BTW News Briefs

NPR Picks 2010 Best Cookbooks

On Sunday, November 21, National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition featured 2010’s Best Cookbooks: Real-Life Labors of Love.

The list of “carefully crafted books produced after years of research, recipe-testing and tireless detective work” includes In the Kitchen With a Good Appetite by Melissa Clark, (Hyperion); One Big Table: 600 Recipes From the Nation's Best Home Cooks, Farmers, Fishermen, Pit-Masters, and Chefs by Molly O'Neill (Simon & Schuster); and Flour: Spectacular Recipes From Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe, by Joanne Chang (Chronicle).

The complete list is available on the NPR website.

Macmillan Children’s Publishing Names New Head

Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group has named Jonathan Yaged, a former Disney publishing executive, as its new president.  He succeeds Dan Farley, who announced his plans to step down earlier this year.

Yaged left Disney in February to take over as chief operating officer of House Party, a consumer activation and experiential marketing company.

NRF Finds Cyber Monday’s Significance Increases

According to the National Retail Federation’s Shop.org eHoliday Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, nearly nine in 10 (88.2 percent) retailers will have a special promotion for Cyber Monday, up from 72.2 percent in 2007.

“Retailers’ Cyber Monday plans are more robust this year with nearly half of companies offering specific deals (49.0 percent, up from 42.9 percent last year) and many planning one-day sales (41.2 percent vs. 32.9 percent last year) and free shipping on all purchases (21.6 percent vs. 15.7 percent last year), according to Shop.org. “In addition, the majority of retailers (62.7 percent) will send promotions and deals to shoppers through a special Cyber Monday e-mail.”

The survey also found that 54.5 percent of workers with Internet access, or 70.1 million people, will shop for holiday gifts from the office this year. Employees most likely to shop from work include men (56.5 percent) and young adults ages 25 - 34 (71.8 percent).