Books by critic Kenneth Turan and actor Rupert Everett show two sides of Hollywood

Bob Iger has had a long career—22 years at ABC, then 23 at Disney (after Disney acquired ABC). He started as a bottom-level crew member on television sets and eventually became CEO of Disney for 15 years. He led Disney through momentous changes in technology, global expansion, and its noted acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. He still looks back at his career in mild disbelief as an incredible, lucky ride of a lifetime.

This book is a retelling of his professional career, with his leadership principles woven in. You’ll learn why being an optimist is good for your career, how to take big risks, why you should always sweat the details, and how to fire someone respectfully.

Even though we’re all human, most of us don’t understand what drives people (including ourselves) to feel and behave the way we do. In The Laws of Human Nature, author Robert Greene looks at several laws that explain, among other things, why we self-sabotage, behave differently in groups, and want the wrong things.

Armed with the knowledge of these fundamentals of human nature, you can manage toxic people, become more empathetic, make people like you, and control your own nature.

Louie Zamperini was one of the brightest prospects for the 1940 Olympics in track and field. But when WWII started, his life would take a much different path. The story of Louie’s struggles as a young loner, a rising star, a Pacific POW, and a man trying to reclaim his life after years of torment is as unbelievable as it is inspiring. Through Louie’s tale, the depths of the human soul and will to survive are examined. As Louie spirals out of control because of trauma and becomes obsessed with a plot to kill the man who tortured him, he learns that a man is not defined by his history, but rather by the manner in which he seeks a future. Unbroken reaches into the heart of terror and shines a light on what it means to triumph.

Bob Iger has had a long career—22 years at ABC, then 23 at Disney (after Disney acquired ABC). He started as a bottom-level crew member on television sets and eventually became CEO of Disney for 15 years. He led Disney through momentous changes in technology, global expansion, and its noted acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. He still looks back at his career in mild disbelief as an incredible, lucky ride of a lifetime.

This book is a retelling of his professional career, with his leadership principles woven in. You’ll learn why being an optimist is good for your career, how to take big risks, why you should always sweat the details, and how to fire someone respectfully.

My Name Is Barbra is the 1,000-page autobiography of Barbra Streisand, perhaps one of the most successful and well-rounded performers in history. As a testament to her career, Streisand is an EGOT winner (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards), a feat that only 24 people have achieved.

This guide will take you through Streisand’s remarkable life, as told by Streisand herself. We’ll examine her personal life—how she was raised, how she describes herself, and her various romantic relationships. Then we’ll explore her extensive career. Finally, we’ll discuss her legacy: her philanthropic work and what she hopes to leave behind after she passes away.

Our commentary will provide some background information about the entertainment industry and the people Streisand discusses. We’ll also examine some of the psychology behind Streisand’s drive to perform and escape from reality. Finally, we’ll discuss what other prominent figures—such as composer Paul Wiliams—have said about Streisand and her work.

Hollywood studios are increasingly prioritizing financial maneuvering over artistic content creation and distribution. These tactics, including shelving films to claim tax losses and manipulating profit-sharing agreements to minimize payouts to creators, are reducing the diversity of content. Industry consolidation and changing revenue models are driving this shift, making it difficult for content creators to push back.

Hollywood studios are increasingly prioritizing financial maneuvering over artistic content creation and distribution. These tactics, including shelving films to claim tax losses and manipulating profit-sharing agreements to minimize payouts to creators, are reducing the diversity of content. Industry consolidation and changing revenue models are driving this shift, making it difficult for content creators to push back.

Bob Iger has had a long career—22 years at ABC, then 23 at Disney (after Disney acquired ABC). He started as a bottom-level crew member on television sets and eventually became CEO of Disney for 15 years. He led Disney through momentous changes in technology, global expansion, and its noted acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. He still looks back at his career in mild disbelief as an incredible, lucky ride of a lifetime.

This book is a retelling of his professional career, with his leadership principles woven in. You’ll learn why being an optimist is good for your career, how to take big risks, why you should always sweat the details, and how to fire someone respectfully.

When Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios, started his career, he had one goal: Create films using computer-generated animation. Despite a multitude of challenges, Catmull worked tirelessly to advance the technology of computer animation and, eventually, co-founded Pixar to marry his love of animation with his expertise in computer technology.

Through the journey of Pixar’s creation, Catmull developed leadership strategies that fostered creativity in the workplace while ensuring that the company remained profitable and successful. In Creativity, Inc., Catmull breaks down the most important factors in building and sustaining a creative culture. From removing fear from failure and protecting new ideas, Catmull explains the ways Pixar’s creative culture allowed it to grow into the animation behemoth it is today.

My Name Is Barbra is the 1,000-page autobiography of Barbra Streisand, perhaps one of the most successful and well-rounded performers in history. As a testament to her career, Streisand is an EGOT winner (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards), a feat that only 24 people have achieved.

This guide will take you through Streisand’s remarkable life, as told by Streisand herself. We’ll examine her personal life—how she was raised, how she describes herself, and her various romantic relationships. Then we’ll explore her extensive career. Finally, we’ll discuss her legacy: her philanthropic work and what she hopes to leave behind after she passes away.

Our commentary will provide some background information about the entertainment industry and the people Streisand discusses. We’ll also examine some of the psychology behind Streisand’s drive to perform and escape from reality. Finally, we’ll discuss what other prominent figures—such as composer Paul Wiliams—have said about Streisand and her work.