A New York Times bestsellerAn astonishing—and astonishingly entertaining—history of Hollywood’s transformation over the past five decades as seen through the agency at the heart of it all; from the #1 bestselling co-author of Live from New York and Those Guys Have All the Fun.The movies you watch; the TV shows you adore; the concerts and sporting events you attend—behind the curtain of nearly all of these is an immensely powerful and secretive corporation known as Creative Artists Agency. Started in 1975; when five bright and brash employees of a creaky William Morris office left to open their own; strikingly innovative talent agency; CAA would come to revolutionize the entertainment industry; and over the next several decades its tentacles would spread aggressively throughout the worlds of movies; television; music; advertising; and investment banking. Powerhouse is the fascinating; no-holds-barred saga of that ascent. Drawing on unprecedented and exclusive access to the men and women who built and battled with CAA; as well as financial information never before made public; author James Andrew Miller spins a tale of boundless ambition; ruthless egomania; ceaseless empire building; greed; and personal betrayal. It is also a story of prophetic brilliance; magnificent artistry; singular genius; entrepreneurial courage; strategic daring; foxhole brotherhood; and how one firm utterly transformed the entertainment business.Here are the real Star Wars—complete with a Death Star—told through the voices of those who were there. Packed with scores of stars from movies; television; music; and sports; as well as a tremendously compelling cast of agents; studio executives; network chiefs; league commissioners; private equity partners; tech CEOs; and media tycoons; Powerhouse is itself a Hollywood blockbuster of the most spectacular sort.
#60395 in Books Miller James Andrew 2016-08-09 2016-08-09Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 2.13 x 6.00l; .0 #File Name: 006244137X752 pagesPowerhouse The Untold Story of Hollywood s Creative Artists Agency
Review
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. How the sausage is made.By Cool LoonIt's packed full of insider points of view. So it's very interesting in that respect. However; that positive comes at the cost of a rather odd style - the author has assembled quotes from those involved so that if a particular issue is covered one gets the POV of maybe 2-3-4 people involved in the event. And I assume these are pretty much verbatim quotes. Which is good if one is interested in hearing how the subjects talk; idioms; syntax; how they make a point - which is very useful -- but it's not literature; it's not a single voice narrative. So I found it a little emotionally rootless. It's more of a reporting style. There are so many contributors. Though the author would orient the reader to the players and their hierarchy I kept forgetting who had done what and said what which was important in reading the subtext of their commentary. I was familiar with a number of the names so had a vague notion of what was going on at the time; but I really could get lost if I left the book a few days or weeks and tried to come back to it. But all this said; it's a treasure trove of eye openers for anyone who has or aspires to have a big shot agent looking out for their career. It's about how the sausage is made.7 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating especially for people who are pop culture junkiesBy Theresa DickisonI'm an entertainment and pop culture junkie so this book was already right up my alley. I know about agencies and heard the names CAA and Endeavor and so forth but didn't have any idea what agencies were or what they did for people. The book is a history from the very beginning of CAA in the 70s right up to the present day. It includes interviews from all the principle founders of CAA; CAA agents; agents from other competitive agencies; executives and celebrities. It is organized in an oral history fashion which is a format that I happen to like. Each section has a narrative introduction but otherwise it is all an oral history.I've read other reviews that accuse the book of being biased towards CAA or sugarcoating the events but I didn't get that feeling as I was reading it. There are plenty of dissenting views and not very flattering descriptions from quite a few people directed at CAA. There are a few people that you can tell still work there and need to toe the company line and sound like an infomercial but they're pretty easy to identify.It is a long book but it kept my interest from beginning to end. It goes into some extreme detail that might be boring to some but which I found fascinating (especially the parts about sports representation).2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Best Business Story Ever?By Rick SpellI followed closely the ascent of Mike Ovitz with fascination and still consider him an incredible businessman. The one I'd most like to have lunch with. But around 1995 when the Young Turks took over I only followed passively followed although was by the I.M Pei building constantly as I stay at the Peninsula Hotel next door. I was aware they had moved and had recently acquired a sports agency we used to own. So my interest was/is high.This is just such a fascinating story completely told by the players involved. Their candor is stunning. To hear first hand accounts of Ovitz going in to depression is so counter to his persona. Ronnie Meyers didn't receive enough publicity and he comes across as the real hero of the story.Now; this is a little long as it covers from 1975 to current with the first iteration of CAA; the Young Turk period and now new owners and sports. That's 40 years! But be prepared for one of the best business stories with drama and emotion told by the participants.BUY THIS BOOK!
