Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Releases New Memoir

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) today released Mayor for a New America - a behind-the-scenes look at the career of former Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, one of the longest-serving major-city mayors in United States history, and one of the most popular politicians in modern memory.

The memoir, written with author and news analyst Jack Beatty, chronicles twenty years of service, in which Mayor Menino spearheaded a progressive agenda, particularly in his support of an innovation economy and greater civil rights for all. He held fast to the values of his childhood - good schools, a growing middle class, and close-knit communities, and departed office with approval ratings of 83%. Mayor Menino shares his story and legacy, offering a master class in urban politics and insight into his successes and shortcomings, as well as hard-won advice for our divided nation and beyond.

"Mayor Menino and Boston are synonymous," said Gary Gentel, President of HMH Trade Publishing. "It's a privilege for HMH, as a Boston-based institution, to release this wonderful book. We're thrilled and honored that we could help bring his story to life."

Menino's political career stretched from the busing crisis of the 1970s to the city's extraordinary response to the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013-a story told here in vivid, dramatic detail. Menino relates exclusive behind-the-scenes stories and provides inspiration with his proven, people-focused method: "Do the small stuff so you can win the credibility to do the big stuff." Under his wing, the city has enjoyed unprecedented economic growth while fostering a new attitude of acceptance. Menino shows how a historic city shook off its Puritan roots and racial tensions to become a truly twenty-first-century city.

Thomas M. Menino, elected five times as mayor of Boston and five times as a city councilor, has spent a lifetime building a better city for residents and businesses. Following his final term, which drew to a close in January 2014, Mayor Menino joined Boston University, where he serves as co-director for the newly founded Initiative on Cities. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

Praise for Mayor for a New America:

"When your career includes delivering twenty straight State of the City addresses in Boston, you've got a lot to teach the world about leadership and 'getting stuff done.' MAYOR FOR A NEW AMERICA is a fascinating look at how he did it. I worked with Tom Menino for eight years on the challenges facing our cities. I know how much he did for the people of Boston."
-President Bill Clinton

"Mayor Tom Menino led the resurgence of Boston's neighborhoods, expanded parks and livable spaces, and fought for an economy at the frontiers of innovation. He also knitted together a divided city and led the way for a new American revolution...MAYOR FOR A NEW AMERICA tells [Menino's] story, from meeting his wife Angela to leading Boston after the Marathon bombings. Menino's Boston truly is a city on a hill, a model for the country and for the world."
-Senator Elizabeth Warren, author of A Fighting Chance

About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade Publishing
For nearly two centuries, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade Publishing has published some of the world's most renowned novels, nonfiction, children's books, and reference works. As part of a leading global learning company, it is uniquely positioned to create educational and entertaining content for multiple channels and in various formats, from hardcovers and paperbacks to e-books and mobile apps. Its distinguished author list includes eight Nobel Prize winners, forty-seven Pulitzer Prize winners, thirteen National Book Award winners, and more than one hundred Caldecott, Newbery, Printz, and Sibert Medal and Honor recipients. HMH publishes such distinguished authors as Philip Roth, Temple Grandin, Tim O'Brien, and Umberto Eco, and a celebrated roster of children's authors and illustrators including Lois Lowry, Chris Van Allsburg, and David Wiesner. HMH is also home to The Best American series; The American Heritage and Webster's New World dictionaries; Betty Crocker, Better Homes and Gardens, How to Cook Everything, The Gourmet Cookbook, and other leading culinary properties; the Peterson Field Guides; CliffsNotes; books by J.R.R. Tolkien; and many iconic children's books and characters, including Curious George, The Little Prince, and The Polar Express. For more information, visit http://www.hmhco.com/popular-reading.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain certain statements that are not historical facts, including information regarding our intentions, beliefs, or current expectations concerning, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies, the industry in which we operate, and potential business decisions. Those statements constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results expressed in or implied by our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, changes in state and local education funding and/or related programs, legislation, and procurement processes; adverse or worsening economic trends or the continuation of current economic conditions; changes in consumer demand for, and acceptance of, our products; industry cycles and trends; conditions and/or changes in the publishing industry; and other factors discussed in our news releases, public statements and/or filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent Annual and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. We undertake no obligation, and do not expect, to publicly update or publicly revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

To post a comment, you must register and login.