Like What You Do:
The Memoirs of Dr. Walt Menninger
Flint Hills Publishing, 2024
I was blessed with the opportunity to work with Dr. Walt to weave his life story around some of his most important, timeless speeches and writings.
This book contains more than just the memoirs of one man’s very interesting life and career; it is probably the last first-hand account of the history of the Menninger Foundation in Kansas, told from the last CEO while it was based in Kansas. In it, he recounts the weighty decision to relocate the entire Menninger operation to Texas in 2003. The sections about psychiatry are not just readable for those without prior knowledge of the subject, but they convey insights that are easily applicable in daily life.
To order a copy of Like What You Do, go to https://www.waltmenninger.com
Legacy: The Enduring Impact of the Negro Leagues on Modern Baseball and American Society
Self published, 2016
This genesis of this book was an interview with a former Negro Leaguer while I was in college. George Giles passed away shortly after I wrote a feature story about him in 1991. But the idea of contrasting his experience with that of his grandson, major leaguer Brian Giles, stuck with me for a couple of decades.
I built this book around four families – the Giles, the Tiants, the Hairstons, and the Weeks – who bridged the gap between the Negro League and the integrated major league. I then incorporated detailed reflection from some of baseball history’s biggest figures, including Derek Jeter, David Price, Jason Heyward, Terry Pendleton, MLBPA director Tony Clark, singer Charley pride and dozens of others, of what the Negro Leagues meant to modern society.
Please write to fertigtodd@hotmail.com if you wish to order a copy.
The Missionaries’ Daughter
Self published, 2010
This book started as my endeavor to share spiritual and moral principles to my children, packaged in the experiences of a young daughter of American missionaries in Costa Rica. The setting is based upon my own experience in the beautiful Central American nation.
The book is classified as youth fiction (about a fourth grade reading level). It contains questions related to each chapter, designed for adults to read it with children or in a classroom or small group setting.
Please write to fertigtodd@hotmail.com if you wish to order a copy.