Marlo Thomas: Words Can Change Lives

Actress Shares Several Such Stories From New Book

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NEW YORK, May 10, 2006

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Word Power

Marlo Thomas, author of "The Right Words at the Right Time, Vol. 2," speaks to Julie Chen about her new book, which is a collection of personal stories and inspiring essays about the power of words. | Share/Embed

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(CBS) It's no secret that ordinary words have the power to change lives.

Marlo Thomas proves that once again in her latest book, "The Right Words at the Right Time, Volume 2: Your Turn!" It's a collection of inspiring stories from regular people who heard exactly what they needed to hear, when they needed to hear it.

Thomas highlighted some of her favorites from the new book in a discussion with co-anchor Julie Chen on The Early Show Wednesday.

The first volume was a bestseller four years ago. It contained stories from celebrities about words that changed their lives.

This volume has 101 first-person stories from average Americans that were selected from thousands of letters.

All the proceeds from both books go to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for Children in Memphis, Tenn. It was founded by her famous father, the late actor/entertainer Danny Thomas, in 1962.

Marlo also has a new DVD out with the first season of episodes of "That Girl," the comedy TV series in which she starred from 1966 to 1971.

Words make a difference, Thomas observed, "and they live long, even after people are gone."

Thomas told Chen a story of her own, about what motivated the first book, and how that led to the second one.

"I was asked by a father to send a story from my life to guide his 16-year-old daughter on her birthday," Thomas said. "She was a big fan, and I remembered the time in my life when I was struggling to be an actress and I got my first big break — in the play, 'Gigi.'

"I was 17 years old. All the reviewers and all the interviewers were comparing me to my famous father. Would be I be as good as Danny Thomas? Would I last as long? It was very scary.

"And I went to my father and I said, 'Daddy, I never thought I'd say this, but I don't want to be a Thomas anymore. I want to change my name and get as far away as I can.'

"And my father said, 'I raised you to be a thoroughbred, and thoroughbreds run their own races. They don't look at any of the other horses. They just raise wear their blinders and they run. And that's what you have to do. Don't look at me or anybody else. You just run your own race.'
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