Dear Friends,
It’s been a while since we sent out a newsletter, and there are so many updates to share.
In the past few months, we’ve lost two luminaries. Neuroscientist and compassion expert Dr. James R. Doty passed away in July after complications with his surgery and a long hospitalization. His books Into the Magic Shop and Mind Magic showed me and hundreds of thousands around the world about the power of the mind to manifest and create the lives we want. Into the Magic Shop even inspired a K-pop band, BTS, to write the song Magic Shop. Jim rose from poverty to become a neurosurgeon and philanthropist, and to lead the Stanford Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) center. He is survived by his wife, Masha, and their two sons, Sebastian and Alex.
You’ve likely seen the news that the iconic and pioneering Jane Goodall died at 91. Jane was truly an indomitable human spirit and an inspiration to us and to millions around the world. Her research demonstrated that chimps have personalities, emotions, use tools, are deeply social creatures, and even wage war. This work has transformed our understanding of animals and ourselves. I wanted to understand what she had learned about our own human nature along the way, and I was able to present her insights in our collaboration, The Book of Hope. She emphasized the resilience of both nature and the human spirit, providing reason for renewed optimism in troubling times. When I worked with Jane in her late 80s, she was still traveling 300 days a year to try to wake the world up to our environmental crisis—and to give us hope of solving our global challenges. It was a great privilege to nominate her for the Templeton Prize, and she helped us expand our understanding of life, both physically and spiritually. When I asked Jane what her next great adventure was, she said bluntly: death. She shared her conviction that this was not the end. I can see her embarking into the light, binoculars in hand, peering into the beyond.
While finishing this book, I’ve had the honor of collaborating with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his longtime translator, Thupten Jinpa Langri, on another book, How to Think: A Journey to Unleashing the Power of Your Mind. This project has been years in the making, and earlier this year, I traveled to Dharamsala to continue our conversations in person. Sitting with His Holiness, surrounded by the snow-capped foothills of the Himalayas, we explored what it means to cultivate mental immunity in an increasingly chaotic world. In a nutshell, I also learned that the mind is as much a reflection of the heart as the head—a newsflash for a New Yorker like me.” Best of all was seeing how healthy and vibrant the Dalai Lama is at 90!
We are delighted to announce that the IA Team is growing. Elizabeth Wachtel is our new Senior Literary Agent and Vice President for Media. Elizabeth worked for a decade at our sister agency, WME, and for most of that time represented our book-to-film rights with our beloved colleague, Sylvie Rabineau. She also has a master’s in literature from Oxford and brings lots of deep insight into the secrets of story for the page and screen. Elizabeth will be working closely with me across all of our books as well as focusing on our promotional campaigns and film, TV, and podcast projects.
Rebecca van Laer is our new Developmental Editor and Writing Coordinator. Rebecca has a Ph.D. from Brown and has worked with writers at every stage of the process, and she will be helping support our authors and the editing and writing team. (Rebecca also has just published a new book of her own: Cat, the 99th volume in Bloomsbury’s Object Lessons series.)
Thank you for being part of this journey with us. Whether we’re idea architecting a new book in Santa Cruz, learning to meditate in Dharamsala, or sharing books across continents, we’re united by a deep belief in the power of ideas and stories to transform the world.
With gratitude,
Doug & the IA Team (Alyssa, Elizabeth, Jordan, Kelly, Rebecca, Sarah, Sascha, & Wenonah)
Author Happenings:
- Dr. James Tabor’s new book, The Lost Mary, was featured in National Geographic.
- Bruce Greyson, author of After, was featured on Oprah’s podcast.
- Speaking of Oprah, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris’ book, The Deepest Well, was selected by Oprah’s Book Club as one of the Life-Changing Books Therapists Swear By.
- Dr. Robert Waldinger was interviewed on the key to happiness as part of the New York Times Well Festival — you can view the conversation in full.
- Dr. Lisa Miller, author of The Awakened Brain, was on Mel Robbins’ podcast to share how spirituality rewires your brain for more meaning, connection, and joy.
- Mel Robbins also interviewed Dr. Ethan Kross, author of Shift, on quieting negative self-talk.