Advice from Former Book Exec

Mary Carlomagno had a notable career as a book marketing exec in both publishing (Doubleday) and bookselling (Barnes & Noble) before going off on her own recently to establish her own consulting company to help people bring order into their business and home lives—called, in fact, Order. Before doing so, however, she spent a year in which she gave up various comforts for a month at a time (like riding elevators, shopping, eating in restaurants) to gain a better appreciation of her life and to understand what she could most easily do without. She will chronicle it all in My Year of Living Better with Less, which was bought for North American rights by Morrow v-p Harriet Bell. It's described by agent Marly Rusoff, who made the sale, as a combination practical guide, inspirational self-help title and account of a personal journey.