Film, Television, Comedy and Journalism
Lives and memoirs of actors, comedians, producers, editors and journalists, from Robert Evans and Lorne Michaels to Tina Fey and Graydon Carter.
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- HoaxStephen Fay, Lewis Chester, Magnus Linklater, 1972
- The Emperor of WineElin McCoy, 2005
- Burn BookKara Swisher, 2024
- The Electric Kool-Aid Acid TestTom Wolfe, 1968
- Ida Tarbell: Portrait of a MuckrakerKathleen Brady, 1984
Clifford Irving's fake autobiography of Howard Hughes, reported as it unravelled.
How the critic Robert Parker's palate came to set wine styles and prices worldwide.
A tech reporter's memoir, including Sam Altman and OpenAI's board crisis.
Following Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters through the 1960s counterculture.
Recommended by: Stewart Brand, Tim O’Reilly
Biography of the journalist whose reporting broke the trust.
A Hollywood producer's life behind The Godfather, Chinatown and Rosemary's Baby.
“Robert Evans went from 50's movie star to running Paramount Pictures during its Godfather heyday, only to fall flat on his face and go broke in the eighties. Pure Hollywood popcorn and full of fun (probably half-true) anecdotes about seemingly every…” — Andrew Wilkinson
Source: Newsletter
Recommended by: Andrew Wilkinson, David Cancel
A boyhood of boarding schools, beatings, expulsion, attempted suicide and prison.
Recommended by: Paul Graham
Recommended by: Patrick Collison
A comedian's eighteen years building a stand-up act, and why he quit it.
Recommended by: Bill Gurley, James Altucher, Jason Calacanis and 2 others
Personal essays on sex, menial jobs and missteps, offered so others learn from them.
Recommended by: Audrey Gelman
Recommended by: Mohnish Pabrai, Patrick O'Shaughnessy and 1 other
“I picked this one up on a recommendation from a friend expecting a tell all autobiography. What I got instead was far more weird and wonderful. I don't think I could make it through more than a few pages without dying laughing.” — Andrew Wilkinson
Source: Newsletter
Recommended by: Andrew Wilkinson
Recommended by: Andrew Wilkinson
Recommended by: Andrew Wilkinson
Recommended by: Andrew Wilkinson
Recommended by: Andrew Wilkinson
“A memoir by Graydon Carter, the longtime editor of Vanity Fair. It's a bit of a shock to read about just how incredible the magazine business used to be.” — Andrew Wilkinson
Source: Newsletter
Recommended by: Andrew Wilkinson
“A window into the kind of person who does the same job obsessively, week after week, for 50 years. So many great anecdotes about Lorne and his crazy famous friends. I couldn't put this down.” — Andrew Wilkinson
Source: Newsletter
Recommended by: Andrew Wilkinson
“It's about Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg going from unknown young filmmakers to completely remaking Hollywood. Pure Hollywood popcorn - lots of good stories.” — Andrew Wilkinson
Source: Essay
Recommended by: Andrew Wilkinson
Recommended by: Patrick O'Shaughnessy
Paul Grahamrecommends 3 books here
Mohnish Pabrairecommends 3 books here
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Patrick Collisonrecommends 3 books here
Sheryl Sandbergrecommends 3 books here
Arianna Huffingtonrecommends 2 books here
Zoë Foster Blakerecommends 2 books here
Marc Andreessenrecommends 1 book here
Ryan Holidayrecommends 1 book hereShow all 23
Aileen Leerecommends 1 book here
Audrey Gelmanrecommends 1 book here
Bill Gurleyrecommends 1 book here
Dustin Moskovitzrecommends 1 book here
James Altucherrecommends 1 book here
Jason Calacanisrecommends 1 book here
Stewart Brandrecommends 1 book here
Tim O’Reillyrecommends 1 book here