In Part 1 of this blog Lisa Sharkey, Senior Vice President for HarperCollins shared the story of the making of HRH The Prince of Wales' book, Harmony and it's potential impact on our environmental consciousness. Here is the rest of our interview...
Arielle: Why is it important for Americans to read this book?
Lisa: First of all, we live on (and off) the planet. Americans care deeply about our environment. We have recently experienced two huge national tragedies that revealed the fragility of our world, from Katrina to the BP oil disaster. We are always looking for solutions and this book spotlights those who have figured out the best ways to move our thinking ahead with positive action.
The Prince cites important studies which demonstrate when in greater contact with Nature, children are happier, and score higher on intelligence tests. For anyone who feels dissatisfied with their life, this book gives you an opportunity to rethink your perspective, and to create opportunities for happiness. While Harmony is a groundbreaking look at how we have lived in the past, where we have strayed off course, and how we can right ourselves by respecting nature, it is also a simple prescription for how to bring you more happiness by just enjoying time outdoors, appreciating the beauty of flowers, respecting the biodiversity of our world and turning off the electronics in favor of a walk through the woods.
I think it's an important work by a man who has studied and visited and engaged with these concepts around the world for many decades and who is shining his bright light on many of the great questions posed by man and answered by the universe. The Prince of Wales is calling for a revolution in how we think and how we act. What he says is valuable, and hopeful.
Arielle: Tell me about his dedication to the planet and how we can all support his efforts?
Lisa: Dedication to saving the planet and protecting the natural capital of the Earth is a primary focus of Prince Charles'. To that end, he funds dozens of different charitable organizations that cover earth-friendly issues as far reaching as International Sustainability, Rainforests, Traditional Arts and The Built Environment. The list of projects around the world is too numerous for this short page. But there is a web site that describes what each of these separate and valuable charities represents and you can find it at princescharities.org.
Arielle: With the announcement from Will and Kate, and the NBC specials on Prince Charles, it seems that timing of the release of this book is spot on.
Lisa: I would simply call that a happy coincidence and a magical moment on many levels.
Arielle: What other promotional plans do you have in the works?
Lisa: We are continuing to spread the word about Harmony through reviews of the book and articles like this one. In addition, the documentary Harmony which aired on NBC on Friday, November 19th is now available to be watched in its entirety on Hulu.com
It is certainly a worthwhile forty three minutes. As an aside, the Prince also personally recorded the childrens' and adult audio versions of Harmony, which are beautifully produced. The unabridged adult book is more than eleven and a half hours long and hearing from the author himself read his own words aloud makes the experience of listening to Harmony a compelling option for experiencing this book.
Arielle: How can readers of this blog access a sample chapter?
Lisa: Fortunately for all of you, HarperCollins website has a terrific feature called Browse Inside which allows visitors to read some of the book and see the stunning visuals as well. Here is the link. If you like what you see, it's just a few clicks away to order Harmony for yourself and your friends and family for the holidays.
Lisa Sharkey is the Senior Vice President and Director of Creative Development for HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide. She joined the company in March 2007 after more than two decades in television. You can read her blogs here or visit her website, www.DreamingGreenBook.com
Arielle Ford has launched the careers of many NY Times bestselling authors including Deepak Chopra, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Neale Donald Walsch & Debbie Ford. She is a former book publicist, literary agent and the author of seven books. To learn how to get started writing a book please visit: www.HowToWriteMyBook.com