PW: Hot Science, Business Book Deals

HarperBusiness publisher Adrian Zackheim paid a high-six-figure advance for the next book by Zero-Sum Society guru Lester Thurow (repped by Bill Leigh) a millennial-looking economics book that is scheduled for an early 1999 publication; senior editor Laureen Rowland paid a rumored seven figures for a book by Dell Computer chief Michael Dell (repped by Owen Laster) and marketing v-p Lisa Berkowitz made her first-ever book deal, a six-figure one with agent Sandy Dijkstra for a project titled The Bad Boys of Big Business: Secrets of the Men Who Dare, by Harriet Rubin, former editorial director now editor-at large for Doubleday's own Currency business imprint who last wrote the girl-power business guide The Princessa. Berkowitz had worked with Rubin when the latter was at HarperCollins.