Passion to Win
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- £9.99
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- £9.99
Publisher Description
In one of the most fascinating business autobiographies of this year, Sumner Redstone tells the unvarnished story of how he overcame every obstacle to build a vast media and entertainment engine that includes Paramount, MTV, CBS, Nickleodeon and Blockbuster. A larger-than-life figure in the grand tradition of the Hearsts, Paleys and Pulitzers, and voted by 600 corporate executives as the #1 most inspiring CEO, this is the man who can truly say, "I AM VIACOM."
A PASSION TO WIN is a riveting look behind the scenes at the highly charged negotiations that won Redstone both Viacom and Paramount. The book reveals the intense business calculations and strong emotions of Redstone's head-to-head confrontations with such adversaries as Barry Diller and H. Wayne Huizenga. And when Blockbuster went into the tank, risking Redstone's fortune and life's work with it, A PASSION TO WIN takes the reader on a financial roller-coaster ride on which Redstone revolutionised the video industry and righted his company. In a world of high-visibility corporate battles, Redstone pulls no punches. This is a book that shows the reader what it takes to win.
Never before has Sumner Redstone revealed himself so candidly, and now with the assistance of writer Peter Knobler, he has produced an inspirational life story that will command major attention.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Redstone made his first big splash in the media world at the age of 63 when, after a hotly contested battle against the management of Viacom, he acquired the company, which owns MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon and Showtime/the Movie Channel (as well as this book's publisher, Simon & Schuster). The 1987 purchase of Viacom and Redstone's prolonged ultimately successful struggle with Barry Diller over the acquisition of Paramount are the two pillars around which Redstone has constructed his autobiography. While rich in detail about his business dealings, it gives only scant attention to his private life (in any case, Redstone readily acknowledges, "Viacom is my life"). Redstone's obsession to build the world's largest software-driven media company had harsh consequences for a number of less-powerful executives. While it was predictable that Redstone would fire an executive like the "volcanic" (one of the milder terms he uses to describe the former Simon & Schuster chairman) Dick Snyder, it was more surprising when he axed Frank Biondi, who had helped him build Viacom. More to Redstone's liking is Mel Karmazin, who became Viacom's COO after the company acquired CBS in a friendly takeover in 1999. Under his leadership, Viacom has become one of the most powerful media conglomerates in the world. While he claims he has no use for the limelight, Redstone also seems to feel he hasn't received enough credit for his accomplishments. Anyone interested in learning about the making of Viacom will enjoy this insider's view from the man who had the passion to make it happen.
