Ovitz: The Inside Story of Hollywood's Most Controversial Power Broker

by Robert Slater

Once the most powerful and feared agent in Hollywood, the notoriously press-phobic Michael Ovitz cooperated with this biographer, so you won't hear about the arrogance or bullying business tactics... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0070581037
• ISBN13: 9780070581036
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
• Length: 360 Pages
• Weight: 1.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Like Him or Hate Him, it's Thorough

You might walk away from this book thinking Mike Ovitz is the All-Powerful WunderMaster that many think he is. You might away from this book thinking his a self-centered, narcicist who deserved his fate at Disney. Either way, when you finish reading this book, you'll get a pretty thorough account of what his business life is like. The critics who calim this book make him look 'too' good forget a rather important fact: Ovitz really WAS known as the most powerful man in Hollywood for several years, if not a decade! This book is not self-serving. In fact, you often get the feeling that author thinks he's a big as a paranoid nut as many of us 'real worlders' do. But it's well written and it covers a lot of ground. If you want to know how Mike Ovitz got to where is is (both the ups AND the downs)...it's a good read. If you want to read about someone entirely driven and successful, I highly reccomend it.

A Great Read !

I found this book chronicling Ovitz to be entertaining and informative. My favoite part is the one when Ovitz and associates leave William Morris and strike out on their own. I suppose I'm more interested in what lessons the book has to offer, as opposed to how accurate it may be. I bought several copies for friends.

This book is fun! Keep perspective!

I have read the reviews below, and this is similar to the love'em or hate'em polarization in the press. I liked this book. IT WAS FUN. Getting this perspective (quite favorable to Ovitz) may be off-putting to the purists, but then I do not believe you should read biographies in a vacuum. No one said getting to the top should result in everyone loving you. Winners are going to have their proponents and opponents--just like the ordinary man. Get a life and get a little perspective. Read the book and get the essence of the story. It is a solid story of the quest to be the best and how great leaders consolidate their positions almost out of instinct. You will learn something in this book and you will have fun in the process. It is a short book and an easy read. Judge for yourself. I do recommend you read some of the Vanity Fair articles and the Fortune article on the man.

The vivid story of a very determined man

Critics may be right when they say that Slater wrote only one side of the story. However, he doesn't say that Ovitz is the nicest guy on earth, either. Slater is able to convey the image of a very interesting and complex personality. He captures the extraordinary drive and determination of a self-made man. The well written book includes many anecdotes which are mostly interesting and entertaining while it documents a fairly complete chronology of events.And no, I'm not writing this to make Slater a rich guy. I just like the book. To get rich, he'd have to become president of Disney for a few months..