Here I am Again–February 2020

Okay, I’m back. It’s been a long hiatus, but getting a book out can do that to you. First, there are the final polishes. Next the publication and launch. And finally, the promotional activities. Lots to do and lots of fun–but hugely time-consuming.

Happily, since it’s release last spring, The Talent Revolution: Longevity and the Future of Work has received great reviews.  It’s available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Indigo.com and Barnes & Noble.

Ali Velshi, Senior Economic and Business Correspondent at NBC News, and Co-anchor of Velshi & Ruhle wrote, “This book turns thinking about the aging workforce on its head. It’s a must-read to tap the potential productivity of a truly intergenerational workforce, and to make companies more profitable.”  

In her book blog, Gail Picco wrote, “Taylor and Lebo’s Future of Work is not the future at all. It is our present reality, a testament to the idea that the future has arrived.” She also notes, “It is a book that every CEO, COO and VP should read. And one I’ll refer to often. It speaks to a talent revolution.”

All good. And what’s equally exciting is what I’ve been up to since the final draft was accepted last January. The minute I put that book to bed, I returned a novel I’d started before I began working on The Talent Revolution. It’s a high-concept, sci-fi/thriller with a provocative and, I hope, compelling premise. It’s about a woman who becomes the unsuspecting subject of a bizarre medical experiment when she’s implanted with an ape embryo. Weird, I know, but scientifically possible.

Anyway, I’ve had two readers whose opinions I respect check it out. The first is a professor of English lit. She loved it! Thought the characters were well drawn and the plotting right on the money. The second is a professor of zoology who specializes in primate research. He loved it too and offered a ton of pointers to be sure the science is accurate.

I’m calling it Far from Eden and I’m about to begin the painful process of searching for an agent. Now, if you ask me, finding an agent is harder than writing a book. But that’s what I’m up to. Wish me luck.

Pub Date Set–January 2019

It seems like it’s been forever, but our book is finally scheduled for January 2019 release–and I am greatly relieved. It’s all about how to profit from the untapped talent within the aging workforce. The Talent Revolution: Longevity and the Future of Work. Coming to a book store near you. Check it out!

The Pearl Diver

The first draft of my latest book is due in December and while that may seem like a long time away, in writers’ years, it’s merely moments.

My co-author is Lisa Taylor. We’ve worked together on projects before and we’re a good team. I’m of the generation aging out of the workforce; she’s about the same age as my youngest son–and it creates a rare and healthy synergy. Smart, energetic and wonderfully wise, Lisa is the subject matter expert on this project.

But sometimes, waiting for Lisa’s content reminds me of standing on the shore watching for a pearl diver.

“Where’s chapter 3?” I ask.

“I’m thinking about it,” she emails back.

So I wait, imagining her taking a deep breath and diving beneath the surface. And just when I’ve nearly given up hope, just when I think she’s been caught in the weeds, up she comes spitting pearls.

I rearrange. I add a personal twist. I re-string. But the gleam is Lisa’s. It’s a joy!

The Final Draft

With the usual Christmas interruptions and my snowbird flight to Florida looming, Lisa and I ask for a brief postponement for our submission. Happily, it’s granted and our book–now due in January–is delivered on time. We wait in anticipation for our editor’s comments. Will she approve? Or will she report that it’s nothing like the book we described in our proposal and our contract is scrapped?

The Talent Revolution

Good news! Our editor loved it and The Talent Revolution will be published by The University of Toronto Press–as agreed. We’re hoping it will be launched early in the new year–in time for Lisa to mention it when she keynotes at a whole bunch of conferences. Yay Taylor and Lebo!