Never Say Never : 10 Lessons to Turn You Can't Into Yes I Can

George, Phyllis

ISBN 10: 0071408789 ISBN 13: 9780071408783

Publisher: McGraw-Hill, 2002

Synopsis

Life wisdom from one of America's best-loved personalities

A broadcast pioneer and entrepreneur shares her stories of inspiration and tells readers to not give up

With a career spanning three decades and transitioning seamlessly between the fields of sports, entertainment, and politics, Phyllis George has lived a lifetime of risk taking, pioneering, and success. Now, in Never Say Never, she shares 10 essential lessons she has learned from her vast and varied experience, from Miss America in 1971 to the first woman coanchor of the national football pregame show "NFL Today," to first lady of Kentucky, actress, entrepreneur, and award-winning humanitarian and businesswoman. Phyllis also includes inspirational stories from high-profile personalities, such as Walter Cronkite, Larry King, Roger Staubach, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Terry Bradshaw, and many more.

With her powerful combination of positivity and hardearned wisdom, George shares life-tested lessons that will motivate and inspire others to create the future they want. Lessons include:

• Dream Big Dreams
• Keep Your Options Open
• Lend a Helping Hand
• Find a Void and Fill It
• Be a Risk-Taker
• Trust Your Own Instincts
• Keep the Faith
• Feel the Power of Being Nice
• Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously
• Never Say Never!

About this title

About the Author

Phyllis George is one of America's best-loved celebrities. Her accomplishments span a variety of fields. Her numerous awards include Humanitarian of the Year (1995), from the Rosen Group; Celebrity Businesswoman of the Year (1991), from the National Association of Women Business Owners; and one of the Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World (2001). George was also named one of the 50 Greatest Women in Radio and Television (2001), by the American Women in Radio and Television. She lives in New York City.

From the Back Cover

Foreword by Rick Pitino, bestselling author of Success Is a Choice and Lead to Succeed

"If you want a thrilling experience, read Phyllis George's new book. Phyllis has scaled many walls of impossibility in her life and proved the nay-sayers wrong. She is a true positive thinker!"--Ruth Stafford Peale, Chairman of the Board, Guideposts

"Phyllis's fun-loving personality really shines through in this book. It's clever, smart, and full of life wisdom. Don't miss it. It's a great read!"--Blythe Danner, award-winning actress

"These stories will inspire people at any stage of their lives. She's refreshingly honest about how she learned her life lessons, sometimes the hard way, keeping her positive spirit and sense of humor all along."--Mary Hart, host, "Entertainment Tonight"

"A masterful stroke of motivating genius. Phyllis George proves Magic Happens when you say YES! to YOURSELF!"--Harvey Mackay, bestselling author of Swim with the Sharks

"If ever there was a woman that I wanted to come into our locker room to interview me after a game--it was Phyllis. I cherish my friendship with her.... This is a great book from a truly great woman!"--Terry Bradshaw, Hall of Fame quarterback

Believing in yourself is the first step to achieving any dream. In Never Say Never, Phyllis George shares life-tested lessons that will motivate you no matter what the challenge. Along with Phyllis's own stories, you'll find inspiring stories from her friends, including:

• Muhammad Ali
• Paula Zahn
• Larry King
• Roger Staubach
• Walter Cronkite Barbara Taylor Bradford
• Ann Richards
• Michael R. Bloomberg

...and many others

With a career spanning three decades and transitioning seamlessly between the fields of sports, entertainment, politics, and even cooking and crafts, Phyllis George has lived a lifetime of risk-taking, pioneering, and success. Now, in Never Say Never, she shares the 10 essential lessons of her vast and varied experience--lessons that will give you the strength to take the first step toward the life you want.

From being crowned Miss America in 1971, to becoming the first female national sportscaster and serving as first lady of Kentucky, actress and award-winning humanitarian and businesswoman Phyllis George has proven time and again that you can indeed turn "You Can't" into "Yes I Can." This courageous small-town girl lost the Miss Texas pagent but came back, tried again, and won, later winning the national title. She went on to pave the way in the overwhelmingly male world of sportscasting. These are but two of the triumphs--and trials--George reveals in this dynamic book.

With her powerful combination of positivity and hard-earned wisdom, George motivates and inspires you to believe you can do almost anything. From knowing when to persevere--and when to try something new--to proving the genuine power of being nice, she weaves her personal experiences with life-tested lessons to show you how to:

• Say yes to yourself--even when others say no
• Embrace change as your friend
• Keep your options open
• Find a void and fill it
• Trust your own instincts
• Learn to laugh at yourself

...and much more--including how and why to never say never. In addition to George's personal accounts, here you will also find inspirational stories from high-profile personalities such as Walter Cronkite, Larry King, Roger Staubach, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Paula Zahn, and many more. Engaging, intimate, and filled with invaluable lessons, this powerful book will help you believe in yourself--and take on your greatest challenges.

Reviews

If there's anyone who's an expert on reinventing herself, it's Phyllis George. She may be best known for her stints as Miss America 1971 and a CBS sportscaster, but she's also been the First Lady of Kentucky, Hollywood royalty (during her eight-month-long marriage to Robert Evans), the author of two books on crafts and the mastermind behind Chicken by George, a venture that brought marinated, boneless, skinless chicken breasts to supermarkets nationwide. Her motivational lessons may not be as innovative as her reinvention skills, but they just might be the swift kick in the rear some apathetic readers need. Her mantras, among them, "Say yes to yourself," "Trust your instincts" and "Learn to laugh at yourself," are simplistic yet undeniably useful, and George fleshes them out with anecdotes about her famous friends, which, though sometimes irrelevant, are uplifting and amusing. A successful interview George conducted with Jets star quarterback Joe Namath illustrates the "trust your instincts" lesson, while a silly performance she gave at a birthday party that wound up leading to a bit part in Meet the Parents serves as the backdrop for acknowledging, "timing is everything." She writes: "Sometimes opportunity arrives when you're taking the dirty laundry home and the phone rings. Answer it. Starting to believe `I can' instead of `I can't' can truly change the course of your life." Even if this book doesn't inspire readers to drop their laundry baskets and start a company, it does provide a memorable glimpse into the myriad adventures of its tirelessly plucky author.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: McGraw-Hill
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0071408789
• ISBN 13: 9780071408783
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 175