cover image Confessions of A P.R. Man

Confessions of A P.R. Man

Max Gunther, Robert J. Woodwith, Robert J. Wood. Dutton Books, $18.95 (269pp) ISBN 978-0-453-00596-8

In his 38 years with a Manhattan public-relations firm, Wood masterminded a comparatively peaceful racial integration of Woolworth's Southern lunch counters, helped Firestone make the best of a public outcry against the deadly 500-series radial tires, oversaw a goodwill comeback for Hallmark Cards after 100 people died in a Hallmark-related hotel disaster. He was also responsible for the outdoor exhibitions of an Air Force unit and a major railroad. With case histories such as these, the author illustrates his principles of good PR workhave clear objectives, play straight with the media, don't promise too much, and so on. This saga of a thoroughly American industry will delight professionals and would-be PR whiz kids alike. Wood's delivery is as smooth as shaving cream, but the general reader may be disappointed to learn just how well incompetence and failure can be treated cosmetically. (June)