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 One of the first women to earn national recognition as a race-car driver, St. James has written an ode to speed, mechanics and persistence that does not focus simply on that fact. From the time she was a girl, St. James found her way to racing tracks and garages early and often. Her first experience driving at the Palm Beach International Raceway ended in humiliation when her car spun out of control and sank in nearby wetlands. But the rookie kept racing, and by the end of the season she had earned the respect of her peers. Even readers who have no interest in auto racing will be sparked by St. James's simple, genuine descriptions of the experience ("I don't expect anyone who has never driven a race car to understand it completely, but the sky is always bluer, the grass a little greener, and the air a little fresher after you've driven...."). St. James's pursuit of corporate sponsorship (getting a car into a major event like the Indy 500 can cost hundreds of thousands even millions of dollars) is a study in tenacity, confidence and business acumen. With chapter titles such as "Making It Happen" and "You Never Know Till You Ask," the book is intended to inspire, and succeeds. St. James doesn't make an issue of gender beyond citing occasions when others have. At the Indy 2000, when St. James and Sarah Fisher crashed into one another, the event took on historical significance because it was the first time more than one woman had competed in the event. What are the personal and professional ramifications of such accidents? Readers are left only with the unsatisfying "Sarah and I were left to lick our wounds and ponder all the things that might have been." Despite such flat spots, St. James's story, spiked with plenty of folksy advice, makes for an energetic, encouraging rally. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
* Please note that while this speaker's specific fee falls within the range posted at the top of this page (for Continental U.S. based events), fees are subject to change without notice. Also note that most celebrity keynotes begin in the $25,000 and up range (most list "Contact for Fee Schedule"). For current fee information or international event fees, please contact your Speakers Platform representative. |
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