Publisher's Synopsis
How did the daughter of a Virginia military family, who always was that person among her siblings who landed and held a job, break glass ceilings and rise up within the executive advertising ranks of Nordstrom's retail empire during the '60s and '70s? How did the decision to reverse-cast Pirates of the Caribbean, filmed aboard Washington State's flagship replica, introduce us to Kiera Knightly as a Hollywood action star? How did Jerry "Racer Walsh" find for himself a second, lucrative career in parts sales by repurposing those very Ford Pintos he drove to victory in his endurance races? How did a gifted medical student, through outdistancing his med-school professor critics and through enduring on his feet, master the art of "flap repair" to become one of NYC's most sought-after plastic surgeons?Finally, how did Leo ZaZa- by swiping a pair of partridge nestlings from their fleeing mother-punch his ticket to Istanbul and then on to New York City and Hollywood on his way to becoming a movie star?The Need to Work chronicles the soaring career arcs of five extraordinary workers from the 70s, 80s, and 90s and the 2010s It describes how each one endured, rose up within the ranks of their chosen field, and achieved fame within professions that utilized their natural skill sets and artistry, allowing them to pursue work that filled their hearts.
