Cathie Black has been one of the leading figures in American publishing for more than twenty years. 'The First Lady of American Magazines' maintains a reputation as one of the industry's most solid and successful publishing executives. Black began her career in advertising sales with several magazines, including Holiday and Ms., and she made publishing history when she became the first woman publisher of a weekly with New York Magazine in 1979.

Black currently heads Hearst Magazines, a division of the Hearst Corporation and one of the world's largest publishers of monthly magazines. She manages the development of some of America's leading consumer publications, including Cosmopolitan, Town & Country, The Oprah Magazine, Esquire, and Good Housekeeping.

Her book Basic Black draws on her four decades in the media business. She explains how she achieved what she calls 'a blend of professional accomplishment and personal contentment' and offers advice on how women can seize opportunity in the workplace. For the past eight consecutive years, Black was listed among Fortune magazine's '50 Most Powerful Women.'

Political commentator, nationally-syndicated columnist, and activist Arianna Huffington is the author of On Becoming Fearless, an empowering guide for women. The non-partisan, ideologically driven critic is also the force behind the popular news blog website 'The Huffington Post'.