We've always been die-hard fans of Clark's Botanicals, the skincare line founded by Francesco Clark. Whenever we pop into Saks or Bendels, we hot-foot it to the beauty counter to pick up their awesome anti-puff eye cream or some of their killer lip balm. But, in case all you know of the brand is the super-cute green packaging, this new book: Walking Papers: The Accident that Changed My Life, and the Business that Got Me Back on My Feet by company founder Francesco Clark, will forever change your beauty perception. The tome goes on sale today and documents how a 24-year-old Clark dived into a swimming pool and suffered a spinal cord injury which left him paralyzed from the neck down. One of the results of the accident was that Francesco lost the ability to sweat out toxins, leaving a painful skin condition that gave him everything from acne to rosacea. To combat the damage, he worked with his father and began mixing natural ingredients in his kitchen, using his mom and sis as guinea pigs. What started out as a science experiment is now a major cosmetics firm, with part of the profits going to support research for spinal cord injuries. Though the book is in the same vein as Three Cups Of Tea or a A Million Little Pieces, it's really a memoir that's sui generis— a must-read for anyone who's got the balls to take some really shitty lemons and make lemonade—or, in this, case, nourishing youth serum.
Available at Barnes & Nobles ; 33 East 17th Street (near Union Square West); 212-633-3300