The Spellbinder's Gift

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0449906906 ISBN 13: 9780449906903

Publisher: Fawcett, 1994

In his long and successful career as an agent to many of the most famous and dynamic motivational speakers in the world, Bart Manning had no peer. But when a series of misfortunes silenced the voices of his star clients, he happily retired. He'd had his last innings, and with his lovely wife, Mary, was enjoying his newfound freedom.
So why, one morning, did he find himself headed back to the little office that he had never given up? He didn't know. But as he sat at his dusty desk, he decided to go back into business. If God had sent him there, Bart told himself, he would wait for His plan to unfold.
Then, at a crowded convention, he found his answer, in the person of a handsome young man named Patrick Donne, whose deep, commanding voice spoke words of profound wisdom that electrified the audience. With the thrill of discovery, Bart recognized Donne's short speech as the best inspirational talk he had ever heard. Bart was soon caught up in the extraordinary realm that was Patrick's ordinary world, where even tragedy and sorrow became transforming experiences and remarkable things happened. . . .

About the Author:

Og Mandino is one of the most widely read inspirational and self-help authors in the world. Former president of Success Unlimited magazine, Mandino was the first recipient of the Napoleon Hill Gold Medal Award for literary achievement. Og Mandino was a member of the Council of Peers Award for Excellence Speaker Hall of Fame and was honored with a Master of Influence Award by the National Speakers Association. Og Mandino died in 1996, but his books continue to inspire countless thousands all over the world.

From Booklist:

You can't argue with success. Og Mandino's 16 inspirational books have sold more than 25 million copies in 20 languages. His latest follows the now-familiar formula: very earnest and very inspirational, with a tantalizing touch of the otherworld. Apparently, Og doesn't want to argue with success either. The story (most of Mandino's books wrap a flimsy fictional premise around the inspirational message) is narrated by Bart Manning, a successful agent for motivational speakers, who has been out of the business since all his best clients died off. Bart is bored so he heads to a motivational-speakers convention where he hopes to acquire a couple of new clients. Most of the participants don't measure up to Bart's high standards, but there is one, the winner of the convention's speaking contest, Patrick Donne, the Master of the Lectern, who stands out from the rest. Patrick is handsome, dynamic, and wise. He has a deep, commanding voice. And, as it turns out, he is able to heal people, though this isn't a fact Bart wants to spread around. Alas, Patrick's small plane crashes into the side of a mountain while it's ferrying him to his next speaking engagement. There's a silver lining, though, for both Patrick's and Og's fans: Patrick conveniently left behind a small book containing his accumulated wisdom--sort of the inspirational version of an airplane's black box. The book doesn't provide much new news--"Never allow anyone to rain on your parade"; "Separate yourself from the crowd"; "Look for the seed of good in every adversity." Oh well, aphorisms are always popular; that's why they're aphorisms. Ilene Cooper