding, coming from, among others...

-Helen Haskell, President, Mothers Against Medical Error and Consumers Advancing Patient Safety, Former Chair, World Health Organization, Patients for Patient Safety Advisory Group

-James M. Anderson, J.D., past President and CEO, now President Emeritus, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Strategic Advisor, Taft Stettinius and Hollister

-Denis Cortese, M.D., Professor and Director, Arizona State University Center for Health Care Delivery and Policy, Emeritus Professor and former President and CEO, Mayo Clinic

-Martin Elliott, M.D., Emeritus Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University College London, former Medical Director, The Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK, Provost of Gresham College, London

-C. Daniel Smith, M.D. Director, Esophageal Institute of Atlanta, former Dean Warren Professor of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, former Professor of Surgery and Surgeon-in- Chief, Mayo Clinic In Florida

=An important work. Available for pre-order now. It ships in mid-February.


*Happy birthday!

=Eckhartz Press illustrator David Mosele is celebrating a birthday this week (January 25). Dave has done illustrations for four of our books, Father Knows NothingRantings of a Bitter Childless Woman, Hugh Hefner’s First Funeral and Your Dime, My Dance Floor. Here are a few examples of his work...





*Hugh Hefner's First Funeral

=We found our birthday boy illustrator with the help of our author Pat Colander. Pat passed away this week in 2019. I wrote this tribute to her when I heard the news. 


*The Loop Files

=A few photos from last weekend's book signing at the Chicagoland Record Show




=A bonus photo from the book for this week's birthday boy John Belushi.


=The Loop Files is dedicated to two special ladies, Sandy Stahl and Cindy Gatziolis. Cindy's birthday would have been this week (January 25). That's her on the left (with fellow Looper Tricia Mladic)


*Records Truly Is My Middle Name

=Here's a free excerpt from John Landecker's book about Wolfman Jack, and two photos from the book from additional famous birthdays this week, John Belushi & Ernie Harwell.




*Leaving Glory for Greatness

=Don't forget that Eckhartz Press author Lou Macaluso will be signing and selling his book Leaving Glory for Greatness (and all his other books) at  THORNTON DISTILLERY BOOK FAIR, THORNTON DISTILLING CO., 400 E MARGARET ST, THORNTON, IL, FEB. 4TH, NOON-5PM.


 *Everything I Know I Learned from Rock Stars

=Rock journalist Bill Paige got the opportunity to interview some of the biggest rock stars during rock and roll's heyday. Among them--Eddie Van Halen and Steve Perry. Both rate their own chapters in Bill's great 2017 Eckhartz Press book. 


*Chasing the Lost City

=Tom Weinberg was a WTTW producer for years, and wrote a book about his greatest adventure, looking for a lost city in the jungles of Honduras. The photos alone, like the one below, are worth the price of admission. This week in 2018 he had a book signing at The Book Stall in Winnetka.


*Chili Dog MVP

 =This week last year the Chicago Writers Association honored Dr. David Fletcher and John Owens, writers of Chili Dog MVP at the Book of the Year awards.



*Cubsessions

=He may be the White Sox radio announcer now, but back in 2016, Len Kasper was the TV play-by-play man for the Cubs. In the book Cubsessions this week's birthday boy tells the story of that magical night in Cleveland.



*Doin the Cruise & Brandwidth

=This week in 2018 there was a colliding of two Eckhartz Press authors. The author of Brandwidth, Kipper McGee, interviewed the author of Doin the Cruise, Mitch Michaels. You can listen to the podcast here. 




*A Man A Mission A Miracle

=This week in 2020, Eckhartz Press author Andrew C. Langert released his biography of Lewis University's Brother James Gafney. This photo is Andy holding the very first copy of the book.


*Your Dime My Dance Floor

=This week in 2019, Eckhartz Press author Chet Coppock made his final public appearance for a charity. He grabbed the mic and entertained the Bowling for Veterans event. That's a photo of him at the event below, along with a shot of Chet with his lifelong friend Jack Brickhouse. Jack was born this week, 108 years ago.




*Cheeseland

=Randy Richardson is not just the president of the Chicago Writer's Association, he's also a three-times published Eckhartz Press author. His first book for us was the coming of age novel Cheeseland. This week in 2013, Randy recapped the many stops on his media tour. 


*Truffle Hunt

=Eckhartz Press Author Brent Petersen is now a famous podcaster. How famous? His Destination Eat Drink podcast was just recommended by AARP.


*The Living Wills

=This week in 2012, The Living Wills was featured on Rick Kogan's show on WGN. Both authors (Rick Kaempfer & Brendan Sullivan) gave Kogan credit for encouraging them to write this book. 



*Monkey in the Middle

=This week in 2021 comedian (and Eckhartz Press author) Dobie Maxwell appeared on the Comedians Over 50 podcast. 



 *Behind the Glass

=The great thing about Randy Merkin's book Behind the Glass is that there are stories about Hall of Fame legends everywhere you turn, including three stars celebrating birthdays this week, Jack Nicklaus, Wayne Gretzky, and Chris Chelios (photo with Randy).


*The Daly News

=For years Joel Daly delivered a nightly commentary on the Channel 7 News in Chicago. This week in 1978 he delivered his last one. Would you like to read it? It's featured in his Eckhartz Press book The Daly News.



*Always a Pleasure

=Chuck Swirsky has some great photos in his book, including these two with this week's birthday boys Vince Carter and Pat Tomasulo.




*Father Knows Nothing

=This week in 2015 I was wrapping up my Father Knows Nothing Publicity Tour.