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Bennett CerfBennett Cerf
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Session:         Page of 1029

I see another item in my notes. In 1963, we did the McCall Cook Book. That was the first of a series of deals with McCall Magazine, whereby we sponsored a lot of their books with great success. The McCall Cook Book is now one of the standard books on the Random House list.

Q:

However, now, am I correct in thinking that most of the cook books are referred to Knopf?

Cerf:

No. They have Julia Child and they have the wine books, but we have several good cook books ourselves. Besides McCall's, we've got one on Maryland goodies by Mrs. Torrs, the wife of the Governor, and the General Foods book is ours, too. The old story about cook books is true: they all sell well. Books about Lincoln, dogs--and cooking--are foolproof.

In 1964, we published a book called My Hope for America by a gentleman named Lyndon Baines Johnson.

Q:

Did you meet him then?

Cerf:

Yes. I took a book down to him at the White House. This is a regular ceremony. He autographed it for me. Jim Silberman, the editor, and Bob Bernstein, the new president, and I went down to the White House together. We had about twenty minutes alone with him. When I came back, Phyllis said, “Well, what did you think of Lyndon Baines Johnson?” I thought that I made a pretty good summary of my feeling. I said, “I quite expected that he would forget my existence





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