Ben Sherwood
Author of Charlie St. Cloud
About the Author
Ben Sherwood is a senior producer for "NBC Nightly News." He has written numerous articles as an investigative journalist. This is his first book written under his own name. He lives in New York City, where he is at work on his next novel. (Publisher Provided)
Works by Ben Sherwood
Charlie St. Cloud 1 copy
Associated Works
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: The Zero Game • The Fire Baby • The Promise of a Lie • The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud (2004) 9 copies
Livros Condensados: Sorriso Assassino | Comam Bolos! | O Códice | A Morte e a Vida de Charlie St. Cloud (2005) 6 copies
Éjjeli bagoly, Bármit a szerelemért, Végveszélyben, Charlie St Cloud halála és élete (2006) — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Sherwood, Ben
- Other names
- Barclay, Max
- Birthdate
- 1964-02-12
- Gender
- male
- Education
- Harvard University
University of Oxford (MA) - Occupations
- journalist
author
television producer - Organizations
- NBC
ABC - Awards and honors
- Rhodes Scholar
- Agent
- Evans, Joni
- Short biography
- Ben Sherwood is a bestselling author, award-winning journalist and executive director of TheSurvivorsClub.org. From 2004 to 2006, he worked as executive producer of ABC’s Good Morning America during the two most successful seasons in the program’s history. Sherwood guided prize-winning coverage of the tsunami in Southeast Asia, the devastation of hurricane Katrina, and the presidential election of 2004
From 1997 to 2001, Sherwood served as senior broadcast producer and senior producer of NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw. From 1989 to 1993, he worked as a producer and associate producer at ABC News PrimeTime Live with Diane Sawyer and Sam Donaldson.
Sherwood is the author of two critically acclaimed best-selling novels: The Man Who Ate the 747 and The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud. Both books were translated into more than 13 languages and are in development as feature films. The Man Who Ate the 747 is also being developed as a Broadway musical.
Sherwood’s new book, The Survivors Club, is a non-fiction exploration of the science and secrets of who bounces back from everyday adversity and who doesn’t; who beats life-threatening disease and who succumbs; and who triumphs after economic hardship and who surrenders.
In January 2009, Sherwood founded TheSurvivorsClub.org, an online resource center and support network for people surviving and thriving in the face of all kinds of adversity.
A graduate of Harvard College and a Rhodes Scholar, Sherwood earned masters degrees in history and development economics at Oxford University. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Karen Kehela Sherwood and their son Will.
Visit Ben Sherwood at the following sites:
http://bensherwood.com/
http://twitter.com/sherwoodben
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ben-Sh...
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=57342610209&ref=mf - Nationality
- USA
- Places of residence
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- California, USA
Members
Reviews
Since I live on an island accessed by ferry I was particularly interested to read up on how to survive a ferry accident in Ben Sherwood's Survivor's Club. Although I am still dubious as to my chances should that moment come, Sherwood's book has definitely upped my odds of survival. This entertaining book shows us through various survival anecdotes how our attitudes and mindsets can help us almost as much as our native know how and ability. Instead of insisting to ourselves that nothing will show more ever happen to us, Sherwood illustrates that having a positive yet realistic attitude is the key ingredient to survival, and indeed success, not only in disasterous circumstances, but in our daily lives. Time after time his survivors describe themselves, after having edured absolutely harrowing experiences, as 'lucky'. In reality, Sherwood posits that bringing a continuous openess to one's surroundings as well as a determination to solve the problem of survival and a positive, but realistic, attitude, is the luck that we all must have in our time of crisis. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
This is a story of the greatest love, ever. An outlandish claim, outrageous perhaps, but trust me-- And so begin the enchanting, unforgettable tale of J. J. Smith, Keeper of the Records for The Book of Records, an ordinary man searching for the extraordinary. J.J. has clocked the world's longest continuous kiss, 30 hours and 45 minutes. He has verified the lengthiest single unbroken apple peel, 172 feet and 4 inches. He has measured the farthest flight of a champagne cork from an untreated, show more unheated bottle 177 feet 9 inches. He has tasted the world's largest menu item, whole-roasted Bedouin camel. But in all his adventure from Australia to Zanzibar, J.J. has never witnessed great love until he comes upon a tiny windswept town in the heartland of America, where folks still talk about family, faith, and crops. Here, where he last expects it, J.J. discovers a world record attempt like no other: Piece by piece, a farmer is eating a Boeing 747 to prove his love for a woman. In this vast landscape of cornfields and lightning storms, J.J. is doubly astounded to be struck by love from the same woman, Willa Wyatt of the honey eyes and wild blond hair. It is a feeling beyond measure, throwing J.J.'s carefully ordered world upside down, proving that hears, like world records, can be broken, and the greatest wonders in life can not be qualified. Richly romantic, whimsical, and uplifting, The Man Who Ate the 747 is a flight of fancy from start to finish. It stretches imagination, bends physics and biology, but believe it just a little and you may find yourself reaching for your own records, the kind that really count. Written with tenderness, originality, and insight, filled with old-fashioned warmth and newfangled humor, it is an extraordinary novel, a found treasure that marks the emergence of a major storytelling tale. show less
In some ways this book is like the proverbial train wreck; you just can't stop reading because the stories are just so compelling. Admit it, we are all fascinated by stories of survival so why NOT learn from the people who have survived horrible accidents or terrifying imprisonments. The book shows how certain people react differently in crisis situations and the author goes on to show studies of the survivors. Of why they survived. I was drawn to this book because I was faced with a life show more threatening medical condition. Nothing nearly as bad as the subjects in the book but any time a doctor looks you in the face and says you should be dead it rather scrambles your though processes.
The book is written in a very compelling manner. It was hard to put down and I found the personal stories the most interesting. You can take a Survivor Profile to find out what type of survivor personality you have. Turns out I am a "realist" which really didn't surprise me. I enjoyed reading the book and my husband is going to read the book next. show less
The book is written in a very compelling manner. It was hard to put down and I found the personal stories the most interesting. You can take a Survivor Profile to find out what type of survivor personality you have. Turns out I am a "realist" which really didn't surprise me. I enjoyed reading the book and my husband is going to read the book next. show less
"The Survivors Club" takes you on a wild rollercoaster ride from one harrowing story to the next, featuring people who survived adversity against incredible odds. After each nail-biting escapade, the author summarizes the “secrets of survival” just exemplified. He aims to capture “the wisdom of people who improbably survived the abyss” and share it with his readers.
The tour of almost fatal episodes includes being ejected from an airplane going 750 miles per hour, jumping off the show more Golden Gate Bridge, getting attacked by a mountain lion, getting pierced in the heart by a knitting needle, beating cancer, and even surviving the Holocaust.
In each of these instances, Sherwood also brings to light relevant studies that have been conducted on similar situations, showing what factors might predispose one to thrive. He maintains we can all increase our own chances of surviving crises by following these rules.
A major section of his book focuses on the power of faith; many survivors claim it was a higher power that enabled their rescues. Sherwood handles this in a way bound not to offend anyone. Studies acknowledge the strength that faith imparts, and Sherwood maintains that it doesn’t really matter if it’s “true” or not; the point is that the belief itself facilitates surviving behaviors, like calmness, the ability to focus, the determination to fight for life, and the capacity to feel optimistic and hopeful.
Listening to this book was a bit like sitting around a campfire, and everyone is telling scary survival stories in the dark. With each tale, you’re pushed to the edge of your seat in awe, but then it comes out okay. You can snuggle down with your blanket and hot chocolate and feel good again (at least until the next story).
I listened to the unabridged audiobook from Hachette Publishers, read by the author himself. I can’t imagine anyone else reading the book with such enthusiasm and passion. I highly recommend this book. show less
The tour of almost fatal episodes includes being ejected from an airplane going 750 miles per hour, jumping off the show more Golden Gate Bridge, getting attacked by a mountain lion, getting pierced in the heart by a knitting needle, beating cancer, and even surviving the Holocaust.
In each of these instances, Sherwood also brings to light relevant studies that have been conducted on similar situations, showing what factors might predispose one to thrive. He maintains we can all increase our own chances of surviving crises by following these rules.
A major section of his book focuses on the power of faith; many survivors claim it was a higher power that enabled their rescues. Sherwood handles this in a way bound not to offend anyone. Studies acknowledge the strength that faith imparts, and Sherwood maintains that it doesn’t really matter if it’s “true” or not; the point is that the belief itself facilitates surviving behaviors, like calmness, the ability to focus, the determination to fight for life, and the capacity to feel optimistic and hopeful.
Listening to this book was a bit like sitting around a campfire, and everyone is telling scary survival stories in the dark. With each tale, you’re pushed to the edge of your seat in awe, but then it comes out okay. You can snuggle down with your blanket and hot chocolate and feel good again (at least until the next story).
I listened to the unabridged audiobook from Hachette Publishers, read by the author himself. I can’t imagine anyone else reading the book with such enthusiasm and passion. I highly recommend this book. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 5
- Also by
- 3
- Members
- 3,087
- Popularity
- #8,267
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 126
- ISBNs
- 87
- Languages
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- Favorited
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