Beyond NON-FICTION: A HAND TO GUIDE ME by Denzel Washington

Speaking of shopping….

I seem to be on the lookout for meaningful gifts lately. I first saw a description of A Hand to Guide Me on Matt’s Empathy blog. Then it came across my radar again on the blog of book marketing master (as well as prolific author and fellow Syracuse alum) M.J. Rose.

The brainchild of M.J. Rose and bestselling author Stan Pottinger, A Hand to Guide Me is comprised of more than 70 personal stories from a diverse group of celebrities that includes Denzel Washington, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Bonnie Raitt, Gloria Steinem, Cal Ripken, Whoopi Goldberg, Antwone Fisher, Alex Rodriguez, and Dick Vitale. Portions of sales will benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

Denzel Washington has become the face of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America as the organization’s national spokesperson. His story of his involvement with the Mt. Vernon, N.Y., Boys Club and the “push” he received from “someone who cares” lies at the core of this book. Denzel Washington also penned the book’s introduction as well as intros to each celebrity’s story. All the stories explore how mentoring can change lives, a topic that hits close to home for me as I’ve recently embarked on my first stint as a creative writing mentor for a very talented fifth grader in a local school. While A Hand to Guide Me will surely raise significant funds for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (which serves more than 4.5 million children), chances are it will also inspire at least a few readers to seek out ways they can make a difference in their communities.

So for everyone on your list who loves to read personal stories of triumph from celebrities (and/or has a crush on Denzel Washington!), consider wrapping up a few copies of this “do-good gift” and know you’re giving the gift of a bestselling book…and much more.