Pure Moxie

The impetuous Leda Sanford abandoned secure suburbia in the 1960s in exchange for a life on the edge as a top magazine editor and publisher in the competitive and male-dominated Manhattan publishing world.Unorthodox entrepreneurs hired Leda at a time when women rarely occupied corner offices. Leda's memoir <i>Pure Moxie</i> recreates a world of jet-setting opulence-private planes five-star hotels and a state dinner at the White House-plus a headline-making affair. Leda became the first female publisher of <i>American Home</i> a major U.S. magazine with a circulation of more than one million. She focused on the emerging liberated woman's demanding lifestyle and challenged the traditional formula of women's magazines. From her <i>American Home</i> launch pad Leda pushed the industry's standards as she directed the creation and reinvention of magazines that included <i>Chief Executive Attenzione Modern Maturity</i> and <i>Get Up and Go!</i> In the early 1990s Leda shifted focus to promoting a new attitude toward aging emphasizing that it's never too late to explore new horizons and enrich one's quality of life. With wit and candor <i>Pure Moxie</i> provides a unique glimpse into Leda's career and offers insight into women's changing roles as key players in the magazine publishing business.