From Plato to payday loans, from Aristotle to AIG, from Shakespeare to the Salomon Brothers, and from the Medici to Bernie Madoff Jack Cashill, a journalist and scholar as shrewd as he is seasoned, looks past the headlines delves into the pages of history, and comes back with the goods.

Popes and Bankers: A Cultural History of Credit & Debt, From Aristotle to AIG (Thomas Nelson, 978-1-5955-5273-0, $14.99) is the first and even amusing history of the endlessly fascinating topic of credit and debt, which has shaped civilization in ways even bankers cannot begin to imagine. With a dizzying cast of characters, including church officials, loan sharks, the founding fathers, Martin Luther, Karl Marx, FDR, J.P Morgan, Michael Milken, Barney Frank, and even the Knights Templar, Cashill traces the creative tension between “pious restraint” and “economic ambition” through the annals of human history and illuminates both the dark corners of our past and the dusty corners of our billfolds.

In Popes and Bankers Cashill outlines some more proximate milestones leading to the recent financial collapse, including:

•    October 2000. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac embrace “historic” new regs opening home ownership to those “left behind.”  Says Fannie’s CFO, Timothy Howard, “making loans to people with less-than-perfect credit . . . is something we should do.”

•    January 1993.  When President Clinton takes office, the homeownership rate is lower than it was when President Nixon took office in 1969, and no one wants to know why.  They just want to pump up the numbers.

•    March 1933.  FDR denounces “the unscrupulous money changers” and scares them out of the market, assuring eight more years of recession.  He also bans private ownership of gold.

•    December 1913.  Woodrow Wilson signs the Federal Reserve Act into law.  Thinking that he is reducing the power of Wall Streeters, Wilson only reduces their responsibility.

•    1500 or so on.  The bright lights of the enlightenment start convincing themselves that chronic debtors are not “prodigals” but “victims,” a moral shift that will eventually help wreck the economy.

Readers of Popes and Bankers will:

•    Appreciate the unappreciated role Judeo-Christian culture has played in creating the world’s greatest economy

•    Meet the great financiers who brought that economy to life—the Medici, the Rothschilds, the Morgans

•    Perceive the threats to that culture from philosophers, madmen, revolutionaries, “quants,” politicians, and Ponzi artists, including Charles Ponzi himself

•    Understand why our political leaders refuse to face up to contemporary cultural threats

Jack Cashill is an independent writer and producer and the Executive Editor of Ingram’s Magazine, Kansas City’s premier business magazine. His writing has appeared in Fortune, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Weekly Standard, and regularly in the American Thinker and WorldNetDaily. Jack has a Ph.D. from Purdue University in American studies, has taught media and literature at Purdue University and at Kansas City area universities, and served as a Fulbright professor in France. His recent works include Hoodwinked, Sucker Punch, and What’s The Matter With California?

To learn more visit: www.cashill.com

JACK CASHILL IS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW.

Contact: Curt Harding at 615.902.2246 or email charding@thomasnelson.com
Follow me on Twitter @curtharding
Contact:    Curt Harding
Senior Publicist
(615) 902-2246
charding@thomasnelson.com

(Nashville, TN) – Judge Andrew P. Napolitano admits he has a chip on his shoulder. “I am angry,” he says. “Angry that we allow the government to lie to us, that we expect it to do so, and even take comfort in the illusions created thereby.” In Lies The Government Told You (Thomas Nelson, March 2010), Napolitano exposes politicians in both parties who routinely use myth to seize power and deception to delude the public. “Without accurate information, Napolitano argues, we the people are seduced into surrendering freedom and accepting unlawful behavior as somehow warranted.”

Lies The Government Told You reveals one lie after another, from the bold proclamation that “all men are created equal,” to the mistaken notion that at election time “every vote counts.” And from blatant attempts to undermine the First Amendment, to the increasing creation of laws designed to regulate and limit access to firearms. 

Judge Napolitano asks:

•    Would Americans have reelected FDR had they known that he caused the attack on Pearl Harbor?
•    Would LBJ, the “peace candidate” have been elected in 64’ had the people known he planned to ramp up the Vietnam War?
•    Would George W. Bush have been given another term if we knew he was illegally spying on us, concocting evidence for war, torturing people, and lying about it?

Time and time again when asked, Americans say they have a deep distrust of politicians. The government’s deception has become a punch line. The very notion of politicians as public servants is bordering on oxymoronic. Why then? Why do we put up with what Judge Napolitano refers to as our one party system; the Big Government Party?  In writing Lies The Government Told You, Judge Napolitano calls on Americans to reject the current system, scrap it, and start anew. He urges the electorate to throw out representatives who voted for the Patriot Act, waged illegal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, supported TARP and stimulus programs, and other unconstitutional monstrosities.

A stronger libertarian base can work to:

•    abolish the federal income tax
•    prohibit eminent domain
•    impose term congressional limits
•    abolish the Federal Reserve system

“The Big Government Party crowd is obviously not afraid to lie or be caught in a lie, writes Napolitano. They only fear the loss of their own power. So let’s use that fear against them.”

“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty.” – Thomas Jefferson

“If we fear our own government, if we accept its deceptions, its lies to us, if we take no action to redress them, our freedoms are doomed.”

Judge Andrew P. Napolitano graduated from Princeton University and Notre Dame Law School. He is the youngest life-tenured Superior Court judge in the history of the State of New Jersey. He has tried over 150 jury trials and has sat in all parts of the Superior Court. For eleven years, he was Adjunct Professor of Law at Seton Hall Law School where he was voted most outstanding professor in three academic years. Judge Napolitano returned to private practice in 1995 and has been the Senior Judicial Analyst for Fox News since 1998 and co-hosts “Brian and the Judge” on Fox radio. Judge Napolitano also lectures nationally, and has been published in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Los Angeles Times, Baltimore Sun, and many more. He is the author of Constitutional Chaos, the New York Times bestseller The Constitution in Exile, Dred Scott’s Revenge, and .

To learn more visit www.JudgeNap.com

JUDGE ANDREW P. NAPOLITANO IS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW.

Contact:    Curt Harding
Senior Publicist
(615) 902-2246
charding@thomasnelson.com

Nashville, TN – Think the housing meltdown is over? Think again. The foremost expert on the subject, Robert Bernabé, author of Mind Your Own Mortgage (Thomas Nelson, May 2010), warns that storm clouds are on the horizon for housing meltdown #2.

“It’s coming,” Bernabé promises. “Rates are artificially low, inflation is coming soon, and toxic mortgages are still being written every single day.” On top of all of that, consumers are still lost when it comes to shopping for and managing their mortgage debt. “There isn’t transparency in the market place and guess what? That’s how they want it,” Bernabé says.

They are the government and lenders who are motivated to keep you in the dark. “Simply put,” Bernabé says. “The industry enslaves consumers to mortgage debt.”  Mind Your Own Mortgage changes the game – putting consumers in charge.

Readers of Mind Your Own Mortgage will:

•    shop with confidence – an exclusive, automated shopping system helps you find the best price
•    identify sales gimmicks and lender manipulation
•    refinance only when it makes sense for you – not for the mortgage industry
•    eliminate your mortgage in record time

Mind Your Own Mortgage is a timely wake-up call and a candid decree that the American dream is still possible – if we dramatically rethink the way we refinance our homes.  Consumers MUST lead change. Unless your audience is sitting on a huge pile of money, this topic matters to them. Rob Bernabé will take them step by step into a new way of thinking about the largest debt we have; our mortgages.

Rob Bernabé is a, expert in mortgage finance. His goal is to create a consumer-led transformation of the mortgage industry. Rob was a pioneer in online mortgage lending, using a consumer advocate platform to guide E*TRADE Mortgage from a small company to one of the largest online lenders inside of three years. Rob’s on a mission to bring clarity and simplicity to mortgage consumers by empowering them to manage, minimize, and eliminate their mortgage debt.  He lives in Southern California with his wife and two children.

To learn more visit www.mindyourownmortgage.com

ROB BERNABE IS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW.
On Twitter:@Rob_Bernabe
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mind-Your-Own-Mortgage/202187841812?ref=mf

Contact:    Curt Harding
Senior Publicist
(615) 902-2246
charding@thomasnelson.com

In The Total Money Makeover - revised 3rd edition (Thomas Nelson, January 2010), Dave Ramsey condenses his 17 years of financial teaching and counseling into 7 organized, easy-to-follow steps that will lead people out of debt and into a Total Money Makeover.

The 3rd edition of this wildly popular book includes brand-new true stories from everyday people who have followed Dave’s advice and are now winning with their money. The Total Money Makeover is a plan designed for everyone regardless of income or age.

Sales of The Total Money Makeover have exceeded three million copies sold. It has appeared on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Business Weekly, and Publisher’s Weekly Bestsellers list more than 160 times!

This isn’t theory. It works every single time. It works because it is simple. It works because it gets to the heart of the money problems: You.

Readers of The Total Money Makeover will learn:
• design a sure-fire plan for paying off ALL debt
• recognize the 10 most dangerous money myths
• secure a big, fat nest egg for emergencies and retirement
• positively change your life and your family tree!

Dave Ramsey is a personal money management expert, an extremely popular national radio personality and best-selling author of The Total Money Makeover. In his latest book, a follow-up of his enormously successful New York Times best-sellers Financial Peace and More Than Enough, Ramsey exemplifies his life’s work of teaching others how to be financially responsible, so they can acquire enough wealth to take care of loved ones, live prosperously into old age, and give generously to others.

Ramsey knows first-hand what financial peace means in his own life – living a true rags-to-riches-to-rags-to-riches story. By age twenty-six he had established a four-million-dollar real estate portfolio, only to lose it by age thirty. He has since rebuilt his financial life and now devotes himself full-time to helping ordinary people understand the forces behind their financial distress and how to set things right – financially, emotionally, and spiritually.

Ramsey offers life-changing financial advice as host of a nationally syndicated radio program, “The Dave Ramsey Show,” which is heard by nearly 4.5 million listeners each week, on more than 450 radio stations throughout the United States. On Oct. 15, 2007, Ramsey added television host to his title when “The Dave Ramsey Show” on Fox Business Network debuted nationally.

Ramsey earned his B.S. degree in Finance and Real Estate from the University of Tennessee. A frequent speaker around the country at large-scale live events, Ramsey is a passionate and inspiring presenter who is at ease on both sides of the mike. More than 650,000 people have attended Ramsey’s LIVE events.

George Nichopoulos, personal physician to Elvis Presley, one of the world’s most famous entertainers, has been vilified as the man responsible for his sudden death. It is pain that “Dr. Nick” has carried with him for more than three decades. He has rarely spoken about it, until now.

The King and Dr. Nick: What Really Happened To Elvis and Me (Thomas Nelson, January 10) begins on August 16, 1977 inside an ambulance. Elvis is being rushed to Baptist Memorial Hospital.  There is no heartbeat. He is not breathing. Dr. Nick, having been paged to hurry to Graceland, is at his friend’s side. Not long after, with tearful eyes, he announces “It’s all over. He’s gone.” 

What follows is a painful road for Dr. Nichopoulos. The court of public opinion finds him guilty of contributing to Elvis’s death. Years later he is stripped of his medical license. His life is forever altered; his story forever changed—yet his search for the truth is re-ignited.

The King and Dr. Nick sheds new light and a unique perspective into Elvis’s life and death. Dr. Nick answers questions about the king’s previously undisclosed health problems, explains his prescription drug use, and more. “I wanted there to be one place for people to go to separate fact from fiction,” Nichopoulos says.

This is an intriguing story of a rush to judgment, a struggle for power, and the destructive force of public opinion when conclusions based on assumptions run rampant. The King and Dr. Nick will have readers wondering if a twist of fate could rob them of their own livelihood and reputation. It will have them asking, “How could I have had the Elvis story so wrong for so long?”

June 25, 2009. Dr. Nick sees on TV a scene where memories of the worst day of his life come rushing back. Music’s two kings, the king of rock ‘n’ roll and the king of pop, both gone too soon. Michael Jackson’s doctor who had attempted to revive the superstar is under investigation. Comparisons are immediately made between the two singer’s deaths. Dr. Nick says there is no comparison.

What’s it like to provide medical care to a superstar? What is the truth about the amount of drugs Dr. Nick prescribed in Elvis’s name? What did the autopsy really show? What killed Elvis Presley? It’s all here. The King and Dr. Nick: What Really Happened to Elvis and Me.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
George Nichopoulos is the son of Greek immigrants. He earned his B.S. degree from the University of the South and is a graduate of Vanderbilt University Medical School.  Better known as “Dr. Nick,” he was Elvis Presley’s personal physician from 1967 until the entertainer’s unexpected death in 1977. Controversy over his prescribing practices led to the loss of his medical license nearly twenty years later.

Rose Clayton Phillips is a former music journalist, whose credits include Billboard, Rolling Stone, and “Entertainment Tonight.” She is co-author of Elvis Up Close: In the Words of Those Who Knew Him Best and writer/producer of the Grammy winning album Behind the Scenes of the Recording Sessions of the Class of ’55.

Contact: Curt Harding, Senior Publicist
charding@thomasnelson.com
Office: 615.902.2246 Cell: 615.812.7325

The two decades since President Reagan gave his farewell address have proved to be some of the most pivotal in America’s history.

In A Century Turns: New Hopes, New Fears (Thomas Nelson January, 2010) William J. Bennett offers an in-depth and inside look at modern history, from the election of George H.W. Bush in 1988 to the rise of Barack Obama and the current issues facing the country today.

A Century Turns expertly retraces America’s steps over the past 20 years while closely examining her current hopes, fears, challenges, and dangers; terrorism, economic turmoil, nuclear threats, and staggering debt.

Readers of A Century Turns will:

Gain new insights and understanding of the past 20 years of the nation’s history.

• Get unique perspectives into the politics of war; the nation’s response to terrorism.
• Connect the dots of political turmoil that led to Republican losses in 2006 and the rise of the democratic party.
• Ultimately be challenged to take part in America’s optimism and self-renewal.
• Understand how technology has changed our political and social culture.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
William J. Bennett is among the nation’s most important, influential, and respected voices on cultural, political, and education issues.  A native of Brooklyn, New York, Dr. Bennett studied philosophy at Williams College (B.A.) and the University of Texas (Ph.D.) and earned a law degree from Harvard and is currently the Washington Fellow of the Claremont Institute.

Bennett served as President Reagan’s chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (1981-1985) and secretary of education (1985-1988), and President Bush’s “drug-czar” (1989-1990). In his various roles, he was considered—even by his adversaries—as a man of strong, reasoned convictions who spoke candidly, eloquently, and honestly about the most important issues of our time.

Bill Bennett’s radio show Morning in America is among the fastest growing shows in the country, airing in more than 210 markets and on Sirius/XM with nearly 4 million listeners each week.

Contact: Curt Harding, Senior Publicist
charding@thomasnelson.com
Office: 615.902.2246
Cell: 615.812.7325

In FIVE CITIES THAT RULED THE WORLD (Thomas Nelson. November 2009) theologian Douglas Wilson fuses together, in compelling detail, the critical moments birthed in history’s most influential cities—Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, London, and New York.

Each of these cities emerged in their respective times of influence to dominate the world stage, directing wealth and power, influencing faith and belief, commanding fear and allegiance, provoking wars and conquests, and shaping the world we live in today.

Wilson uncovers the significance of:

•  Jerusalem’s complex history and its deep-rooted character as the city of freedom, where people found their spiritual liberty.
•  Athens’ intellectual influence as the city of reason and birthplace of democracy.
• Rome’s evolution as the city of law and justice and the freedoms and limitations that come with liberty.
• London’s place in the world’s history as the city of literature where man’s literary imagination found its wings.
•  New York’s rise to global fame as the city of commerce and how it triggered unmatched wealth, industry, and trade throughout the world.

In this provocative, discussion-starting book, Wilson dives into these five historic cities, profiling their leaders, exploring their philosophies, following their armies into war, riding their merchant ships to ports of commerce, and watching as one eclipses the others.  Through his superb historical writing, Wilson broadens our understanding and appreciation of these cities with piercing insights, curious details, and entertaining stories.

Each city is being included in large part because of what was done and accomplished during its time of greatness, but in larger part because of how that greatness has lingered and continued. Wilson discusses these five cities—their past glories, their present influences, and their future.

In FIVE CITIES THAT RULED THE WORLD, Wilson issues a challenge to our collective understanding of history with the juxtapositions of freedom and its intrinsic failures; liberty and its deep-seated liabilities. Each revelation beckons us deeper into a city’s story, its political systems, and how it flourished and floundered. Ultimately encouraging readers to honor our shared history, contribute to the present, and look to the future with unmistakable hope.

About the Author
Douglas Wilson is a senior fellow of theology at New Saint Andrews College. He has taught both ethics and logic elsewhere at the college level. Editor of Credenda/Agenda, a small cultural journal known for its humorous and satirical flavor, Wilson is also the author of numerous books on education, theology, and culture, including: The Case for Classical Christian Education, Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning, Mother Kirk, and Angels in the Architecture, as well as biographies on both Anne Bradstreet and John Knox.

DOUGLAS WILSON IS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW.  

Contact:    Curt Harding
Senior Publicist
(615) 902-2246
charding@thomasnelson.com

(Nashville, Tenn.) “It’s a miracle.” Georg Taubman gratefully declared to the world after he and seven other aid workers were liberated from their three-month imprisonment in Afghanistan in 2001. The Western hostages had been accused by the Taliban of preaching Christianity, a serious offense punishable by death.

Now the story of their desperate plight is being told in the new book Kabul24 (Thomas Nelson, September 2009) by Henry Arnold and Ben Pearson. Recounting their 105 days in captivity, Kabul24 revisits the hostages’ grueling interrogations, their sham trials before the Taliban Supreme Court, their peril during the bombing of Kabul, and the crushing sense that the world had abandoned them.

The eight members of the group Shelter Now International were taken more than a month before the September 11 attacks on America. Also held were 16 Muslim co-workers who were beaten and tortured, having been accused of converting to Christianity.

The book’s release precedes a feature-length documentary being produced by world-renowned recording artist Michael W. Smith and is narrated by Jim Caviezel star of The Passion of the Christ.The film is scheduled for release later this year.

About The Authors
Ben Pearson is an acclaimed filmmaker and photographer with numerous awards, honors, and gallery shows to his credit.  He lives in Nashville, TN with his wife and their three children. He is making his directorial debut with the feature-length documentary Kabul24 due for release in November.

Henry Arnold is an award-winning writer and producer.  His credits include “The Word Made Flesh” trilogy, “The Second Chance,” and the first authorized film documentary on Billy Graham, “God’s Ambassador.”  He lives on a farm in Tennessee with his wife Kay.

Contact: Curt Harding at 615.902.2246 or email charding@thomasnelson.com

Inside the family and values that defined this iconic business and set it on its course toward success for a quarter of a millennium.

(Nashville, Tenn.) In THE SEARCH FOR GOD AND GUINNESS: A Biography of the Beer that Changed the World (Thomas Nelson, October 13, 2009), Stephen Mansfield explores the groundbreaking business acumen of this prolific company, and uncovers a deeply held faith running throughout the family’s history.

As one of the world’s most popular brands, Guinness has resolutely celebrated the joy of beer brewing and drinking for 250 years. Go inside the storied traditions of faith, family and business in this engaging book chronicling the history of beer throughout time, as well as specifics related to the Guinness clan. Releasing at this important milestone in the company’s history, The Search for God and Guinness will also help mark the 200^th anniversary of Oktoberfest in 2010.

The Guinness story began in Ireland in the late 1700’s. The water in Ireland, indeed throughout Europe, was famously undrinkable, and the gin and whiskey that took its place was devastating civil society. It was a disease ridden, starvation plagued, alcoholic age, and Christians like Arthur Guinness—as well as monks and even evangelical churches—brewed beer to offer a healthier alternative to the poisonous waters and liquors of the times.

Now, 250 years and 150 countries later, Guinness is a global brand, one of the most consumed beverages in the world with 10 million glasses of Guinness enjoyed every day. The tale that unfolds during those two and a half centuries has power to thrill audiences today: the generational drama, business adventure, industrial and social reforms, deep-felt faith, and the beer itself.

About the Author

Stephen Mansfield is a New York Times bestselling author and a popular speaker who is becoming one of the nation’s most respected voices on religion in American culture. He is author of The Faith of George W. Bush, The Faith of the American Soldier, Then Darkness Fled: The Liberating Wisdom of Booker T. Washington, and Never Give In: The Extraordinary Character of Winston Churchill, among other works of history and biography.  In 2008, Mansfield wrote The Faith of Barack Obama, intended as an objective look at Obama’s religious life and the controversies that have surrounded it. The book reflects Mansfield’s ability to compassionately describe theological and political views that are not necessarily his own, an ability he movingly demonstrated in his book on the life and views of Pope Benedict XVI.

Founder of both The Mansfield Group, a research and communications firm, and Chartwell Literary Group, which creates and manages literary projects, Stephen is also in wide demand as a lecturer and inspirational speaker.

Contact:    Curt Harding

Senior Publicist

(615) 902-2246

charding@thomasnelson.com

At age 10, waiting with his family to catch a flight from Havana to freedom, Ralph de la Vega saw his parents make a decision that shaped the rest of his life.   Abruptly told by Cuban officials that “only the boy can go,” they had a wrenching decision to make.  Their choice to send him to America alone set him on a lifelong course of facing tough situations head-on, always expecting to discover opportunity.

He has found - and often created - opportunity in abundance, all the way to the top ranks of the wireless industry as CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.  Ralph de la Vega combines his compelling personal story with practical lessons for success in business and life in his book, OBSTACLES WELCOME (Thomas Nelson, October 2009).

The idea for the book came from audience reactions whenever de la Vega salted his speeches with childhood glimpses of being separated from family and figuring out how to get along in a strange country.  Whether peer executives, employees or a Junior Achievement class, the first  question always was the same – “how did you do it?”

OBSTACLES WELCOME provides straight-forward answers for anyone willing to follow his mantra – “get a good education, work hard, and  be willing to sacrifice ”  De la Vega says of the book, “I describe my journey so readers might grow in their lives and reach their most ambitious goals by taking some of the same steps.”

De la Vega’s adventures did not stop with boyhood.   As a rising executive he overcame political turmoil in Latin America to turn BellSouth’s wireless operations profitable, grew a new line of business; led the rebuilding of two telecom networks after Hurricanes Andrew and Katrina; vaulted BellSouth’s Internet and broadband business to industry leadership; and managed the biggest (at the time) cash merger in US history, Cingular and AT&T Wireless.

What Others Say about OBSTACLES WELCOME
Honorable Andrew Young, former US Ambassador to the United Nations - “De la Vega’s leadership principles are a great example of public purpose capitalism- a profit model guided by integrity, a genuine concern for workers  and a commitment to providing a product that improves a community.  I recommend this book to those looking to improve their opportunities, as well as those providing leadership in this diverse society.”

Randall Stephenson, Chairman and CEO, AT&T - “Through his compelling story, Ralph shows how to turn almost any challenge into the opportunity of a lifetime. This is great insight for any professional or any young person aspiring to learn how to overcome obstacles and accept new challenges.”

John Graham, Chairman, Fleishman-Hillard, Inc. - “This is one of the most inspiring books and one of the best business publications that I’ve read in my 40-plus years in the communications business … illustrates business values that any entrepreneur can directly apply, a must-read for any young entrepreneur just starting out, and a valuable resource to all professionals seeking to improve their business skills.”

Henry Cisneros, Executive Chairman, CityView (former Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and former Mayor of San Antonio) - An All-American story for our times … he conveys insights and wisdom that he amassed on his journey with the clarity and conviction that will guide other Americans in their quest.”

Frank D. Alvarez, President  & CEO, Hispanic Scholarship Fund - “His story telling brings history to life, be it Cuba, hurricanes, the digital age or the merger of two corporate giants and leaves one feeling all is possible.  Thank you Mr. de la Vega for continuing to give back to our country in this special way.”

Sean C. Rush, President & CEO JA Worldwide - “Whether you are a corporate executive, a non-profit leader, a college student or just beginning high school, Ralph de la Vega’s book is a compelling read.  His personal tale is an inspiration for all.”

Robert Mazucca, Chief Scout Executive, Boy Scouts of America - “Ralph’s story and the resulting road map for life that has evolved from it contain a vital message to all of us.  In a world where personal responsibility is rare indeed, Ralph describes a life formula that embraces taking responsibility for one’s own destiny.”

About The Author
Ralph de la Vega is President and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), a premier communications holding company whose subsidiaries and affiliates provide wireless and wireline voice and data services, high speed Internet access, IPTV and other services in the U.S. and around the world. Mr. de la Vega began his career in 1974 with BellSouth (then Southern Bell) as a management assistant. He has held numerous positions of increasing responsibility in Network Planning, Consumer Services, Engineering and Operations.  He is a member of the Board of Directors of both Junior Achievement Worldwide and the Boy Scouts of America. He plays a leadership role in helping both organizations recruit Hispanic youth. A native of Cuba, he holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Florida Atlantic University and a master’s degree in business administration from Northern Illinois University, and he has completed the Executive Program at the University of Virginia.

Contact:
Curt Harding
615.902.2246
charding@thomasnelson.com