ZEN AND THE ART OF COMMON SENSE

BESTSELLING AUTHORS SHOW WHERE THE “TWAIN” DO, IN FACT, MEET

( New York, NY) Robert Lebow and William Simon have long been known for their clear and concise examinations of business culture and ethics. Now, in their first collaboration for New York’s SelectBooks, they have united to create When You Grab a Cat by the Tail – Short Bursts of Inspiration for Busy People, a deceptively small book of inspirational Americana perfect for the Mother's and Father's Day gift-giving season.

The “short bursts of wisdom” contained between the book’s covers are perfect for bed-time relaxation or coffee-break edification, offering readers a “Chicken Soup”-like vehicle for facilitating greater interpersonal understanding, individual achievement, and inner calm. When You Grab a Cat by the Tail’s collection of stories, quotes, jokes, and anecdotes is for students and seniors, moms and managers, and anyone in search of a pocket compendium of lessons, values, and morals that is both relevant and enjoyable. Its unexpected pearls of wisdom are so much fun to read because of the unexpected bounty that it uncovers in the commonplace, leading one publishing insider to refer to it as “American Zen.”

Given that description, it is little wonder that the book derives its title from a quote by the great American author Mark Twain. “The man who sets out to grab a cat by its tail,” Twain wrote over 110 years ago, “learns something that will always be useful and which will never grow dim or doubtful.” In other words, we learn from experience. It is in the spirit of this quote that Lebow and Simon present the book’s simple stories and universally accessible anecdotes to illustrate greater, often unexpected truths that have either been forgotten or go unnoticed and unconsidered.

Lebow and Simon have built their reputations on their contributions to the worlds of business ethics and theory. Now, with the publication of When You Grab a Cat by the Tail, they make a long overdue move out of the office block to show us a deeply personal side which is at the foundation of their message to the white collar world. In the process, they have created an accessible volume that serves as a potential vehicle for facilitating interpersonal and intergenerational conversation and communication.

For nearly twenty years Rob Lebow has been one of the foremost thought-leaders and visionaries in global business culture. In 1990 he began revolutionizing the flow and function of the modern workplace with his book A Journey Into the Heroic Environment, a practical and accessible model for a corporate culture without obstacles where knowledge and experience are shared. Bill Simon, a true renaissance man, has used his gift with the written word to share a far-reaching variety of information with Think India (Dutton, 2007), The G.O.D. Experiments: How Science Is Discovering God In Everything, Including Us (with Gary E. Schwartz; Atria/Simon & Schuster, 2006), and In Search of Business Value (with Microsoft VP William McDowell; SelectBooks, 2005). Their collaboration on When You Grab a Cat by the Tail offers but a sampling of the knowledge these two have gleaned over the course of their respective careers.

Lebow and Simon have more than twenty books to their names, on topics ranging from business ethics to current events. In their combined years of research and experience, they have amassed a treasure trove of stories that have the power to teach, inspire, guide, and entertain. When You Grab a Cat by the Tail is their effort to share those stories with as wide an audience as possible, with an eye to continuing on the path they have each long trod: bringing kernels of basic wisdom and fundamental truths to bear in an increasingly hectic and disconnected world.

With Mother’s Day and Father's Day just around the corner, When You Grab a Cat by the Tail is available as an ideal present that will make mom and dad smile as well as make them think. Both timely and timeless, its practical wisdom is guaranteed to inspire, enlighten, and entertain.