Linda Rohrbough's Books, Awards and Appearances

A quote from Linda that introduced the proposal for this title: "In 2002, I was invisible. I wore bright orange outfits with huge white stripes and spots and still people didn’t see me. I stood in a perpetual shadow. Obesity affected every area of my life in a profoundly negative way. But even though I knew about weight loss surgery, I was not willing to 'die trying.'"

To be published by Marlow & Company in Spring 2007, this title is the “everything you need to know” guide to the adjustable gastric band (AGB or “the band”), a safe and effective weight loss surgery. This book is aimed at the more than nine million people in this country with severe weight problems, along with their family members and friends. The text will also serve as a credible source of information and support for those who already have the band.

Packed with expert information from Dr. Robert Sewell, a top laparoscopic surgeon with over 200 Lap-band® patients, this title will be chock-full of stories of individual patients, from before AGB surgery to several years after their band surgery. Parallel with the facts presented in the text, the patient stories and those from other experts such as psychologists, dietians, and exercise therapists will illustrate the special challenges, the triumphs, the financial benefits, and the medical “miracles” (such as remission of diabetes) for band patients.

Note from Linda: I've lost about 125 pounds since my band surgery in 2004 and went from a size 32 to a size 14. I also saved enough money on medical co-pays, special clothes, orthopedic shoe inserts and groceries to buy the 2005 Chevy Tahoe you see in my after photo. (Note: I was in a size 18 when the after shot was taken in October of 2005.)

Before, Linda with her Aunt in 2003.

After the band in 2005.

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Upgrade Your Own PC is aimed at the intermediate to advanced PC users who want to do it themselves. Especially for those who want a cut-to- the-chase approach rather than details you don't have to know to upgrade (such as serial port pin-outs or the type of metal components are made from). The second edition is "upgraded" with over a hundred new photos/illustrations -- just under 300 in all. It includes Windows 98, USB, the Pentium II, the new Celeron processor and more. For the second edition, IDG changed the binding to one a larger format that will lay flat (so the book is easier to use) and redesigned the cover. (See below.)

First Ed. Second Ed. (new, larger design).

(BTW, I want to express thanks to those of you who have written or e-mailed Wiley to express your enthusiasm for the Upgrade book! Readers who take the time to make such warm comments to the publisher really mean a lot!!)

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This book was named the best in the general computer book category for 1998 by the Computer Press Association. Click on this text to jump to the award section.

It was important to me that this book should be more than a restatement of the obvious. By obvious, I mean what every other book on making money on the Internet says, such as -- the kinds of businesses that work on the Internet, how to put up a web page, what to do to get advertisers, how to take credit cards, and so on. What's new and compelling about this book is it's the first to identify the appeal of the Internet to our psychological make-up as humans -- in much the same way that researchers have already identified how people respond to other mediums such television or radio. From that springboard, I explain the basic principles that work for business in cyberspace. Over 30 widely varied case studies include detailed information about how to succeed in business on the net.

This review appeared in Publishers' Weekly August 10, 1998, page 384:
While large corporations scramble to pull together an online presence, the little guys are in an unprecedented position for capitalizing on the Internet's relatively level playing field. Paul and Sarah Edwards, authors of the Working from Home series, and Linda Rohrbough (Start Your Own Computer Repair Business) tell how in Making Money In Cyberspace. In step-by-step chapters on everything from 'Putting the Intimacy Factor to Work for You' and 'A Short Discourse on Web Page Advertising Terminology' to case studies of success stories, assessments of salable products and the time it takes for images to fly over the wries, this comprehensive guide will have newbies happily clicking away. Illustrations. (Putnam/Tarcher, $15.95 paper 285p ISBN 0-87477-884-0; 1998)

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This was the second book I did for McGraw-Hill and part of the Entreprenurial PC Series of how-to computer-based business books. While the series failed overall, this book lives on (despite a hideous lilac cover). It's even been translated into Chinese and includes a diskette of software utilities. (McGraw-Hill paper 300p illus ISBN 0-07-911901-8 1995)

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Awards

Making Money In Cyberspace (Tarcher/Putnam, 1998) was an unexpected win. Up until this point, the Computer Press Association had not awarded "Winner" status to any book on doing business on the net, despite the enormous number of books out there on this topic. In giving their reasons for selecting the book, the judges said:

Making Money in Cyberspace covers all of the major areas a person should consider before launching an online business. Charts, case studies, appendix and glossaries mix with the well-written text.

(Tarcher/Putnam, paperback, 285 pages, illustrations, ISBN 0-87477-884-0 1998)

Mailing List Services On Your Home-Based PC (McGraw-Hill, 1994) was my first book for McGraw-Hill. To everyone's surprise, it won the title of Best Non-Fiction Computer Book. Part of McGraw-Hill's Entreprenurial PC Series of how-to computer-based business books, there was a shortage of writers interested in this book project. I was willing to take on this project because I thought I could prove myself. McGraw-Hill decided I could handle it because of my computer background and because I was doing all the domestic and international mailing for a non-profit organization. Unfortunately, the market for this book was smaller than first anticipated and the maillist book is now out-of-print. If you're interested in obtaining a copy, let me know -- there's talk of reviving this title. (McGraw-Hill paper 240p illus ISBN 0-8306-4474-1 1994)

In 1990, while living in Los Angeles, I joined the staff of the daily on-line computer news service Newsbytes News Network, now a Washington-Post company. In 1991, I was promoted to Los Angeles Bureau Chief for Newsbytes. During 1991, I was asked to lead the Newsbytes News team at Fall COMDEX. (Leading a group of reporters is like herding cats.) Miraculously, it was Newsbytes' Fall COMDEX coverage that earned it the Best On-Line Publication award. Along with the owners Wendy Woods and Steve Gold, I was also honored. My award holds a place of honor right next to the Best Non-fiction Computer Book award mentioned earlier.

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I moved to Texas and got involved in the writer's groups. I've twice been honored by the Trinity Writers' Workshop for my fiction and non-fiction work. I was a finalist in 2003 for my techno-thriller novel The Prophetess and for the poem Head Parasite. In 2004 I won for The Internet in the non-fiction category. Feel free to visit the Trinity Writers' Workshop website.

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Appearances