"Controversy swirls around the press and its performance today as much as it does around the events and issues the press covers, The focus usually is on the national or big-city newspapers and broadcasters. But America is primarily made up of small towns. The Hard Way takes us beneath the seemingly placid surface of one such town - and inside the office of its small weekly newspaper. The Hard Way examines the lives of the town's people and politicians and how they and their community are changed when their once-sleepy newspaper is injected with new purpose and vitality by a vigorous new owner and editor." "Alexander ("Sandy") Brook was a Wall Street executive when he decided to leave the urban business life and buy the rundown weekly Star in Kennebunk, Maine. The Hard Way is the story of how, with integrity and truthfulness his standard, he built the paper into a crusading, prize-winning success. He did so in the face of awesome political and commercial pressures." "In The Hard Way, Brook takes us with him as he and his newspaper confront arrogant and corrupt politicians, and businessmen whose projects threaten the environment. He goes to war to save the salt marshes, the beaches and the fragile and scenic river fronts from uncontrolled development. He takes us with him as he challenges hypocrisy and prejudice, and the vindictive misuse of political power. But this is not a story populated only with scoundrels. Brook tells with warmth and affection of the heroes he finds among the so called "ordinary people" of small-town America - men and women driven by love of their community and love of the environment, people with whom he makes common cause. One of them is the irascible Herman Cohen, whose noisy one-man revolution topples a town government and provides a stirring lesson in democracy at work." "The Hard Way examines the role of a small newspaper in our democracy as few, if any, books about the press have done. It does this with warmth and poignancy, for the civics lesson essentially is a study of human nature." "Brook provides an intimate portrait of the inner workings of a weekly newspaper and the people who report its news, sell its advertising and circulation and keep its presses running. We meet reporters Tom Heslin, Myron Levin and Jim Martin, advertising dynamo Peg Hendrick, production boss "Bezo" Bissonnette, photographer George Stevens, managing editor George Pulkkinen - and many, many others." "The Hard Way, however, is more than the lively, skillfully told story of a newspaper and of the sociology and politics of its small-town community. Most of all, it is the story of the Star's determined, entrepreneurial owner-editor. It is the story of his courage and sacrifice in his search for self-discovery and fulfillment."--Jacket.

Also issued online.

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