Get ready for the 2018 New Orleans Tricentennial with 'New Orleans: The First 300 Years'

New Orleans celebrates its 300th birthday next year and 22 authors discuss what that means in “New Orleans: The First 300 Years” by Errol Laborde and Peggy Scott Laborde as editors with a foreword by historian Lawrence Powell, professor emeritus in Tulane’s history department. The book is a joint venture between New Orleans public television station WYES and Pelican Publishing with the support of the Historic New Orleans Collection. Topics include the city’s food and musical heritage, natural disasters, the influx of ethnic groups, famous authors, media and much more. Errol Laborde is editor of New Orleans Magazine and the founding president and current board member of the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival. Peggy Scott Laborde is the producer and host of WYES’s “Steppin’ Out” show and an author.

Book events

Walter Isaacson signs his latest book, “Leonardo da Vinci,” at 7 p.m. Monday at Newman School’s Henson Auditorium and at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Jewish Community Center, both in New Orleans. Isaacson, a professor of history at Tulane, has been CEO of the Aspen Institute, chairman of CNN and editor of Time magazine. He is the author of “The Innovators,” “Steve Jobs,” “Einstein: His Life and Universe,” “Benjamin Franklin: An American Life” and “Kissinger: A Biography.” He is the coauthor of “The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made.”

Alysson Foti Bourque will sign copies of her award-winning "Alycat" children's series at 11 a.m. Saturday at Barnes & Noble Lafayette. Every book purchase receives a free Alycat plush toy. She will also be selling and signing books at 4 p.m. tonight at Chicorys Coffee & Cafe in Grand Coteau. She will also sign copies of her series at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, at The Cajun Collective Author Signing during Lafayette's Festival of Lights.

Feng Shui Master Denise DuBos, author of “Feng Shui: the Invisible Art of Communication,” will teach the basics of this Chinese philosophical system of harmonizing oneself with the environment at 6:30 p.m. Monday, at Bluebonnet Regional. 

Louisiana Book News is written by Chere Dastugue Coen, award-winning author of several non-fiction books about Louisiana. She also writes novels under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her novel series all begin with a book that's available as a FREE download.