Barbara A. Chernow

Chernow Editorial Services

Founded in 1983, Chernow Editorial Services, Inc. (CES), provides complete publishing services from project development through print and electronic publication. CES specializes in multicontributory professional publications and has produced more than 1,200 publications for more than 58 publishers.

"If you need professional, reliable and quick turn around for editing and business document services, Chernow Editorial Services (CES) is your answer." - Sara LaForest, Principal, LaForest Coaching and Consulting

"A book packager, Chernow Editorial is run by an acknowledged publishing expert and is a company to call on when one needs a book produced to the highest standards -- and in a timely fashion, no matter how rushed the schedule. I can't recommend Chernow Editorial highly enough." - Andy Ambraziejus, Director of Production/Managing Editor, AMACOM Books/American Marketing Association

"I have had the privilege and pleasure to work with Barbara over many years. She is the consummate professional. She is highly skilled and knowledgeable and always current with the latest tools and industry trends." - Elisa Varlan, Blogger-in-Chief, Karmatastic.com

"AMACOM paired me with Barbara on one of my book projects and she added tremendous value. Barbara Chernow's professionalism, speed of delivery, quality of work, and her outstanding suggestions were invaluable. Her thoughtful recommendations taught me to be a better writer." - Adele Lynn, Owner, The Adele Lynn Leadership Group

My Writing

Books

Associate Editor of Harold C. Syrett (ed.), The Papers of Alexander Hamilton. Volumes 17-26. Columbia University Press, 1971-1979.

"Volume 21: Most useful of all an impressive scholarly essay by Barbara Chernow . . . which performs the valuable service of examining all the evidence for every variation of the story [Reynolds Affair] that has been advanced from that time to the present." – Stanley Elkins and Eric McKitrick,The Age of Federalism

Editor-in-Chief, The Columbia Encyclopedia, 5th ed., New York: Columbia University Press/Houghton Mifflin, 1993.

“. . . most libraries will still want to have the latest Columbia Encyclopedia in the reference or reading room. Put it on a well-placed, sturdy stand, and it's likely to get more action than the Web site will ever attract.” – Booklist

“…the big book can serve you both modestly and cheerfully as a domestic handmaid. . .” – Robert M. Adams, The New York Times

Beyond the Internet: Successful Research Strategies. Lanham, MD: Bernan Press, 2007.

"Chernow builds a philosophical argument for using library resources for research, rather than relying exclusively on the Internet. . . . This readable volume is much less a how-to guide for conducting effective research than a well-thought-out exploration of the philosophical problem of conducting research in the information age." – CHOICE, July 2008

". . . a critically important instructional reference book for aspiring authors, as well as anyone else engaged in a research project of any kind. Thoroughly 'user friendly' itself, "Beyond The Internet" should be considered essential reading for all aspiring authors and is a core addition to any professional, academic, and community library Research Reference collection. – The Jim Cox Report for February 2008, Midwest Book Review

Articles

Contributor on Oral Cancer, Cure Magazine (2016)

Brooklyn Quarterly, "The Other Side of Grief" (March 23, 2016)

Presentations

Barbara has done more than 100 radio and television interviews about her writing. Among the most recent are:

“The Alexander Hamilton Prequel: Day-by-Day With One Founding Father.” Presentation at Fraunces Tavern, January 16, 2020.

“Behind the Scenes at the Papers of Alexander Hamilton: Living the Life of One Founding Father,” Presentation at the Museum of American Finance, January 11, 2017.

“Following an Archivist’s Trail,” Baruch College, CUNY, Annually, 2005-2018

“Primaries, General Elections, and the Electoral College.” The World of Laurie Zoock Variety Show, Starcom Radio Network, August 3, 2016.

“Research Projects and Techniques,” The Edward Tyll Radio Show, August 22, 2016

November 21, 2016

When Emotion Overrules Logic: The Shaming of America

The contentious presidential campaign of 2016 has ended, but the results have generated only further division and anger. Historically, we are a centrist country, but clearly we have lost our balance. During the campaign, I thought that establishing a new equilibrium could be achieved through a renewed understanding of our country’s history; an awareness of the “elasticity” of the constitution, particularly its ability to grow, adapt, and protect us during changing times; an understanding of the responsibilities of citizenship; and a respect for our heritage of peaceful transition from one administration to another.

But now I realize, that much more is necessary—perhaps more than can be achieved in the next generation. For a fundamental shift has occurred—and that shift is dangerous. As a historian of the founding fathers, I have always maintained that the constitution, with its system of checks and balances, would see the national through most crises. This time, however, my confidence is waning.

Why? Because an emotional electorate chose an inexperienced leader with a vengeful group of followers. In allowing emotion to overrule logic, voters chose candidates who mimic their anger, but have no experience in government or concrete solutions to real problems. Voters’ frustration led them to elect self-serving individuals with axes to grind rather than experienced statesmen who bring wisdom and discretion to the table and a commitment to the common good. This new administration is not public spirited. Its leaders show no willingness to shake hands across the aisle. No sincere effort to unite the country.

The goals are negative and spiteful--to destroy what has been created by overturning Roe v Wade, gay marriage, voting rights, universal healthcare, long-standing foreign alliances; to return to an isolationist international policy; to minimize African Americans, Latinos, and Muslims; and to denigrate women. Perhaps nothing is more frightening than the rise in racist rhetoric and hate crimes. The campaign gave legitimacy to those who espouse such views and provided an opportunity for them to publicly act on such beliefs. The aim is to destroy all of the policies of the opposition party regardless of merit or history or voter support. Destroying the policies of the opposition takes precedence over constructive advancement of our national goals.

We are moving too far from our roots and from our history. People are forgetting that with the exception of Native Americans we all descend from immigrants. Our schools have abridged the teaching of history, as the emphasis has shifted to science and math. But history explains who we are. Enfranchised adults are confused about the election process and fail to recognize when a candidate’s proposals are realistic, unconstitutional, or in violation of our fundamental beliefs. We need to advocate for the restitution of U.S. history and civics in our school curricula. We need to contribute to organizations that support equal rights and preservation of the environment. We need to start campaigning for candidates to change the makeup of the House of Representatives in 2018.

These are dangerous times, with international terrorism and domestic discontent a constant presence. We need to choose wise and experienced leaders, who will be inclusive in their policies, firm in protecting the equality of all Americans, strong in the face of international threats, and judicious in effecting necessary compromise. The founding fathers were not just politicians; they were also statesmen and political philosophers. They may have differed in their ideas on how to govern the United States, but they ultimately knew how to compromise for the greater good. This combination is rare among today’s elected officials and nonexistent in the incoming administration.

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