Pre-school teacher Nancy Stern is in a personal and professional rut. But what really puts a dent in her self-esteem is the realization that another woman named Nancy Stern has just moved into her building... a Nancy Stern who lives in the penthouse... A Nancy Stern who interviews celebrities for glossy magazines... a Nancy Stern who's chummy with Kevin Costner. Nancy's loss of her own specialness deepens as she keeps getting the other, more glamorous Nancy's mail, phone calls and party invitations by mistake. It's all too much to bear--until a man calls one night, intending to ask the other Nancy out on a blind date. What follows is a raucous and romantic involving mix-ups, mistaken identity, and murder ...

How did Clint Eastwood spend his Thursday evenings? What caused one of America's greatest basketball coaches to scream the "n-word" at the author? How did Heller become an early witness to the Clinton-Lewinsky affair? Why did jazz singer Helen O'Connell proposition the young, innocent Charlie Heller? What led the author to insult the leader of America's space program? How did Heller and a TV star/sex therapist develop immediate rapport? How did the author and the leader of a famous rock band become friends? These are some of the interesting vignettes told by Charles Ota Heller, a former CEO entrepreneur, educator, venture capitalist, athlete, and engineer who came to America as an immigrant from Czechoslovakia at the age of thirteen and who now looks back at a life of chasing the proverbial American Dream, chronicling the famous and near-famous people he met along the way.

Ever had a Hitchcockian experience (in the shower perhaps?!) or met someone with a distinctly Ortonesque outlook on life? There are hundreds of words derived from real people who are famous - or infamous - enough to give their stamp to a movement, a way of thinking or acting, a style or even a mood. Name Dropping? is an essential guide to the better known or more intriguing of these terms from figures in politics, sport, and the arts. A valuable, interesting and often humorous resource for those looking for definitions or simply browsing for pleasure. Entries are listed alphabetically with full explanations, examples from the press and other media, guidance on usage and a 'Pretentiousness Index.'

“[A] charming memoir [that] serves to remind us that idealism and trust once existed in the White House and Washington, a fact that may seem unbelievable” (Newsday). A New York Times Notable Book “Names? You want names? No one knows better ones than John Kenneth Galbraith,” says the San Diego Union-Tribune. Name-Dropping covers the long and remarkable career of this economist and former ambassador, charting sixty-five years of politics, government, and American history as he writes of the many people he has known—among them Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, Adlai Stevenson, and Jawaharlal Nehru—“with a wit, style, and elegance few can match” (Library Journal). This “mischievously and merrily unrepentant” memoir offers a rich and uniquely personal history of the twentieth century—a history the author himself helped to shape (The Boston Globe). “Shrewd, irreverent, penetrating, and hilarious.” —Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. “It is not usual for a man past his 90th birthday to write a book that is as fresh and lively as the work of a 30-year-old. But John Kenneth Galbraith is not a usual man, and he has done it.” —The New York Times

This tale of murder and mistaken identity in a Manhattan apartment building is “a rollicking and delectable read” by a New York Times–bestselling author (People). A teacher at a fancy Manhattan preschool, Nancy Stern spends her days cleaning spills, moderating bathroom breaks, and preventing that one kid in the back of the room from eating glue. With America’s precious future in her hands, Nancy rises to the occasion—but sometimes she yearns for something a little more glamorous. Meanwhile, another woman by the name of Nancy Stern has moved into her apartment building—and as if the constant mail mix-ups aren’t annoying enough, every mistaken delivery and misdirected message reminds her that the other Nancy Stern is outshining her by far. That pile of exclusive party invitations spilling out of her mailbox? Not for her. The stunning coat that’s arrived straight from the cleaners? Not a chance. And that smooth voice on the other end of the line calling to ask Nancy out on a blind date? Now that is something the penthouse-floor Nancy Stern doesn’t have to find out about . . . But while her night out with the hunk stirs up a romance, The other Nancy gets murdered. And suddenly the real identity of not just the killer, but the intended victim, is a mystery in desperate need of solving . . . “Very funny . . . When teacher Nancy accepts a blind date meant for the other Nancy, things rapidly spiral out of control. Murder and mayhem follow, all in Heller’s trademark witty and entertaining style.” —Library Journal “A charmingly improbable love story.” —USA Today

Guide to the better known or more intriguing of terms from figures in politics, sports, and the arts as well as history and the classics. Pretentiousness Index ranks items on the spectrum from familiarity to obscurity.

NAME-DROPPING: My Life in Hollywood Among Celebrities Who Won't Remember Me! A behind-the-scenes memoir of Emmy-winning director/writer Doug Smart's personal experiences working with some of the biggest names in television, film and music. Some of the names Doug "drops" in the book are those of TV pioneers Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball, Lawrence Welk and Danny Thomas. Some are sitcom icons such as Jerry Seinfeld, Betty White, Bob Newhart and Henry Winkler. Others, such as Olivia Newton-John, Garth Brooks and Cher are superstars in the music industry. While still others are internationally-known movie stars such as sex symbol Mae West, and Oscar-winners George Clooney and James Earl Jones. Not surprisingly, many have their names on the sidewalk along Hollywood's "Walk of Fame." NAME-DROPPING: My Life in Hollywood Among Celebrities Who Won't Remember Me! not only gives the reader a true insider's look at life on the set of a TV sitcom, it's also "laugh out loud" funny! NAME-DROPPING: My Life in Hollywood Among Celebrities Who Won't Remember Me! does not offer gossip or 3rd-party observations. Rather it is a collection of stories in which the author was an active participant in the events as they took place. Most of the stories are hilarious. Some are downright embarrassing. A couple are heartbreaking. And all are true.

Millions of people of every generation share Jerry Seinfeld's admiration for Alan King, a man who has been making people laugh for more than 50 years. In this hilarious and touching autobiography, King takes readers on a glorious journey through his life, "name-dropping" some of the biggest stars in show business and revealing where he's come from, how he got where he is, and the rewards, both professional and personal, he enjoys today. 16-page photo insert.

How did Clint Eastwood spend his Thursday evenings? What caused one of Americas greatest basketball coaches to scream the n-word at the author? How did Heller become an early witness to the Clinton-Lewinsky affair? Why did jazz singer Helen OConnell proposition the young, innocent Charlie Heller? What led the author to insult the leader of Americas space program? How did Heller and a TV star/sex therapist develop immediate rapport? How did the author and the leader of a famous rock band become friends? These are some of the interesting vignettes told by Charles Ota Heller, a former CEO entrepreneur, educator, venture capitalist, athlete, and engineer who came to America as an immigrant from Czechoslovakia at the age of thirteen and who now looks back at a life of chasing the proverbial American Dream, chronicling the famous and near-famous people he met along the way.