Julia Alvarez  the internationally bestselling author of “In the Time of the Butterflies” and “How the García Girls Lost Their Accents.” She is the author of six novels, three books of nonfiction, three collections of poetry, and eleven books for children and young adults. Her work has garnered wide recognition, including a Latina Leader Award in Literature from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Hispanic Heritage Award in Literature, the Woman of the Year by Latina magazine. “In the Time of the Butterflies” was selected by the National Endowment for the Arts for its national Big Read program, and in 2013 President Obama awarded Alvarez the National Medal of Arts in recognition of her extraordinary storytelling.

Pauline Brown is a longtime leader in the luxury goods sector and former Chairman of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton North America. In her new book, she reinvents the art and science of brand-building under the rubric of Aesthetic Intelligence. She has acquired, built, and led global luxury brands for more than 25 years. She is a pioneer in identifying the role of aesthetics in business, and shows executives, entrepreneurs, and other professionals how to harness the power of the senses to create products, services, and experiences that stand out, resonate with their customers, and create long-term value for their businesses. The power is rooted in Aesthetic Intelligence—or “the other AI,” as Brown refers to it.

Terry McMillan is the New York Times bestselling author of I Almost Forgot About You, Waiting to Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, A Day Late and a Dollar Short, The Interruption of Everything, and the editor of Breaking Ice: An Anthology of Contemporary African-American Fiction. Four of Ms. McMillan’s novels have been made into movies: Waiting to Exhale; How Stella Got Her Groove Back; Disappearing Acts; and A Day Late and a Dollar Short. 

Alicia Keys is a 15-time Grammy Award-winning artist/songwriter/musician/producer, an accomplished actress, a New York Times bestselling author, a film/television and Broadway producer, an entrepreneur, and a powerful force in the world of activism. Since the release of her monumental 2001 debut album, songs in A minor, Keys has sold over 40 million records and built an unparalleled repertoire of hits and accomplishments. MORE MYSELF is part autobiography, part narrative documentary. Alicia’s journey is revealed not only through her own candid recounting, but also through vivid recollections from those who have walked alongside her. The result is a 360-degree perspective on Alicia’s path, from her girlhood in Hell’s Kitchen and Harlem to the process of growth and self-discovery that we all must navigate.

Dean Koontz is the bestselling author whose work spans six decades and garners commercial and critical success. His books are available in 38 languages, and have sold more than 500 million copies to date. He has also been praised as a “literary juggler” by The Times (of London) for his deft ability to blend other genres—horror, romance, humor, science fiction, and mystery—into his acclaimed suspense thrillers and lauded by The New York Times as “psychologically complex, masterful, and satisfying.” Devoted is an epic thriller about a terrifying threat to humanity and the singular compassion it will take to defeat it. 

Jim McKelvey is the co-founder of Square. He is a serial entrepreneur, inventor, philanthropist and artist. His book, “The InnovationStack: Building and Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time,”  is an inspiring and entertaining account of what it means to be a true entrepreneur and what it takes to build a resilient, world-changing company. He served as the chairman of its board of Square until 2010, and still serves on the Board of Directors.

Jerry Saltz is the Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic at New York magazine and its entertainment site Vulture. Cindy Sherman says of his new book: “Jerry Saltz is so right-on it scares me.” Art has the power to change our lives. For many, becoming an artist is a lifelong dream. But how to make it happen? In “How to Be an Artist,” Jerry Saltz, one of the art world’s most celebrated and passionate voices, offers an indispensable handbook for creative people of all kinds. From the first sparks of inspiration–and how to pursue them without giving in to self-doubt–Saltz offers invaluable insight into what really matters to emerging artists: originality, persistence, a balance between knowledge and intuition, and that most precious of qualities, self-belief. 

Robert Reich has served in three national administrations and has written fifteen books, including The Work of Nations, which has been translated into twenty-two languages, and the best sellers The Common Good, Saving Capitalism, Supercapitalism, and Locked in the Cabinet. He is a Professor of Public Policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. His articles have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, and he writes a weekly column for The Guardian and Newsweek. He is co-creator of the award-winning film Inequality for All, and the Netflix original Saving Capitalism, and co-founder of Inequality Media. 

Robert Reich has served in three national administrations and has written fifteen books, including The Work of Nations, which has been translated into twenty-two languages, and the best sellers The Common Good, Saving Capitalism, Supercapitalism, and Locked in the Cabinet. He is a Professor of Public Policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. His articles have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, and he writes a weekly column for The Guardian and Newsweek. He is co-creator of the award-winning film Inequality for All, and the Netflix original Saving Capitalism, and co-founder of Inequality Media.