February 26, 2009 — Our first Salon!

We are happy to announce a new offering from Hooks Book Events — the Salon. We envision these to be intimate gatherings of friends who are thirsty for knowledge and want to hear the thoughts and ideas of some of the bestsellers who are launching their new books.

Refreshments are certainly part of the party, and often reflect the theme of the book. A case in point is our first Salon, when our friend Joy invited 50 of her closest friends to gather in her cottage office to hear the fabulous *Flora Fraser” (pictured left, with Perry) discuss her latest book on Pauline Bonaparte (Napoleon’s favorite sister). French wine and appetizers and a very intimate conversation about Pauline’s European escapades.

“The event was thoroughly engaging and enjoyable,” says Joy, who is dreaming up who she wants to have come for another Salon. “I was impressed not only by how elegant and articulate Flora is, but really enjoyed listening to my dearest friends ask smart, savvy questions of the author. I encourage everyone to host a Hooks Book Salon. It will open your mind and warm your heart.”

To book your own Salon, send us an email: perry@hooksbookevents.com / loretta@hooksbookevents.com

About Flora Fraser: The author of Beloved Emma: The Life of Emma, Lady Hamilton; The Unruly Queen: The Life of Queen Caroline; and Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III, Flora Fraser lives in London with her husband and three children. Her new book focuses on Napoleon’s favorite sister. Celebrated for her looks, notorious for her passions, immortalized by Antonio Canova’s statue, and always deeply loyal to her brother, Pauline Bonaparte Borghese is a fascinating figure in her own right. At the turn of the nineteenth century, she was considered by many to be the most beautiful woman in Europe. She shocked the continent with the boldness of her love affairs, her opulent wardrobe and jewels, and, most famously, her decision to pose nearly nude for Canova’s sculpture, which has been replicated in countless ways through the years.

February 19 — Grameen Foundation CEO Alex Counts speaks to Cornell alumns

A large group of Cornell University alumni had the opportunity to hear Alex Counts speak today about his book, Small Loans, Big Dreams: How Nobel Prize Winner Muhammad Yunus and Microfinance are Changing the World. Counts is the president and CEO of the Grameen Foundation, a nonprofit, Washington, D.C.–based organization that has grown from modest beginnings in 1997 to become a global network of forty-six microfinance partners in twenty-four countries. Under his leadership, the Grameen Foundation impacts an estimated eighteen million lives in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the Arab World. Counts trained to be a catalyst for change under Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the founder and Managing Director of the Grameen Bank and corecipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.

"Micro-financing is considered one of the most effective strategies in the fight against global poverty," Counts explained to the group. "It can be implemented on the massive scale necessary to respond to the urgent needs of the world’s poorest. And now, in Small Loans, Big Changes, author Alex Counts looks at the lives of micro-lending borrowers from the Grameen Foundation in Bangladesh and Chicago."

All of the borrowers profiled in his book are women of little-to-no means, each struggling to gain financial independence. Counts help readers discover how, in Bangladesh, these women face off against very poor living conditions and the prejudice of men, while in Chicago, they must overcome crime and other hurdles that come with life in the inner city. "My goal was to reveal how Muhammad Yunus and his concept of micro-financing has helped those living in poverty achieve real financial independence," Counts shared.

What the crowd said:

I really enjoyed Alex's presentation--it was the primary reason I came. He was very inspiring.

I thought that the speaker was marvelous. The people who also were attracted to this type of event were also those that I was looking to connect with.

I have attended many alumni events. I thought this speaker was one of the best I have heard.

The speaker's presentation was informative and interesting to me — especially considering I am a recent grad who is interested in microfinance as a future career.

Alex was fabulous! Very interesting, engaging, informative, and inspirational! Many thanks to him and to all who worked to set up this great program.

As I am going back to Cornell as a Masters student in International Agriculture and Rural Development with a two-year Peace Corps option this topic was absolutely important for my thesis. I was happy to meet Alex and learn about his experiences in development. I flew down from New York just for this event!

Alex Counts recounts a great story of his interst in micro-finance and how he returned to Cornell to learn Bengali. Kudos to Cornell for having such an extensive language program.