Best-Selling Blueprint for Economic Recovery: The Comeback Now Available as Audio Book

ARLINGTON, Va. -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- On the first day of the 2012 International CES^®, Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)^® President and CEO Gary Shapiro announced that his New York Times best-selling book, The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream, is now available in audio book format. The unabridged recording of The Comeback, narrated by Jack Roberts, is available for download immediately from major audio book retailers Audible, Ambling Books and Learn Out Loud. It is coming soon to iTunes.

The Comeback lays out a clear path to economic recovery built on an innovation agenda. It was released in print at the 2011 International CES, debuted at No. 7 on the New York Times best-seller list, and became a best-seller at Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, Publishers Weekly, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. Shapiro’s no-nonsense, nonpartisan, comprehensive innovation agenda earned praise from all corners, including businessmen, elected officials and activists.

“The International CES illustrates the incredibly influential role America’s innovators and entrepreneurs play in driving our country’s economic success,” Shapiro said. “Innovation allows us to invent entirely new industries, creates good jobs and opens up new markets to American goods. It’s time our federal government pursued a comprehensive agenda to promote innovation, as laid out in The Comeback.

“Since we released The Comeback at the 2011 International CES, people have been asking for an audio book version.” Shapiro added. “CES is all about empowering people to utilize technology however they want, so this was a perfect time to finally make the audio book available. Americans are still hungry for decisive action to fix our economy, and the national strategic plan laid out in The Comeback is still meeting that need.”

By returning innovation to its rightful place at the center of America’s economic policy, Shapiro shows that there is hope for America’s economic future, but it will require sacrifice and strategic thinking. In particular, some of the tough policy choices Shapiro says U.S. lawmakers must pursue include:

• Reforming immigration laws to ensure the world’s best and brightest come to and stay in America.
• Opening American products to world markets by finalizing, expanding, and creating free-trade agreements.
• Releasing more spectrum for wireless broadband.
• Reducing litigation, encouraging investment rather than debt, improving education and supporting America’s best companies.
• Drastically reducing the deficit through triage, smarter tax collection, and economic growth.

High Praise for The Comeback:

• “Informative, sobering, and at times frustrating, The Comeback is that rare breed of book that actually delivers on what it promises: A way forward.”
  – Steve Forbes, President and CEO of Forbes and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes magazine
• “By working together in public/private partnerships, we all can deliver on the compelling vision Gary Shapiro details for innovation and economic growth based on creating the products people really want and value.”
  – Alan Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor Company
• “Our nation is facing a major crossroad and we need a new strategy to excite our people. Throughout his career, Shapiro has always understood the role of innovation in business; he is right that we can only preserve the American Dream by doing what we do best – doing things better.”
  – Ivan Seidenberg, Chairman and CEO, Verizon Communications
• “We cannot afford to allow our nation to fall further behind in the race to create innovation and save our American Dream. Gary offers a gripping story that is a road map to American success.”
  – Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Chairman, House Government Oversight and Reform Committee
• “The Comeback is exactly the kind of forward-thinking economic strategy that America lacks right now. This should be required reading for everyone in Washington. What Shapiro has done is deliver an honest, tough assessment of the nation’s precarious economic situation. You won’t agree with every solution he offers, but we ignore his advice to our peril.”
  – Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform

About Gary Shapiro:

Gary Shapiro is the president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the U.S. trade association for more than 2,000 consumer electronics companies. CEA owns and produces the International CES, the world’s largest annual technology trade show. Shapiro has led the technology industry through seismic shifts, including the transition from analog to digital television, and the move to wireless, personal computers and the Internet. He has received many awards including the Pinnacle Award, the exhibition industry’s highest award, and was recognized repeatedly as one of the 100 most influential people in Washington by Washington Life magazine. A graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center, he is married to Dr. Susan Malinowski, and commutes each week between Virginia and Michigan.

About CEA:

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $190 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also owns and produces the International CES – The Global Stage for Innovation. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online at www.CE.org, www.DeclareInnovation.com and through social media: https://www.facebook.com/#!/CEAfeed http://twitter.com/ceafeed http://blog.ce.org/.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• 2012 International CES
  January 10 - 13, 2012, Las Vegas, NV

• Digital Music Forum East
  February 22 - 23, 2012, New York, NY
• CEA Economic Retreat
  February 28 - March 2, 2012, Vail, CO
• LA Games Conference
  April 23 - 24, 2012, Los Angeles, CA
• CES on the Hill
  April 24, 2012, Washington, D.C.

• Digital Patriots Dinner
  April 25, 2012, Washington, D.C.

• 2012 Spring Technology & Standards Forum
  May 14 - 18, 2012, Dallas, TX
• CE Week
  June 25 - 29, 2012, New York, NY
• CEA Line Shows
  June 27 - 28, 2012, New York, NY
• iStage Competition
  June 2012, New York, NY

• 2012 SINOCES
  July 5 - 8, 2012, Qingdao, China

• CEA Industry Forum
  October 14 - 17, 2012, San Francisco, CA
• CEO Summit and Board Retreat
  October 17 - 19, 2012, CA
• CES New York Press Preview featuring CES Unveiled@NY
  November 12, 2012, New York, NY

• 2012 International CES
  January 8 - 11, 2013, Las Vegas, NV