People of The Book

Collectively, Albom’s books have sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, beginning with his breakthrough books Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. His new book, The Little Liar is a moving parable that explores honesty, survival, revenge, and devotion, set during the Holocaust.

All ticket buyers will receive a signed copy of his book!

Almost 70 years after his death, Albert Einstein’s genius continues to define our everyday lives, and his enduring legacy has shaped him into a modern-day pop culture icon. His face is still one of the most recognizable in the world and he’s widely considered to be the first modern-day celebrity. While many of his discoveries continue to define our daily lives, it’s not just his genius that continues to shape our world. Today, more people know Einstein as an icon rather than a theorist. Decades after his death, he’s a celebrity with a massive online following.

The Einstein Effect shows all the ways his influence is still with us today – in our systems and our culture. Interspersed between chapters on his long-lasting scientific legacy, Benyamin Cohen (the mind behind Einstein’s social media accounts!) also tells the story of how Einstein became an unlikely social media figure and pop culture icon.

Simon Wiesenthal was a Jewish Holocaust survivor who became internationally famous for relent- lessly pursuing and bringing nearly 1,100 Nazi war criminals to justice. Tom Dugan captures the essence of this extraordinary man in the context of Holocaust history as well as the legacy he left behind. The book is based on Dugan’s one-man play and includes the entire off-Broadway production playscript of this riveting drama and a complete study guide, production photographs and book club questions.

Dugan will read several pieces from the script during his presentation as he did earlier this year when he spoke about the book on Zoom. The feedback from everyone was that they would love to see him present this in person, and now residents will get a Dugan doubleheader with Tevye in New York! (one-man show presented the night before) and Wiesenthal.

Dugan was dubbed “A National Treasure” by critics for the past 20 years. His one-man plays have thrilled audiences and have been the subject of many PBS programs throughout North America.

Dr. Fayne Frey’s The Skincare Hoax – How You’re Being Tricked Into Buying Lotions, Potions & Wrinkle Cream is an exposé on the marketing tactics used that get us all to buy over-the-counter skin- care. It will make you rethink everything you know about skincare. You’ll learn about the well-kept secrets of the skincare industry, how media ads influence our buying decisions, and get recommendations for effective products and simple skincare regimens that are easy and affordable.

Dr. Frey is a New York-based, Ivy League-trained, board-certified dermatologist, skincare consultant, and nationally recognized expert in the effectiveness and formulation of over-the-counter skincare products. She is founder of FryFace.com, an educational skincare information and product selection service website that clarifies and simplifies the overwhelming choice of effective, safe and affordable products encountered in the skincare aisles.

Natasha Lance Rogoff will share “The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia.” After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the timing appeared perfect to bring Sesame Street to post-communist Russia. The Muppets were seen as ambassadors to model idealistic values, but no one anticipated just how challenging and dangerous it would be. Rogoff, a young Jewish American TV producer, was tasked to produce the series in Moscow and faced bombings, assassinations and the takeover of the production office. Heated cultural clashes touched every aspect of the production – from script writing to educational content to the design of the Muppets themselves.

Sesame Street’s progressive values were pitted against four centuries of Russian thought. And yet, the TV series became a huge hit, broadcasting messages of tolerance and inclusion well into Putin’s era to millions of children across the former USSR. Told with humor and thoughtfulness, Rogoff ‘s story of collaboration will resonate with Jewish audiences. Her story offers deep insights into the Russian people and their culture while exploring tensions that continue to thwart relations between Russia and the West – themes that remain more relevant than ever.

Arthur Smith, a Critics Choice award-winning and Emmy-nominated Hollywood producer, is the innovator behind some of the longest-running unscripted series in TV history – including Hell’s Kitchen and American Ninja Warrior.

In Reach, he shares his adventures, triumphs and hard-won lessons from his astonishing career, which includes becoming the youngest-ever Head of CBC Sports in Canada, moving to America to help grow FOX Sports Net, being mentored by the iconic Dick Clark – and making the biggest reach of his career in 2000 with the launch of A. Smith & Co. Productions, which has since produced over 200 television shows on more than 50 networks.

Smith takes us behind the scenes of dozens of pivotal moments in sports and TV history, in- cluding wild anecdotes from names such as Marlon Brando, Gordon Ramsay, Magic Johnson, Little Richard, Wayne Gretzky, Simon Cowell and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Throughout the book, he illustrates just how far you can go when you work hard, take risks and reach for your dreams.