Retired news media executive and radio host Ricky Mathews has published Finding Hope: 25 Lifelines for Life's Storms, a self-help-style book built around his own survival of Hurricane Katrina and the stories of more than thirty other people. The book, released in late August, is listed as a top new release on Amazon, according to the source material.
From a Hurricane Memoir to a Practical Handbook
Mathews says the book began with lessons he wrote down in the days, weeks and months after Katrina devastated the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 2005. He and his family lived through the storm in their home on Biloxi's Back Bay, where the record-breaking surge nearly swept them away. Those notes sat for years before he realized they applied to ordinary life, not just to disaster recovery.
The finished work is organized as 25 "lifelines," short practical lessons meant to be consulted during hard times. Mathews has been explicit that it is not a memoir. He calls it a handbook, and the stories of farmers, veterans, teenagers, families affected by suicide and first responders serve as examples of how people have found footing in their own crises.
Leadership, Workplace Strain and the Pass Hope Forward Idea
Mathews frames the book partly as a resource for business and community leaders and their teams. His argument is that personal hardships, including loss, family strain, health problems and mental health struggles, do not stay at the office door, and they shape how people lead and work together. He has also pointed to rising suicide rates among teenagers, first responders and farmers as issues he believes require direct attention.
A distinctive feature is a "Pass Hope Forward" page in each copy, where readers can write a note and give the book to someone who may need it. Mathews said he has trademarked the phrase. According to the source, proceeds are directed to two organizations: Hope Squad, a peer-led teen suicide prevention program in schools, and Palmer Home for Children. The source does not specify the share of proceeds involved, so readers should check the publisher's terms before assuming a particular amount.
Context and Limits
Self-help books built on personal testimony are a crowded field, and their value usually depends on how specific and usable their advice proves in practice. Mathews's background gives the book a public profile: he was formerly president and publisher of The Sun Herald, The Press-Register and The Times-Picayune, and he now hosts programs on SuperTalk Mississippi. Those credentials explain his reach but do not by themselves verify the effectiveness of the lifelines.
The available information comes from the author's own account and promotional material. Independent reviews, sales figures beyond the Amazon ranking, and evidence that the Pass Hope Forward approach changes outcomes were not part of the source. A free discussion guide is offered at RickyMathews.com, which is presented as the author's site; this article makes no claim about its official status beyond what the source states. The book is available through independent bookstores and Amazon.