Discovery Communications founder in conversation with journalist Paula Zahn about new book, June 27

The founder and executive chairman of Discovery Communications, John Hendricks, will discuss his new book, “A Curious Discovery,” in conversation with award-winning journalist Paula Zahn at the National Press Club on Thursday, June 27, at 6:30 p.m.

For required registration, click here. Tickets are $5 for NPC members, $10 for the public. A book signing will follow the discussion. Proceeds benefit the non-profit National Press Club Journalism Institute.

In his book Hendricks tells the remarkable story of building one of the most successful media empires in the world. In 1984, Hendricks had $75,000 of debt on his wife’s American Express card and took all but $511 of out of his family’s bank account to fund an audacious idea for a cable channel that would feature science and education programming.

Today, that channel has grown into Discovery Communications, the world’s number one nonfiction media company with global operations in more than 220 countries and territories with more than 1.8 billion cumulative subscribers.

Hendricks takes the reader behind the scenes of some of the network’s most popular shows including "Deadliest Catch", "Mythbusters", "The Crocodile Hunter", "Plant Earth", "Dirty Jobs", and "Trading Spaces". He also imparts crucial lessons from the network’s successes and setbacks.

You can read an excerpt from the book here.

Zahn, who will appear with Hendricks, is a former CNN anchor who now hosts "On the Case with Paula Zahn,” a newsmagazine series on Investigation Discovery Channel, one of Discovery Communications cable TV channels.