MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Willie Geist and Mike Barnicle Join Chris Licht for an Emotional Book Signing Event

It started with a pop in his head.


Emergency room doctors said he may be dead within the day.


And now, stay tuned for the rest of the story --


A standing room only crowd from throughout the New York City area heard Chris Licht, the former executive producer of the MSNBC hit daily morning show, '˜Morning Joe', explain what happened when a near-deadly brain hemorrhage almost ended his life.


But instead of a typical book signing event promoting his new tome, Chris Licht was surrounded by his TV friends including Morning Joe's Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Willie Geist and Mike Barnicle.


Chris's new book, "What I Learned When I Almost Died; How a Maniac TV Producer Put Down His BlackBerry and Started to Live His Life," recounts the story of his eight days in a hospital bed and the wonderful way that Mika, Joe, Willie and others came to his side not only to reassure him but to take action.


At the New York City 82^ndStreet and Broadway Barnes & Noble event the other day, the audience heard first hand how Mika's direct call to Vice President Joe Biden who had suffered a brain aneurism of his own led to hospital doctors taking an active role.


Chris Licht was joined on stage by his two sons (Mika took care of feeding the younger child) while Chris' wife Jenny, Dad and other friends and family looked on in awe. Joe Scarborough conducted an active question and answer period with the audience which included some people sharing their own personal frightening medical episodes.


Chris announced just over a week ago that he was leaving the MSNBC morning program to become a Vice President at CBS News. Although the question didn't come up at the book signing, some wondered whether a switch of the MSNBC Morning Joe team to CBS is down the road. Chris did share how his decision to leave MSNBC was discussed throughout the process with Joe, Mika and others.



The evening was a lively and highly emotional look behind the scenes with the Morning Joe TV team. '˜What I Learned When I Almost Died' came to life as Chris Licht's new book brought his friends and family together. From a pop to a medical miracle, the audience was moved.