The books on this page were written with other authors.
Sometimes it’s fun to be a ghost.
No, I’m not ghosting you.
I am a ghostwriter.
That’s a writer who writes books for other people. It is estimated that 60 to 70 percent of the books that hit the New York Times bestseller lists for nonfiction are ghostwritten. I’ve been doing this kind of work since the year 2002, when I wrote a book for Nell Newman, the daughter of the great Paul Newman, and head of the family’s Newman’s Own Organics line of food products.
Doing this work is rewarding. I meet interesting people, learn a lot, and get to utilize my long-honed skills as a reporter and science journalist.
The work on each book varies. In some cases, I interview the client, then write the entire book, which they then carefully review and revise. In other cases, the client chooses to write a first draft, and I help shape and edit it along the way.
I am not always allowed to reveal that I worked on a book. (That’s why you don’t see all the books I’ve written here.) In some cases, my work on a book is something of an open secret. In other cases, the authors are kind enough to share my name on the cover.
These books are listed in order of most recent to least. Enjoy.
Dr. John Torres is the senior medical and science correspondent at NBC News, MSNBC, and The Today Show. He’s also an emergency room physician and a retired U.S. Air Force colonel who trains NATO Special Forces on such topics as bioterrorism.
During the Covid pandemic, Dr. Torres and I kept ourselves safe and marvelously entertained by writing a book together—via phone—that grew out of his observations covering natural and medical disasters all over the globe.
The book reflects his deep compassion, warmhearted humor, and fascination for all the crazy things that can kill you. He’s a wonderful human being, which I think you will glean in the pages of this book.
“The fascinating highs and lows of both a man and a movement, Hageseth’s story is essential reading on the new marijuana economy.”
Big Weed is the story of a Colorado businessman who dreams of building a state-of-the-art tourist destination in the foothills of the Rockies devoted to the glory of (legal) marijuana—and makes that dream come true. He shares the story of how he got into this burgeoning field, his company’s ups and downs, and insights that can be applied to almost any other business.
I’ve written about a half dozen books for business people, in their voices, but Mr. Hageseth is the first to permit me to share a byline with him. You can see the gorgeous plans of his upcoming “weedery”—which I’d describe as being like a brewery, winery, meadery, or cidery, only with marijuana—at this website. The $30 million-dollar facility is currently under construction.
Palgrave/Macmillan pubbed the book April 20, 2015, a date of special significance for cannabis lovers.
“Avero has become the go-to tech company for the hospitality industry, but the secret to Damian’s success lies in his deeply rooted passion for food....which The Underground Culinary Tour illustrates brilliantly!”
Entrepreneur Damian Mogavero created the software that makes restaurants tick. He counts among his clients some of the world's greatest chefs. In this book, he takes us inside the kitchens and dining palaces to show us how data and statistics are helping restaurants stay profitable and are changing the way we eat.
If you love food, cook at home, dine out often, can't resist snapping photos of the food on your plate, and enjoy game-changing books by Malcolm Gladwell or Michael Lewis, you ought to check out this book.
“Damian, through Avero, has increased financial transparency and reporting through a well-thought-out interface, designed for people who love to cook and provide amazing hospitality. The Underground Culinary Tour is a reflection of how people like me began to work with technology to provide a better guest experience.
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In 2003, when I was living abroad, I traveled to the UK to interview Gordon Rugg, a profound thinker and computer scientist who had stunned the academic world with a new solution to the mystery of the Voynich Manuscript, a strange medieval text apparently written in an unbreakable secret code.
Some years later, Dr. Rugg and I teamed up to co-author the story of his problem-solving technique.
In this groundbreaking, “big think” book, a world-renowned problem solver reveals why experts fail and how we can all do better.
For centuries we have bought into the idea that experts have all the answers. In this groundbreaking work, Dr. Rugg exposes the surprising ways in which all people tend to make the same sorts of mistakes, regardless of what field they are in, how smart they are, or even their level of expertise. Focusing on how we make decisions, he offers insight into what motivates us, how we fail to find the answers we are looking for, how we can learn to ask truly essential questions, and more.
Published by HarperCollins. Co-authored by Joseph D'Agnese.
This is a charming book that was ahead of its time. It dared to suggest that living “green” and choosing products that didn’t harm your family, pets, or the environment was the preferred way to live in harmony with the earth. The Newmans had put this into practice their entire lives, and Nell was a marvelous ambassador for the concept.
This book may be hard to find, but its values are still worthwhile. So grab a copy if you find one online or in a bookstore. Also available as an ebook.