Iceman
07-06-2005, 05:49 PM
I was on a cruise, and it was in the lending library, so I checked it out. Here are some thoughts:
1) The author is a very good writer. I guess I should expect that from a Pulitzer prize-winner, but his writing style was really very smooth and the way he told his story kept me interested from start to finish.
2) The book itself is fascinating. Whether or not everything in it is completely factual (more on that later), I definitely learned a lot about the Disney company and some of the personalities who've been integral to it for the past couple of decades.
3) Michael Eisner gets a lot of the credit, in fact MOST of the credit for saving Disney and turning it into the powerhouse it is today. Despite his failings, the author still applauds his good qualities and results he's achieved in various pursuits, culminating with his long run at Disney.
4) I think the author started out to write a factual, objective account but ended up biased against Michael Eisner. As the book goes on, he gets more and more lopsided in his presentation of various scenarios and vignettes. I found myself wondering how different his spin would have been had he come to admire Eisner and take his side on things.
5) In the end, my faith in the Disney company remains unshaken. The core of what makes it great has not changed from Walt's time to today, the best cast members internalize and live those ideals on a daily basis, and that culture has continued to thrive. Say what you will about a focus on stock price and short-term profits, a drain of artistic and storytelling talent, and ego-driven decisions that made little logical sense... Disney is still where it's at when it comes to entertainment excellence.
I'm glad I read it, in fact I could hardly put it down! I'd highly recommend it to any Disneyphile, which includes anyone who might happen to stumble across a post like this on a site like this.
1) The author is a very good writer. I guess I should expect that from a Pulitzer prize-winner, but his writing style was really very smooth and the way he told his story kept me interested from start to finish.
2) The book itself is fascinating. Whether or not everything in it is completely factual (more on that later), I definitely learned a lot about the Disney company and some of the personalities who've been integral to it for the past couple of decades.
3) Michael Eisner gets a lot of the credit, in fact MOST of the credit for saving Disney and turning it into the powerhouse it is today. Despite his failings, the author still applauds his good qualities and results he's achieved in various pursuits, culminating with his long run at Disney.
4) I think the author started out to write a factual, objective account but ended up biased against Michael Eisner. As the book goes on, he gets more and more lopsided in his presentation of various scenarios and vignettes. I found myself wondering how different his spin would have been had he come to admire Eisner and take his side on things.
5) In the end, my faith in the Disney company remains unshaken. The core of what makes it great has not changed from Walt's time to today, the best cast members internalize and live those ideals on a daily basis, and that culture has continued to thrive. Say what you will about a focus on stock price and short-term profits, a drain of artistic and storytelling talent, and ego-driven decisions that made little logical sense... Disney is still where it's at when it comes to entertainment excellence.
I'm glad I read it, in fact I could hardly put it down! I'd highly recommend it to any Disneyphile, which includes anyone who might happen to stumble across a post like this on a site like this.