In The News

A sampling of recent media coverage of Ray & Joan

MEL – The Tumultuous Marriage Behind the McDonald’s Empire

The Splendid Table – Ray & Joan Kroc: Power Couple Behind the Golden Arches

Marketplace – The True Origin Story Behind McDonald’s

New York Times – Kroc’s Giving, Like McDonald’s Meals, was Fast and Super-sized

Reuters – Behind the Big Mac: McDonald’s Gets Movie and Literary Spotlight

Curbed  – Exploring Ray Kroc’s Chicago

Bloomberg – Sex, Lies and Hamburgers

New York Post – The Woman Behind the McDonald’s Mastermind…

WABE’s City Lights with Lois Reitzes – Joan Kroc Biography Explores Love, Philanthropy and McDonald’s

St. Paul Pioneer Press – Joan and Ray Kroc’s St. Paul Love Story

Time – Meet the Woman Who Gave Away the McDonald’s Founder’s Fortune

Washington Post – An odd but generous couple: Ray and Joan Kroc

Live Talks Los Angeles – Conversation at the Moss Theater in Santa Monica

DnA’s 6 Most Intriguing Books of 2016

Stacking Benjamins – Creating and Giving Away Billions

Frank Buckley Interviews – Podcast

PBS Book View Now – From the Miami Book Festival

New Hampshire Public Radio -What do McDonald’s Hamburgers and NPR Underwriting have in Common? Ray and Joan Kroc.

Los Angeles Downtown News – A Downtown Author’s Dive Into the Golden Arches

KCRW – Lisa Napoli on Her New Book ‘Ray & Joan’

Minnesota Public Radio – The West St. Paul Woman Who Became a McDonald’s Billionaire

C-SPAN Book TV – Lisa Napoli Discusses “Ray & Joan” at Oxford Exchange Bookstore in Tampa, Florida (in conversation with Cynthia Smoot)

HistPhil – Joan Kroc’s Radical and Ecstatic Giving

KUSI-TV – Author Lisa Napoli on Her Book “Ray & Joan”

KNPR – New Book Looks at Joan Kroc’s Legacy and Ties to Las Vegas

KQED – Ray & Joan Chronicles Complex Life of Kroc’s Philanthropic Wife

San Diego Union-Tribune – New Book, Movie about San Diego’s Joan and Ray Kroc

Dallas Morning News – How the McDonald’s Millions were made-and spent

NPR Weekend Edition Saturday – Ray & Joan Chronicles Complex Life of Kroc’s Philanthropic Wife

New York Times – Q & A

Wall Street Journal – Charity: The Ultimate Luxury

Chronicle of Philanthropy –  New book on Joan Kroc tells of her sometimes whimsical philanthropy

Here & Now – New book Explores Lives of the First Couple of McDonald’s

Parade.com – Excerpt, Ray & Joan

Chicago Tribune – Arch Commentary on the McDonald’s Empire

Boston Globe – Abusive, Rags-to-riches McDonald’s Billionaire and Wife Who Gave Fortune Away

Beaks & Geeks – Episode #147: Ray & Joan

Tampa’s Fox 13 – Book reveals interesting history of family behind first FL McDonald’s

KTLA – Journalist Lisa Napoli on her new book

Associated Press – “[Ray & Joan is] a fascinating story, and it arrives at an auspicious moment.”

Miami Herald – Five food authors not to miss at the Miami Book Fair

Christian Science Monitor – “…Ray & Joan is remarkable… a playful, even waggish work of biography.”

KSDS Jazz 88 – Inside Art with Dave Drexler

Argonaut – How to Give Away $3 billion

BookPage – What They’re Reading: Lisa Napoli

Huffington Post – “Lisa Napoli’s fabulous new book… is full of surprises.”

Real Simple (November) – The Best New Books to Read This Month

The Pub podcast/Current – “Why Joan Kroc gave NPR its biggest gift ever”

Library Journal – “A great book that will cause readers to never look at McDonald’s the same way again.” 

San Diego Reader – “Now there is a book that presents a balanced picture of both of them.”

Cranberry Radio – Big Hitters: The Woman Behind the Man Who Made the McDonald’s Fortune (podcast)

Smithsonian.com – The Story of How McDonald’s First Got Its Start  (Excerpt.)

Shelf Awareness – “A fascinating portrait of the man behind the McDonald’s brand and his wife, whose unconventional philanthropy benefited many.”

Kirkus Reviews – “A book characterized by deep research and a seamless weaving together of the details of different lives.”

Publishers Weekly Review – “Napoli’s energetic, slightly tabloidesque narrative style make this a must-read for anyone who loves a good love story behind a business success.”

Publishers Weekly Gift Guide 2016 – “….interest in the story behind the Golden Arches will be running high this season.”

Soundcloud of Ray & Joan Audiobook – The first five minutes of the audio version, read by the author.

Pioneer Press Fall Preview – “Their story, which began in St. Paul, is also about the impact of Kroc’s drinking and the vast number of organizations to which Joan donated.” 

BookPage – Top pick in nonfiction, November 2016: “Part corporate success story, part soap opera…Napoli recounts it all in a breezy, amusing style.”

Marie-Claire/November – “…this wonderfully moving and entertaining biography will have you thinking about what it means to give generously and spend lavishly…”

Chicago Magazine/November – “..Lisa Napoli shows us there’s a lot we don’t know about the longtime McDonald’s owner and his wife.”