In 1930, Meredith published the first edition of the Better Homes and Gardens® New Cook Book. The book -- then known as My Cook Book -- was used as a premium for new subscribers to Better Homes and Gardens® magazine.

Now in its 11th edition, the familiar red plaid New Cook Book has become the world's best -- selling cookbook, with more than 32.7 million copies sold.

Following the New Cook Book's lead, Meredith® Books is focusing on establishing core titles in our other areas of expertise -- the home- and family-related franchises of decorating, gardening, do-it-yourself home improvement, crafts and health. Such cornerstone books give us a foothold in specific content areas and cement our expertise among consumer and retailers.

Meredith® Books has grown to be 314 titles strong, with sales in excess of 265 million copies. That growth continues with the introduction of more than 60 new titles each year, most of them under the Better Homes and Gardens® and Ortho® imprints. Meredith® Books also publishes books under several other imprints: Meredith® Press, Sedgewood Press®, WOOD®, Ladies' Home Journal®, Traditional Home®, Country Home®, and Midwest Living®. In addition to publishing Ortho® books, Meredith is also the publisher for Home Depot®, Crayola Kids®, Waverly®, Mary Engelbreit®, and other partners.

In fiscal 1996 we reorganized our book business to focus on our long-successful retail operation. This change has been instrumental in achieving profitability and providing additional opportunities for growth. Of special note is our agreement to sell over 100 Ortho®-branded retail gardening and home improvement titles and to create new ones on behalf of The Solaris Group, an operating unit of Monsanto company. This relationship strengthens our book distribution by providing greater access to Ortho's® network of more than 10,000 retail outlets, including garden centers, home centers, hardware cooperatives and mass merchandisers. Meredith® Books plans to look for more strategic growth opportunities like this arrangement.

Meredith books are available at retail outlets that stock quality books for the home and family market. Outlets include independent book stores, chain stores like Barnes and Noble® and Waldenbooks®, general merchandise stores like Target® and Wal-Mart®, and membership clubs like Sam's®. You'll find Meredith® Books wherever fine books are sold.

Meredith also sells books to special markets like schools and libraries, military accounts and foreign countries. Meredith books are sold to book clubs, including several Meredith® Book Clubs: Better Homes and Gardens® Book Club in the United States and Canada, Better Homes and Gardens® Craft Club, and Country Home and Garden® Book Club. Meredith® Books titles are available for premium uses, and Meredith creates and produces custom "premium" home- and family-oriented books, booklets and magazines for outside clients.

What keeps Meredith® Books strong are Meredith people. Retail sales, home and garden sales, and special markets personnel take our books out to the market place. These salespeople represent a group of professionals -- book editors, designers, financial and credit account representatives, promotion marketing and advertising teams, business development and manufacturing specialists and customer service representatives - who stand behind every Meredith book.

What started with a single book 70 years ago continues to grow and flourish today because Meredith® Books is committed to home and family -- from the written word, to the store shelf, to the customer. That's what makes Meredith® Books the best in the home and family book market.