
Who Is Michael Ovitz?
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Narrated by:
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Michael Ovitz - prologue
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Dennis Boutsikaris
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By:
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Michael Ovitz
About this listen
If you're going to listen to one book about Hollywood, this is the one.
As the cofounder of Creative Artists Agency, Michael Ovitz earned a reputation for ruthless negotiation, brilliant strategy, and fierce loyalty to his clients. He reinvented the role of the agent and helped shape the careers of hundreds of A-list entertainers, directors, and writers, including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Sean Connery, Bill Murray, Robin Williams, and David Letterman.
But this personal history is much more than a fascinating account of celebrity friendships and bare-knuckled deal making. It's also an underdog's story: How did a middle-class kid from Encino work his way into the William Morris mailroom and eventually become the most powerful person in Hollywood? How did an agent (even a superagent) also become a power in producing, advertising, mergers & acquisitions, and modern art? And what were the personal consequences of all those deals?
After decades of near-silence in the face of controversy, Ovitz is finally telling his whole story, with remarkable candor and insight.
©2018 Michael Ovitz (P)2018 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"When the history of Hollywood is written, few people will have played a larger role than Michael Ovitz.... It is impossible to read such a chronicle and not see Mr. Ovitz as the Steve Jobs of agenting, possessing a version of Jobs’s fanatical drive and a similar desire to remake an industry." (The Wall Street Journal)
"A revealing retelling of his Hollywood career.... A study in the unusual personality traits required to pull this off, Who Is Michael Ovitz? represents a master class of sorts." (The New York Times)
"Michael is a legend and I don't use that term lightly. Learning from his journey is something that every entrepreneur and executive should do." (Gary Vaynerchuk)
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Invent and Wander
- The Collected Writings of Jeff Bezos, with an Introduction by Walter Isaacson
- By: Jeff Bezos, Walter Isaacson - introduction
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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In this collection of Jeff Bezos' writings - his unique and strikingly original annual shareholder letters, plus numerous speeches and interviews that provide insight into his background, his work, and the evolution of his ideas - you'll gain an insider's view of the why and how of his success. Spanning a range of topics across business and public policy, from innovation and customer obsession to climate change and outer space, this book provides a rare glimpse into how Bezos thinks about the world and where the future might take us.
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Do the right thing.
- By FULL Creative on 12-06-20
By: Jeff Bezos, and others
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The Kid Stays in the Picture
- By: Robert Evans
- Narrated by: Robert Evans
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Robert Evans' The Kid Stays in the Picture is universally recognized as the greatest, most outrageous, and most unforgettable show business memoir ever written. The basis of an award-winning documentary film, it remains the gold standard of Hollywood storytelling. An extraordinary raconteur, Evans spares no one, least of all himself. The Kid Stays in the Picture is sharp, witty, self-aggrandizing, and self-lacerating in equal measure.
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Not even close to unabridged
- By Shaun Bossio on 09-08-16
By: Robert Evans
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The Ride of a Lifetime
- Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company
- By: Robert Iger
- Narrated by: Jim Frangione, Robert Iger
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Robert Iger became CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2005, during a difficult time. Competition was more intense than ever, and technology was changing faster than at any time in the company’s history. His vision came down to three clear ideas: Recommit to the concept that quality matters, embrace technology instead of fighting it, and think bigger - think global - and turn Disney into a stronger brand in international markets.
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Joins “Shoe Dog” as required biographies.
- By Matt S. on 01-02-20
By: Robert Iger
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Gambling Man
- The Secret Story of the World's Greatest Disruptor, Masayoshi Son
- By: Lionel Barber
- Narrated by: Keong Sim
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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As Wall Street swooned and boomed through the last decade, our livelihoods have—now more than ever—come to rely upon the good sense and risk appetites of a few standout investors. And amidst the BlackRocks, Vanguards, and Berkshire Hathaways stands arguably the most iconoclastic of them all: SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son. In Gambling Man, the first Western biography of Son, the self-professed unicorn hunter, we go behind the scenes of the world’s most monied halls of power in New York, Tokyo, Silicon Valley, Saudi Arabia, and beyond.
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A deep look into the life of a man who doesn’t quit!
- By JoeShon Monroe on 04-22-25
By: Lionel Barber
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The Outsiders
- Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success
- By: William N. Thorndike
- Narrated by: Brian Troxell
- Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Outsiders, you'll learn the traits and methods striking for their consistency and relentless rationality that helped these unique leaders achieve such exceptional performance. Humble, unassuming, and often frugal, these "outsiders" shunned Wall Street and the press, and shied away from the hottest new management trends. Instead, they shared specific traits that put them and the companies they led on winning trajectories: a laser-sharp focus on per share value as opposed to earnings or sales growth; an exceptional talent for allocating capital and human resources; and the belief that cash flow, not reported earnings, determines a company's long-term value.
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Great summary of the 8 CEOs, lessons to learn from
- By Jason S on 09-04-19
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Barbarians at the Gate
- The Fall of RJR Nabisco
- By: Bryan Burrough, John Helyar
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 22 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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A number-one New York Times best seller and arguably the best business narrative ever written, Barbarians at the Gate is the classic account of the fall of RJR Nabisco. An enduring masterpiece of investigative journalism by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar, it includes a new afterword by the authors that brings this remarkable story of greed and double-dealings up to date 20 years after the famed deal.
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Good book but too dense
- By Andrew M. on 08-01-21
By: Bryan Burrough, and others
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Live from New York
- The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests
- By: James Andrew Miller, Tom Shales
- Narrated by: Christina Delaine, Paul Woodson
- Length: 28 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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When first published to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, Live from New York was immediately proclaimed the best book ever produced on the landmark and legendary late-night show. In their own words, unfiltered and uncensored, a dazzling galaxy of trail-blazing talents recalled three turbulent decades of on-camera antics and off-camera escapades.
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The First Forty Years ... and Counting
- By Dubi on 10-21-18
By: James Andrew Miller, and others
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How to Make a Few Billion Dollars
- By: Brad Jacobs
- Narrated by: Brad Jacobs
- Length: 5 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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In How to Make a Few Billion Dollars, Jacobs defines the mindset that drives his remarkable success in corporate America—and distills a lifetime of business brilliance into a tactical road map.
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Meh
- By Anonymous User on 09-24-24
By: Brad Jacobs
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A Man for All Markets
- From Las Vegas to Wall Street, How I Beat the Dealer and the Market
- By: Edward O. Thorp, Nassim Nicholas Taleb - foreword
- Narrated by: Edward O. Thorp
- Length: 16 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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The incredible true story of the card-counting mathematics professor who taught the world how to beat the dealer and, as the first of the great quantitative investors, ushered in a revolution on Wall Street.
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A life of a genius
- By Oleksiy Volovik on 05-08-17
By: Edward O. Thorp, and others
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The Nvidia Way
- Jensen Huang and the Making of a Tech Giant
- By: Tae Kim
- Narrated by: Michael Braun
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Nvidia is the darling of the age of artificial intelligence: the company’s chips are powering the generative-AI revolution, and demand is insatiable. For all the current interest and attention, however, Nvidia is not of our time. Founded more than three decades ago in a Denny’s in East San Jose, for years it was known primarily in the then-niche world of computer gaming. In fact, the company’s leather-jacketed leader, Jensen Huang, is the longest-serving CEO in an industry marked by near constant turmoil and failure.
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Don’t Buy This Book Be Forewarned
- By Susan Hess on 12-25-24
By: Tae Kim
Great insight into a relatable person.
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A Brilliant Account of the Hero Behind the Mask
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The King Maker told in his voice
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A fascinating mind
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Incredible read
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Captivating!
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It fascinates me.
Easily Five Stars
Captivating Stories About Movie Making
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Michael Ovitz should have narrated.
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Excellent Memoir
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Ovitz is a big thinker.
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