The Costco Connection - October 2016

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK

THE WORD “ICON” gets thrown around a lot. One person for whom that word is not only appropriate, but almost an understatement, is the subject of our cover story this month, which begins on page 36. I remember when Bruce Springsteen burst onto the music scene. It was

1975, I was in high school and the impact of his album Born to Run could be felt everywhere. We knew we were experiencing something special, and we were. Springsteen has proved it over and over again in the 40

years since as a musician and storyteller for our times.

We actually have a few storytellers in this issue. Alton Brown has established a solid reputation as someone who can take complex cooking procedures and translate them into easy-to-understand and delicious recipes. ;e current host of Food Network’s Iron Chef America and

Cutthroat Kitchen has just completed his eighth cookbook, EveryDayCook, which is available at Costco. You can learn about his motivations and pick up a few recipes in the article, which begins on page 50.

Another storyteller is author Nina George, who has written more than 20 ;ction and non-;ction books. Her latest novel, ;e Little Paris Bookshop, which is Book Buyer Pennie Clark Ianiciello’s pick for this month, explores the healing power of books; ;nd out more on page 75.

Larry Brilliant didn’t necessarily set out to become an author or storyteller, but, as he explains in the interview on page 81, the miracles of his life really necessitated sharing his remarkable story, captured in a memoir with the compelling title Sometimes Brilliant: ;e Impossible Adventure of a Spiritual Seeker and Visionary Physician Who Helped Conquer the Worst Disease in History.

And Connection sta; reporter Hana Medina puts on her Buying Smart hat to relate the tale behind Costco’s remarkably popular pumpkin pies. You can read how the pumpkins make it from patch to plate in her piece beginning on page 106.

;at’s just a slice of what you’ll ;nd in this issue. ;at’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. See you at Costco, or on Costco.com! C

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

WE’RE EXCITED TO feature Bruce Springsteen on the cover of this month’s Connection. His story, as told in his autobiography, Born to Run, certainly resonates with our readers—both those who grew up listening to Springsteen and the E Street Band and those who heard their parents playing old Springsteen music in the house as they relived those glory days. I’m in the ;rst group; my kids are in the second.

I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of the book for our story, as well as a copy of the companion album, Chapter and Verse. Both book and album are available at Costco. ;e book is unusual as a memoir because it didn’t intentionally start out as a book, but instead evolved from notes about his life that Springsteen began writing seven years ago—maybe just for his kids to read someday. In fact, Springsteen told me in the interview for our cover story that he approached the project more like a song than a book. And he laughingly referred to a comment he heard from fellow musician Billy Joel, who said he wanted to write a biography before he forgot everything. ;e result is that Born to Run isn’t a chronological tell-all, but a look at the in;uential people and events in the life of one of the world’s most successful rock stars, written in gritty guitar ri;s of prose.

Like his catalogue of music, Springsteen’s book reveals a complex, forceful and emotionally charged ;gure. He writes of a youthful rage and a “lifelong low ambient hum of discontent.” Commercial success took years and countless shows in cheap venues to arrive, with so many near misses—“the many miles covered and the small tastes of near discovery that went sour,” he writes. He had to quickly borrow a guitar for his ;rst big audition at Columbia Records to play a couple of his early songs. Yet there are tender moments and supporting characters, including his wife, Patti Scialfa—they’ve been married 25 years—his three children and a handful of others.

Don’t think that Born to Run is the ;nal accounting of a fading star. Springsteen and the E Street Band just wrapped up their massive worldwide ;e River Tour 2016, playing a few four-hour marathon sessions—their longest concerts ever. He has other projects and tours in the works. He’ll still be out there rocking deep into the night, and as long as he does, his fans will roll along with him. C

FRONTEND

The Costco Connection is published by Costco Wholesale. All editorial material, including editorial comments, opinion and statements of fact appearing in this publication, represents the views of the respective authors and does not necessarily carry the endorsement of Costco Wholesale or its officers. Information in The Costco Connection is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed. The publication of any advertisements is not to be construed as an endorsement of the product or service offered unless it is specifically stated in the ad that there is such approval or endorsement. Products advertised may not be available at all locations at the time of publication. Publishing offices are located at 999 Lake Drive, Issaquah, WA 98027. Copyright © 2016 Costco Wholesale.

PUBLISHER Sandy Torrey storrey@costco.com

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Tim Talevich 425-313-6759 ttalevich@costco.com

EDITOR, U.S.

T. Foster Jones 425-313-6748 tod.jones@costco.com

EDITOR, CANADA

Stephanie E. Ponder 425-427-7134 sponder@costco.com

EDITOR, UK

Will Fifield 425-313-6988 wfifield@costco.com

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Lorelle Gilpin, Canada lorelle.gilpin@costco.com

Sue Knowles, UK sknowles@costco.co.uk

Heather Seoyoung Lee, Korea hsylee@costcokr.com

Hisanori Murata, Japan hmurata@costco.co.jp

Nora Wang, Taiwan norawang@costco.com.tw

Abelardo Navarrete, Mexico anavarrete@costco.com.mx

ONLINE EDITOR David Wight david.wight@costco.com

REPORTERS

Steve Fisher steve.fisher@costco.com

Christina Guerrero cguerrero2@costco.com

Hana Medina hanamedina@costco.com

COPY EDITOR Miriam Bulmer

CONTRIBUTORS

Jennifer Adams, Paul and Sarah Edwards, Mandy Ellis, Joshua Foer, Peter Greenberg, Jodi Helmer, Susan Hirshorn, Amanda and David Horowitz, Lisa Alcalay Klug, Laura Langston, Ben Lieberman, Philip Moeller, Nancy O’Donnell, Suze Orman, Karen Haywood Queen, Marc Rotenberg, Marc Saltzman, Eva Shaw, Pamela Kleibrink Thompson