BOOK NOTES
From Our Alumni Authors
The Wright Stuff:
From NBC to Autism Speaks
Bob Wright ’65 with Diane Mermigas
W
Rosetta Books right is credited with revitalizing NBC during his two-decade tenure as president and CEO. He led the network during the years of ratings giants like “Friends” and “Seinfeld,” created CNBC and MSNBC and also acquired the Bravo, Telemundo and USA Network stations. In this memoir, Wright chronicles how he reinvented NBC, and what led him to leave television to create Autism Speaks, which has become the leading advocacy and research funding organization for autism. Struggling with the lack of medical knowledge and community support after their grandson Christian’s autism diagnosis, Wright and his wife, Suzanne, set out to support awareness, research and services for people with autism and their families.
WHAT OTHERS SAY
“Mr. Wright, who wrote The Wright Stuff with veteran media journalist Diane Mermigas ... deserves praise for candidly describing the disputes that have dogged Autism Speaks, including a public rift with his daughter, Katie, Christian’s mother, who saw a strong connection between autism and vaccines. Reading about the devastating impact that autism can have on a family, described in
BY M AU R A S U L L I VA N H I L L
clear-eyed personal terms, one finishes this roller coaster chronicle eager for a second memoir, one focused solely on Mr. Wright’s challenging family journey.” —J. Max Robins, The Wall Street Journal, April 6, 2016
Lincoln and the Thirteenth Amendment Christian G. Samito ’95
B
Southern Illinois University Press efore the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln opposed a constitutional amendment to end slavery, because he felt that slavery should be regulated at the state level. Yet, by the time his 1864 re-election campaign rolled around, such a constitutional amendment was a major part of his platform. Samito traces Lincoln’s intellectual journey, from opposing any amendments to the U.S. Constitution before he was president to becoming a supporter of the Thirteenth Amendment. Samito, a lawyer in Boston and professor at Boston University School of Law, shows how constitutional arguments led Lincoln to overcome his objections to the amendment. The book ends by applying the Thirteenth Amendment to current events, demonstrating the enduring influence of constitutional change in the Civil War era. WHAT OTHERS SAY
“Steven Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’ opened everyone’s eyes to the great significance
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of the Thirteenth Amendment. Now Samito provides the backstory and analysis of Lincoln’s real role in the adoption of the amendment. He deftly weaves together two central strands of Civil War history: Lincoln’s presidential leadership and the Constitution’s transformation. Readers looking for an overview of the path of emancipation during the Civil War will be well served by this superb book.” — Michael Vorenberg, author of Final Freedom: The Civil War, the Abolition of Slavery and the Thirteenth Amendment
Managing Disruptive Change in Healthcare:
Lessons from a Public-Private Partnership to Advance Cancer Care and Research
Donna M. O’Brien ’77 and Arnold D. Kaluzny
O
Oxford University Press
’Brien and Kaluzny chronicle the successful implementation of public-private partnerships between the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and community hospitals in three settings: a large urban hospital, a rural hospital and a national hospital system. O’Brien designed and supported the proj‑ ect, known as the NCI Community Cancer Centers Program, while working as special advisor to the director of the NCI. This case study showcases the design and implementation of such partnerships