Susan Spilka
sspilka@wiley.com
Wiley
(201) 748-6147
Lori Sayde-Mehrtens
lsayde@wiley.com
Wiley
(201) 748-6497
Knowledge For Generations: Wiley and the Global Publishing Industry, 1807-2007
Book Marks Wiley's Bicentennial Year
Hoboken, N.J., January 8, 2008 — A distinguished team of authors and editors brings Wiley's rich history to life in a book that marks the culmination of an extraordinary bicentennial year. KNOWLEDGE FOR GENERATIONS: Wiley and the Global Publishing Industry, 1807-2007 (Wiley; January 2008; Cloth; $49.95) by The Winthrop Group, Inc., Timothy Curtis Jacobson, George David Smith, and Robert E. Wright; and edited by Peter Booth Wiley, Susan Brophy Spilka, and Barbara L. Heaney, depicts Wiley’s pivotal role in the evolution of publishing against a social, cultural, and economic backdrop.
The publication of Knowledge for Generations is the final chapter of the year-long bicentennial celebration that included ringing the Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange and an array of festivities that spanned four continents and ten countries.
Wiley has created an online community for the book and its 200th Anniversary, called Wiley Living History (www.wiley.com/go/livinghistory). The site offers excerpts from Knowledge for Generations and a forum for visitors and Wiley colleagues to share comments and anecdotes that will add to the Company's continuing story.
"Knowledge for Generations is a compelling story about Wiley's unique culture—a story about adapting, changing, and evolving. We have learned from our successes and failures. Over the course of two centuries, we have not forgotten that publishing is a business built on the strength and character of human relationships—collaborative relationships with authors, customers, partners, and colleagues," said Wiley President and CEO William J. Pesce.
Knowledge for Generations documents Wiley's evolution over two centuries, from a humble printing shop to family firm to publicly-traded global corporation. The book examines Wiley's impact on literature, scientific research, and education in the global marketplace. It also documents the continuous involvement of the Wiley family—through seven generations—and the profound influence members of the family have had on the Company’s values and culture. Knowledge for Generations is a must-read for anyone interested in the colorful history of publishing."Wiley’s history is unique in the annals of publishing. Accordingly, we decided to tell our story in a way that we believe is distinctive in comparison to other corporate histories by providing a candid account of our successes and our shortcomings. We believe our readers will learn more about our Company and its singular culture in this way," explained Peter Booth Wiley, Chairman of the Board of Directors and one of Knowledge for Generations' Editors-in-Chief.
Like Wiley itself, Knowledge for Generations is an ambitious undertaking that is the creation of many people. The book is a collaboration between authors (Timothy Curtis Jacobsen, George David Smith, and Robert E. Wright), and editors-in-chief (Peter Booth Wiley, Susan Brophy Spilka, and Barbara L. Heaney), and dozens of past and present Wiley colleagues, partners, competitors, and friends.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Timothy Curtis Jacobson is an author and editor who founded Chicago Times magazine.
George David Smith is a Clinical Professor of Economics and International Business at NYU’s Stern School of Business. Among his numerous works are The Anatomy of a Business Strategy and From Monopoly to Competition.
Robert E. Wright is a Clinical Associate Professor of Economics at NYU’s Stern School of Business. He is the coauthor, with George David Smith of Mutually Beneficial, among other books.
ABOUT THE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF:
Peter Booth Wiley is Chairman of the Board of Directors of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. A member of the sixth generation of the Wiley family to be involved in the Company, Peter joined the Board of Directors in 1984 and succeeded his brother, Bradford Wiley II, as chairman in September 2002. A journalist and author, Peter has written five books, and his articles and columns have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, The Nation, among many other publications.
Susan Brophy Spilka is Wiley's Corporate Communications Director. She represents the Company to the media, investor community, and government officials. She is also active in important industry matters. Prior to joining Wiley in 1993, she held marketing and corporate communications positions for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and New York City Council President Carol Bellamy. She received her B.A. from Reed College.
Barbara L. Heaney is Director of Product and Market Development for Wiley's Higher Education business. She works with authors, editors, and a team of developmental editors to shape competitive educational materials, creating the most effective teaching and learning resources for students. A Wiley veteran, she joined Wiley in 1984 and has worked across all the course areas in which Higher Education publishes. She received her B.A. and M.A. degrees from Creighton University.
Peter Wiley is available for interviews. Please contact Susan Spilka (sspilka@wiley.com) for more information. To read excerpts from the Knowledge for Generations and learn more about Wiley's Bicentennial, please visit the Wiley Living History page on the Web site at www.wiley.com/go/livinghistory.
KNOWLEDGE FOR GENERATIONS: Wiley and the Global Publishing Industry, 1807-2007
By Timothy C. Jacobson, George David Smith, and Robert E. Wright; Peter Booth Wiley, Susan Brophy Spilka, and Barbara L. Heaney, Editors-in-Chief
ISBN 10: 0-471-75721-7
ISBN 13: 978-0-471-75721-4
Pub date: January 2008, $49.95, cloth; Wiley
Visit www.wiley.com
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About Wiley
Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. has been a valued source of information and understanding for 200 years; helping people around the world meet their needs and fulfill their aspirations. Since 1901, Wiley and its acquired companies have published the works of more than 350 Nobel laureates in all categories: Literature, Economics, Physiology or Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, and Peace.
Our core businesses publish scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals, encyclopedias, books, and online products and services; professional/trade books, subscription products, training materials, and online applications and websites; and educational materials for undergraduate and graduate students and lifelong learners. Wiley's global headquarters are located in Hoboken, New Jersey, with operations in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia. The Company’s Web site can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com. The Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols JWa and JWb.
