Damaging stories and rumors can go viral in an instant-now, the nation's premier political spin doctor teaches you how to cope with disasters in business, politics, and life by telling it all, telling it early, and telling it yourself.Nobody ever calls Lanny Davis to give him good news. As a legal crisis manager and political insider, he's the man Bill Clinton, Martha Stewart, US representative Charles Rangel, and Whole Foods, among many others, rely on to pull them through public scandal with their reputations intact.
Davis has spent years helping politicians, sports figures, business executives, and corporations through the biggest reputation crises of our times, and each case has aided him in the creation of five invaluable rules that absolutely anyone can use to protect themselves from damaging hearsay-online and off. These days, every scandal is tried in the court of public opinion. Refusing to dignify allegations with an answer is grounds for flagellation by the press.
In this fascinating and practical resource, Davis tells the real stories behind his famous clients' very public scandals as he explains what he and his team did right, what they did wrong, and how they learned from their mistakes and successes. As impossible as it is to believe, many public relations experts still rely on the faulty Nixon model-deny, deny, deny. Instead, Davis believes, it is important to tell the full story yourself, even if it means sharing unflattering details before they leak on their own. By getting ahead of the story, you have more control over how the information is reported and perceived in the media.
Industry Reviews
"Written in clear, quick, conversational prose, "Crisis Tales "provides a wealth of sensible advice for handling crises of all sizes and shapes, whether affecting individual businesses, institutions or nations...from one of our leading crisis-meisters."--The Washington Times "When a controversy arises involving a public figure, Lanny Davis is the 'go-to guy' for journalists. The irony is that if this book is read--and actually heeded--by more politicians and celebrities, there will be less need of Lanny's services."-- Carl M. Cannon, editor of RealClearPolitics Praise for "Scandal" "To many conservatives, Lanny Davis is a cherished anomaly: a thoughtful liberal, a decent guy, and a fair-minded Democratic operative who loves his country even more than he loves his party."
""--Michael Medved, nationally syndicated conservative talk show host and author of Right Turns ""Crisis Tales" offers simple crisis management rules, told through riveting true-to-life stories, that can help everyone facing a business, governmental, or personal crisis. In my experience, Lanny applies his unique combination of legal, media, and experience to get the facts out early, develop the right strategy to communicate them effectively, and find the "sweet spot" solution among competing viewpoints to solve the problem."
--Gary Lauer, chairman and CEO, eHealth Inc "Our company turned to Lanny Davis when we faced a legal problem in Washington. He found a way to combine his considerable legal, media, and political skills to find a solution satisfactory to all parties. This book demonstrates the effectiveness of his multi-disciplinary approach to crisis management."--John P. Mackey, co-founder and co-CEO, Whole Foods Market