Best Selling Books by Dick Martin

Anti-American feeling is at an all-time high. Other nations and cultures have singled out our businesses, government, and way of life for harsh scorn, widespread resentment, even violence. Rebuilding Brand America is an exploration of anti-Americanism, from its causes and earliest manifestations to current efforts to mitigate it. Martin explains why many of these efforts failed, and reviews the many prescriptions formulated by more than a dozen task forces. He then bases his recommendations on the best practices of leading companies, and on his own 32-year career in public relations and brand management. Rebuilding Brand America features exclusive interviews with journalists, media and PR professionals, and executives from global icons like McDonald’s, Wal-Mart, and FedEx, and analyzes the groundbreaking work of thought leaders such as: * Pollster John Zogby, whose insights into the Muslim world continue to inform policy in the Middle East. * Newsweek editor Fareed Zakaria, whose essay on the 9/11 attacks shed new light on the Islamic mind. * Keith Reinhard, president of Business for Diplomatic Action, a non-partisan business group organized to fight anti-Americanism by addressing its causes in U.S. business practice. Based on a deep understanding of anti-Americanism’s roots, Rebuilding Brand America is a call to action that will help U.S.-based companies prosper in global markets.

For better and for worse, few companies have been so prominently and constantly in the public eye as AT&T. Through decades of growth and dominance, followed by its 1984 breakup and a litany of well-documented troubles, the company has soldiered on, by turns thriving and hanging on for dear life.Perhaps no individual experienced as much of the roller-coaster ride as Dick Martin, an executive vice president and 30-year AT&T veteran with both a bird’s-eye view of and a crucial role in the company’s bumpy history.Tough Calls is the ultimate inside look at how AT&T tried to cope with a “perfect storm” of fierce competition, economic turmoil, and punishing media scrutiny. Mixing unflinching candor with love for the company he helped steer -- and clear respect for many of his long-time colleagues -- Martin takes you through boardroom and back room to shed unprecedented light on:* How the 1996 bungled announcement of 40,000 layoffs nearly destroyed the company* How flawed succession planning precipitated sharp declines in AT&T’s stock price* The never-ending, ugly turf battles with the “Baby Bells” brought on by the AT&T breakup* How even small interest groups can have a tremendous influence on business decisions, and how the media are largely responsible for determining what is business news on any given dayTough Calls is also a cautionary tale to be heeded by all businesses, using AT&T’s experience in the brutal telecom wars as a backdrop for new strategies in weathering unforgiving business conditions. Just a few of the lessons to be learned include:* How to avoid the most common mistakes that executives make, such as being held hostage by unrealistic expectations, waiting too long to make critical changes, and building their celebrity rather than their credibility* How to balance internal and external communications, and how and when to deal with the business media* How to improve relationships between PR executives and the “C” suite -- CEO, CFO, Chief Counsel, etc.--and how to make public relations more strategic* How to build and sustain favorable brand recognition and investor allure even in the face of bitter competition and unpredictable market conditionsAs candid and fascinating as it is constructive, Tough Calls is itself a call to attention and to arms, in preparation for the many battles that every business must eventually face, against fierce adversaries, and even within its own camp.

In this deep and engaging exploration of diversity in America, author Dick Martin explains how we can bridge personal differences to experience great professional success. OtherWise goes far beyond census data into the realm of cognitive and social science, helping readers break through stereotypes and fears to gain a profound understanding of people unlike themselves. This is not touchy-feely stuff, but rather crucial information for businesspeople everywhere whose success depends on embracing the diverse and sometimes divisive realities of their workforce, suppliers, and customers. Readers will discover what America''s changing demography means for business, how unconscious biases shape behaviors and beliefs, how to connect across cultures, borders, and perspectives, and how to move beyond tolerating differences to capitalizing on them. Even as the US grows increasingly diverse, most professionals have little real knowledge of those with different backgrounds, opinions, and beliefs. Multiethnic marketing materials are mostly a token gesture, and within companies that have diverse teams, that breadth can sometimes feel more like a challenge than an asset. OtherWise strips away the barriers of “us” and “them” and lays bare profound truths for relating to and working with one another.

This book represents a practical guide to ethical decision-making tailored specifically to the needs of those who practice and study public relations. It traces the development of ethical theory from ancient Greece through the works of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle to modern day public relations executives including Harold Burson, Robert Dilenschneider, and Richard Edelman. This book helps readers build personal frameworks for ethical reasoning that will enable them not only to recognize the ethical issues at play in public relations practice but also to analyze the conflicting duties and loyalties in these situations. This volume fills a gap in the currently available books on the subject, most of which either lack theoretical grounding or practical application. Illustrative cases used in this book span a wide range of public relations functions. To update readers on issues discussed in this book, the authors have started an online conversation. Please join the discussion at Updates.PRethics.com.

Text and more than 250 illustrations examine the books, stage, screen and television presentations, and collectible objects concerned with the magical land of Oz.

Sweeten your Christmas with these festive holiday accents featuring rosy-cheeked Santa''s surrounded by red and white striped candy canes. The versatile designs may be used to decorate wreaths, baskets, and much more. The 14 projects include: a door decoration, tissue box cover, coaster, ornaments, and more.

These fun little friends make great gifts for any occasion. Each kisser features a space in their mouth for holding a small chocolate or candy in their own unique look and style. 25 designs include: deer, duck, kitten, squirrel, skunk, raccoon, dog, alligator, clown, parrot, zebra, lamb, cow lion and many more. Includes instructions and full-color charts for each design, plus instructions and diagrams for 10 different stitches. Projects call for size 7 mesh canvas and size 4 worsted weight yarn. Finished kissers measure between approximately 3 3/4"x 3 3/4" and 4"x 5". Easy skill level.

All the old rules of marketing are up for grabs. Markets are fragmenting and globalizing; consumers have greater control over when and what media they use; and digital technologies have changed how people shop, work, and relax. But a small number of senior marketing leaders know how to engage consumers and keep them coming back. This book reveals the secrets to their success. Featuring exclusive interviews with top consumer and business-to-business marketers at companies like P&G, Unilever, GE, Nortel and American Express, Secrets of the Marketing Masters offers insight and practical advice, from how to gain the confidence of your colleagues on the senior team to how win your customers’ trust. Marketers will discover how to: • build a marketing culture • share results that matter–good and bad • connect with customers on an emotional level • find ways to amplify the customer voice within their company • run marketing like a professional service • cultivate positive word of mouth both on and offline • build customer listening posts • develop forward sensing mechanisms to spot new trends With this real-world, insider advice, readers can discover the techniques that will set them apart from the crowd and create lasting customer loyalty.

Build your own fabulous Oz city: Royal Palace of Oz, Emerald City Gates, Emerald City Emporium, Sweet Shop, Blacksmith Shop, Hozpitality House, 8 other structures. Assemble with scissors and glue and let your characters walk down that Yellow Brick Road to fantasy and adventure.

Return to the enchanting Land of Oz in "Captain Salt in Oz," a captivating adventure from Ruth Plumly Thompson and L. Frank Baum. This classic work of children''s literature invites readers to journey into a world of magic and wonder. Dive into a timeless tale filled with fantastical elements, where adventure awaits around every corner. Perfect for those who cherish imaginative storytelling, "Captain Salt in Oz" offers a thrilling escape. Experience the enduring appeal of Oz as you follow the unfolding events in this exciting story. Rediscover the joy of classic fantasy and adventure with this meticulously prepared print republication. A delightful read for anyone seeking a dose of pure escapism. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Everything needed to put on the Wizard of Oz show, including the theater, stage, scenery, props, all the Oz characters, a synopsis of the story and step-by-step directions for assembling the theater, stage and other parts.

Dick Martin is perfectly at home recounting his childhood and family escapades, many of which would curl the hair of a daredevil. Yet, he is equally adept reporting the hope for the future he finds in the students he has mentored over a long career as a teacher. He is a wide-ranging and trenchant columnist whose observations run the gamut of life''s experiences, and he is as skilled at writing with humor as he is with pathos. His subject is the world around him and his place in it, and he treats it with versatility and ample measures of irony and wonder. - Laurence J. Sasso, Jr., publisher Dick Martin''s Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sanity offers the architecture of the columnist''s craft from his over 30 years of writing in this form of journalism. Whether offering Yankee wisdom, Irish-American wit, portraits of community characters, or musings on his travels or life in New England, Martin''s stories are as carefully sculpted as if they were intended to support and convey the weight of meaningful experience that arches over the passage between the 20th and 21st centuries. Read together or standing alone, Dick Martin collects his stories in Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sanity as a pillar to post excursion, embarking from rural Rhode Island to regional and international destinations with a determination to open our eyes and show us the sights. -Mary Lee Partington, Artistic Director, PAF Pawtucket Arts Festival

Marilyn Laurie was a self-described "little Jewish girl from the Bronx" who became one of the world''s top public relations counselors and the first woman in the top policy-making councils of a Fortune 10 company. Her career mirrored the social and political upheaval of the 20th century''s last three decades. After helping launch Earth Day in 1970, she was hired by AT&T to encourage employee recycling. Marilyn: A Woman In Charge tells the behind-the-scenes story of how she who worked her way from that humble assignment into the corridors of power. When she died in 2010, Marilyn had received practically every award available to public relations practitioners. But few knew the tortuous path she journeyed to the top of her field. In a career bookended by systemic sexism and gender stereotyping, she refused to stay in the lane assigned to her by gender. When others dodged and weaved to avoid conflict, she ran towards problems, even at the risk of becoming associated with them. Her life story is a lesson in public relations leadership at the highest levels. It''s a story of chance and cunning, of heady highs and humbling lows, and the gift of grace and resilience. A second-generation immigrant, Marilyn was raised in the Bronx and never lost the flat accents and directness of its streets and alleyways. She attended Barnard College in the second half of the 1950''s, where she learned that women need not live their lives solely through husband and children. She graduated intending to apply her full capacities to meaningful goals outside herself. She first found goals worthy of her full capacities in environmentalism. Then, almost by accident, she found such goals at AT&T. When she joined the company, it was literally "The Telephone Company," handling more than nine out of ten phone calls in the U. S. For nearly a century, its mission had been to put a telephone within an arm''s reach of every household. A regulated monopoly, its very existence depended on earning and keeping the public''s trust, a goal she believed depended more on what the company did than what it said. She was also there when AT&T lost its footing in the wake of technological, social, and political change, and she worked just as hard to help it regain its balance. Based on the author''s first-hand experience, archival files, and interviews with friends, colleagues, and family members, Marilyn: A Woman In Charge reveals the behind-the-scenes story of a woman who broke through the proverbial glass ceiling within a great American company. It describes how she won and kept a seat at the policy-making table, how she defined the role of public relations, and how she dealt with crises arising both from the company''s missteps and from the agendas of special interests.

"MAE is a most beautifully and compellingly written, heart-breaking, life-and-love-affirming tale all at once. I read it in one sitting I was so unable to put it down. This is creative nonfiction at its finest." -Acclaimed novelist Sophie Powell A tale of love, challenges, determination and faith, MAE chronicles the life of L.Mae Martin, whose journey starts on her family''s farm in Scituate, Rhode Island, a small New England town, during the depression. A strong willed girl whose favorite motto is "It''s a great life if you don''t weaken," Mae faces a myriad of obstacles in her life from both strange and overbearing relatives to friends who encourage and help her on her way to her dream of becoming a teacher and mother. Though she always keeps a positive attitude, she must make her way through a maze of tragic and challenging events and experiences which she encounters along the way. Regardless, she refuses to give in or give up on her dreams. MAE is a story about a strong woman with a zest for life who fights for what she believes in to the very end. She is a shining example of family values and virtues for modern day women. Dick Martin is an award winning writer whose feature stories and columns have appeared in a number of magazines and newspapers including Your Smithfield Magazine, The Woonsocket Call, The Providence Journal, Providence Magazine, and The Observer, among other venues. Martin, who grew up on a small farm in Glocester, Rhode Island, based the story of Mae on his own mother, who kept diaries growing up on the family farm in Scituate, Rhode Island. Tales were a common pastime for the family, whose strong Irish heritage is evident in the stories which fill the pages of MAE. It is a book which is both humorous and sad as it winds through the path of Mae''s long life, a life of fulfillment, promise, and hope, but most of all, love.