Today is the official publication date for my friend Andy Andrews’ new book, How Do You Kill 11 Million People?: Why the Truth Matters More Than You Think.

Last February, Gail and I met with Andy and his manager, Robert Smith, here in Nashville. I was the CEO at Thomas Nelson at the time, and Andy wanted to pitch the book concept to me personally because it was so different from anything he had written previously.

Andy Andrews is a dear friend, one of my favorite authors, and maybe the best speaker I have ever heard. His new book, The Final Summit, is the much-anticipated sequel to his New York Times bestseller, The Traveler’s Gift. In a minute, I will tell you how to get a copy of his new book FREE.

The Final Summit is a great read. Like Andy’s other books, it is chock-full of wisdom, perspective, and inspiration. The best part is that Andy personally exemplifies these characteristics in his own life. He walks his talk.

Life is not problem-free. As one of my friends says, “You’re either in a crisis, coming out of a crisis, or about to go into a crisis.” The key to maintaining your balance is perspective. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to ask the right question.

Years ago, I went to Sam Moore’s office for my weekly one-on-one meeting. He was the CEO of Thomas Nelson at the time and my boss. As I entered the executive suite, I felt my stomach tighten. I had bad news to report, and I was concerned how he might react.

The principle of forgiveness has been ingrained in our spiritual life, but as an everyday tool, it seems to have been discarded by leaders as a sign of weakness.

Several years have now gone by since the publication of The Traveler’s Gift. Because of the seven principles revealed in that story, I have increasingly found myself in quiet corners, talking intimately with some of society’s best-known leaders. Yet when they draw me aside, I do not pretend to have the answers some of them seek. (I am woefully ignorant about the details of business and politics!)

Several weeks ago, I had lunch with a friend I hadn’t seen in years. He had just turned eighty years old. His mind was as sharp as ever—witty, inquisitive, and focused. He was also a great listener. When he did speak, wisdom dripped from his lips like honey.

Andy Andrews is a master story-teller, a modern blend of Will Rogers, Paul Harvey, and Garrison Keillor. He is one of the few people I have ever met who is both a compelling writer and an incredible speaker.

Andy is also a “noticer.” He sees things that others miss and extracts from those observations simple but profound wisdom. This was the secret behind his first book, The Traveler’s Gift, which is the only book I have published in my career that hit all four major New York Times bestseller lists: fiction, non-fiction, advice, and business. The editors at the Times just couldn’t seem to figure out how to categorize Andy’s work.

At the end of this month, we are launching Andy Andrews’ new book, The Noticer. As part of the promotion, we have created The Noticer Project. The goal is to launch a worldwide movement of people who will take a few minutes to “notice” five of the most influential people in their life.

Noticing these five people can be private—just a letter or an email—or public—writing a blog post, updating your Facebook or Twitter status or joining The Noticer Project Facebook Group. Regardless, we want to encourage people to notice the people who have had the most influence in their life now, rather than waiting until a wedding, graduation, or—God forbid—a funeral.

The most difficult part of this exercise is limiting it to five people. There are literally hundreds of people who have helped me along the way. But at the risk of overlooking someone important, here are my top five:

Yesterday, the Christian Book Expo floor opened. We had 66 publishers, scores of authors, and dozens of book signings and author events. The attendance was lighter than I had hoped. However, given the fact that this is a consumer show and most consumers are working during the day, it wasn’t a complete surprise. Hopefully, attendance will pick up on Saturday.

Regardless, I thought it was a very productive day. We sold books steadily out of our booth all day long. Our friends from Family Christian Stores staffed the cash registers, which was a huge help. Meanwhile, Gail and I met with literally dozens of authors throughout the day.