Description
🏆 2024 BIBA® Book Of The Year!
The Optimistics is an inspiring true story of three strangers, Dennis, Mike, and Jim, all battling Young-Onset Dementia, who became brothers through their incurable illness. Forming a bond of optimism with one another, they dubbed themselves “The Optimistics” as a way to share positivity through the Alzheimer’s community. Their heartwarming mantra towards dementia created an echo chamber across the country allowing others to call themselves Optimistics. Each chapter focuses on Frieman’s emotional experience of a nearly two-year journey interviewing dozens of care partners and individuals with dementia across the country to share their unbreakable desire to remain optimistic. This is not just a story about optimism, it’s a diary of love, hope, family, devotion, and understanding why time is important.
“If you can live a life to love a life than life itself has been worth living.” – Doug, THE OPTIMISTICS
Richie Frieman
Richie Frieman is an Award-Winning Author and Illustrator who St. Martin’s Press calls ” a modern-day Renaissance man”—an apt description for one of the most diverse and unusual careers in literature, at only 44. An author of seven books in multiple genres, he became one of the youngest best-selling and award-winning authors in his genres and was one of the most sought-after podcasters in the world.
Born in Richmond, Virginia, Frieman was raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and attended The University of Maryland College Park, graduating in 2001 with a degree in Fine Arts. After graduation, Frieman dove headfirst into a career in the arts, immersing himself in all areas of illustration, painting, graphics, sculpture, and literature. Not content with sticking to one linear career path, Frieman launched an adventurous career, which included a professional artist, author, illustrator, inventor, and even an eight-year career as a professional wrestler, known as, “The Thrill From Israel” Buster Maccabi where he earned more than a dozen titles in various federations throughout the country.
In 2010, Macmillan Publishing tapped Frieman to become Modern Manners Guy – the host of a humorous weekly column and podcast about manners and etiquette on the Quick and Dirty Tips network. With over 10 million podcast downloads in over 200 countries, Frieman’s show is ranked as one of the top educational podcasts on iTunes. Based on the success of Modern Manners Guy, St. Martin’s Press commissioned Frieman to write a book about professional etiquette in the office place. The result is, Reply All… And Other Ways to Tank Your Career which is now available worldwide, on the shelves of all major booksellers, in print, ebook, and audio formats. REPLY ALL… (a best seller) features Frieman’s unique and humorous insight about manners in the workplace, along with interviews he conducted with some of the world’s most famous CEOs, entrepreneurs, and industry tastemakers, about their own experiences working their way up the corporate ladder. He holds back no punches and always tells it how it should be said.
REPLY ALL… debuted on September 17, 2013, and has since become an Amazon.com BEST SELLER, reaching #1 in three different categories; #1 in Business Etiquette (its main market), #1 in Business Lifestyle and #1 Self-Help & Psychology Humor (even surpassing “Dilbert”, “Anchorman”, “Diary of A Wimpy Kid” and “The Last Lecture”). Interestingly enough, he’s actually one of the – if not the – youngest person in the manners and etiquette book categories to become a best seller. As well, remains one of the youngest authors overall on Amazon’s Best Seller’s List.
Continuing the success of Frieman’s etiquette writing, he is also the creator and illustrator of The Glass Half Fools, a satirical comic strip about improper behavior (relationships, work, family, social settings, etc.).
Frieman’s literary success is not just in the world of manners and etiquette. Since becoming a father in 2008, Frieman delved into a career that had been a long-time wish and passion for him. He couldn’t find a children’s book that would teach his daughter the important life lessons he wished to impart, so he wrote it himself. The result, “Terple – The Sky Is Just The Start”, was named a finalist in the Indie Excellence Awards National Book Awards. The follow-up in the series, “Terple – Always Dream Bigger” (Trust Your Cape Publishing, 2012) is the winner of The 2012 Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award for Best Poetry and Rhyme Book, as well as of the 2012 Children’s Literary Classics for Best First Picture Book/Early Reader. Again, Frieman remains the youngest winner in the award’s history.
Through Terple, Frieman has been invited to do dozens of book signings and readings for charitable organizations such as Cystic Fibrosis, Habitat for Humanity, Karma Dogs, Maryland Food Bank, The Ed Reed Foundation, the Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital, The Coastal Bays Foundation, Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign, The Helene Marks Early Start Foundation, and the world-renowned Kennedy Krieger Children’s Hospital – speaking to children about how they can fulfill their dreams.
Frieman’s first romance novel is called “Where The Heart Left Off” (Limitless Publishing) which is based on a true story. Frieman tells the story of two octogenarians who happen to meet in a grocery store over 65 years after they last saw one another. However, the mystery lies in why one person left the other and do they have a second chance?
In March he debuted the premier edition of his Maddy & Cole series, “Maddy & Cole (Vol.1): The Food Truck Grand Prix”, which takes you on an adventurous ride filled with heartwarming twists and gut-wrenching turns through the delicious world of an elite food truck competition. Led by Maddy and Cole, two siblings set on taking home the trophy and fortune that comes with it, alongside their grandfather, Pop Pop Fantastico and his Fantastical Food Truck, for the big event. Find out why, EVERY UNDERDOG HAS A TALE. For this book, Frieman is donating 10% of his proceeds to The Children’s Cancer Foundation.
His most recent work is the picture book, “Snowballs For Severance” which he wrote an illustrated. It tells the true story of 9 year old, Dane Best who overturned a 100 year old snowball ban in his hometown of Severance.
Frieman’s success has landed him on media outlets across the globe, appearing live on numerous radio and TV shows, including MSBNC and FOX News Entertainment. His advice has been featured in Time Magazine, Money Magazine, Forbes Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, Huffington Post, Fast Company, USA Today, Fox Business News, FHM, Publishers Weekly, Parade, Sharp Magazine, Shape Magazine, MO.com, HOW, The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore’s Child, Patch.com, The MRKETPlace, The Daily Journal, Baltimore Examiner, The Jewish Times, and Under 30 CEO Magazine, just to name a few.
Frieman currently lives in Owings Mills, Maryland with his beautiful wife Jamie, their amazing daughter Maddy, beautiful son, Cole, and an incredibly hyper pup, Tucker. For more information on Richie Frieman, please visit www.RichieFrieman.com, on Facebook at Facebook.com/RichieFrieman, and on Instagram/Twitter @RichieFrieman
