Lipstick on a Pig: Winning In the No-Spin Era by Someone Who Knows the Game

Torie Clarke renowned and respected in political and business circles as one of the nations most gifted communicators offers a complete guide to the new age of transparency. Clarkes message is refreshing and straightforward: No more spin. Always a dubious proposition spin has become increasingly vulnerable as information sources have proliferated; spin is simply no longer viable. Or put another way You can put lipstick on a pig but its still a pig. Distilling her twenty-five years of experience and wisdom into eight concise rules Clarke counsels that politicians and executives need to tell the truth early often and in plain language. Clarkes experience is incomparable: She was the Pentagons communications chief during the early years of George W. Bushs presidency and prior to that a high-ranking adviser to the first President Bush and to Senator John McCain. She illustrates her lessons with riveting behind-the-scenes accounts of some of our countrys crucial moments over the last two decades -- for instance as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs under Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld she was at the Pentagon on September 11 2001 and she recounts her experience that day as Rumsfelds office strove to inform instruct and reassure the public. Clarke shows that a policy of transparency not only protects you but that you even stand to gain from it -- because once you figure out that you cant put lipstick on a pig youve actually learned something far more powerful: not to create a pig in the first place. Her lessons for getting your message out include: Tell your own story -- especially if its bad news -- on your own terms before someone else tells it on theirs. It will allow you to survive controversy and will also enhance your reputation. Its about one thing. Be ready and able to explain yourself to the proverbial man on the street in a clear simple sentence or two. Admit your mistakes because the truth will out. Entertaining approachable and full of crucial insight and practical guidance Lipstick on a Pig will be indispensable for business leaders public figures and anyone working in media relations. With humor and savvy Clarkes vision offers truly new opportunities for communications in the Information Age.