Jeffrey Zaslow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeffrey Zaslow
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Zaslow in 2012
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Jeffrey Lloyd Zaslow
October 6, 1958 Broomall, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Died | February 10, 2012 (aged 53) Warner Township, Michigan, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Carnegie Mellon University |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Spouse(s) | Sherry Margolis |
Jeffrey Lloyd Zaslow (born October 6, 1958 – died February 10, 2012) was an American writer. He was a journalist and a popular columnist for The Wall Street Journal. Jeffrey Zaslow was well-known for writing many books by himself. He also helped write books with other famous people.
Contents
Early Life and School
Jeffrey Zaslow was born in 1958 in Broomall, Pennsylvania. This town is near Philadelphia. He was one of four children in his family. His dad, Harry Zaslow, worked with real estate.
Jeffrey went to Marple Newtown High School. He was the student council president in his last year. He also wrote for the school newspaper. In junior high, he acted in school plays. He even starred in a play called You Can't Take It with You.
After high school, Jeffrey went to Carnegie Mellon University. He studied creative writing and graduated in 1980. After college, he started his writing career at the Orlando Sentinel newspaper.
Writing Career
Jeffrey Zaslow began his career at the Orlando Sentinel. He wrote for their Florida magazine. Later, he worked for the Wall Street Journal from 1983 to 1987. Then, he became a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1987 to 2001.
He became famous for his advice column called "All That Zazz." He won a big competition to write this column. About 12,000 people applied for the job! Jeffrey was only 29 years old when he took over from a famous advice columnist named Ann Landers.
His column in the Wall Street Journal was called "Moving On." Many of his books also focused on big changes in people's lives.
Famous Books and Collaborations
In 2007, Jeffrey Zaslow went to a special lecture. It was given by Carnegie Mellon University Professor Randy Pausch. Professor Pausch was very sick. Jeffrey worked with him to write a book called The Last Lecture. This book came out in 2008.
The Last Lecture was a huge success. It was translated into 48 languages. It became a #1 best-seller on the New York Times list. The book stayed on the list for over 110 weeks. More than five million copies were sold! It was even featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Jeffrey also wrote The Girls from Ames. This non-fiction book tells the story of eleven women friends. They grew up together in Ames, Iowa. They stayed friends for forty years. This book was also a New York Times best-seller.
He co-wrote Highest Duty with Captain Chesley Sullenberger. Captain Sullenberger famously landed US Airways Flight 1549 safely on the Hudson River in 2009. This book also reached #3 on the New York Times list.
In 2011, Jeffrey worked with Gabby Giffords and her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly. They wrote a book about their lives called Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope.
In 2012, Jeffrey released The Magic Room. This book was about a bridal shop in a small Michigan town. It explored the lives of brides and their parents. They all visited the shop's special "Magic Room."
Awards and TV Appearances
Jeffrey Zaslow won awards for his column writing. The National Society of Newspaper Columnists named him the best columnist twice. He also received an award from the New York Newspaper Publishers Association. While at the Sun-Times, he earned the Will Rogers Humanitarian Award.
He appeared on many TV shows. These included The Tonight Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live, 60 Minutes, The Today Show, and Good Morning America.
Personal Life
Jeffrey Zaslow was married to Sherry Margolis. She is a TV news anchor in Detroit. They lived in West Bloomfield, Michigan with their three daughters. Jeffrey was also an enthusiastic runner.
Jeffrey Zaslow died on February 10, 2012. He was 53 years old. He passed away in a car accident in Warner Township, Michigan. He was on a tour for his book The Magic Room at the time.
Many people honored Jeffrey after his death. His co-author Chesley Sullenberger spoke at his funeral. Other journalists and bloggers also wrote tributes to him.
Works
Jeffrey Zaslow wrote many non-fiction books.
Non-fiction Books
- The Last Lecture (2008, with Randy Pausch) ISBN: 1-4013-2325-1
- Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters (2009, with Chesley Sullenberger) ISBN: 978-0-06-192468-2
- The Girls from Ames: A Story of Women and a Forty-Year Friendship (2009) ISBN: 9781592405329
- Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope (2011, with Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly) ISBN: 9781451661071
- The Magic Room: A Story About the Love We Wish for Our Daughters (2011) ISBN: 1592407412
Jeffrey also wrote self-help books:
- Tell Me All About It: A Personal Look at the Advice Business by "the Man Who Replaced Ann Landers" (1989)
- Take It from Us: Advice from 262 Celebrities on Everything That Matters-To Them and to You (1994)
- Talk of Fame: Good Advice from Great Celebrities (1997)
Adaptations
- Sully (2016) is a movie directed by Clint Eastwood. It is based on Jeffrey Zaslow's book Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters.
