Last night, my sweet lady Karen treated me to an evening with Alan Alda. We each got one of his new books on improving interpersonal communication, and were treated to his warm and affable musings, humor, and instruction on helping others better understand what we mean to say.

By The Blade’s count, 2,424 people were in attendance. Wow, I thought. If I ever sold a fifth of that number of books I’d be bowled over, and this was just one stop on his tour. Afterwards, Mr. Alda was kind enough to stay and sign books for hundreds of people. Karen and I lined up, and in about 45 minutes we made it to his table. He had a smile for each of us, and a handshake for me when I offered. As he handed me his now-signed book, I handed him a copy of Girlfriending, also personalized for him. “I know I’ll enjoy your book, Mr. Alda,” I said. “I hope you’ll enjoy mine.” He smiled genuinely and thanked me.