Powerhouse Book Summary

In 'Powerhouse', James Andrew Miller unveils the captivating saga of HBO's rise to dominance in the television industry. Through riveting anecdotes and insider accounts, the book paints a picture of the creative genius and fierce competition that shaped iconic series like 'The Sopranos' and 'Game of Thrones.' Readers will discover how bold decisions and visionary leadership transformed the network into a cultural powerhouse. With a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes secrets, the narrative explores the intersecting lives of the brilliant minds behind the screen. Join Miller on this exhilarating journey that reveals the power dynamics and relentless ambition that fuels the entertainment world.

By James Andrew Miller

Published: 2016

"In the relentless pursuit of success, the only true measure is not the accolades we gather, but the impact we leave behind."

Book Review of Powerhouse

A New York Times bestseller An astonishing—and astonishingly entertaining—history of Hollywood’s transformation over the past five decades as seen through the agency at the heart of it all, from the #1 bestselling co-author of Live from New York and Those Guys Have All the Fun. The movies you watch, the TV shows you adore, the concerts and sporting events you attend—behind the curtain of nearly all of these is an immensely powerful and secretive corporation known as Creative Artists Agency. Started in 1975, when five bright and brash employees of a creaky William Morris office left to open their own, strikingly innovative talent agency, CAA would come to revolutionize the entertainment industry, and over the next several decades its tentacles would spread aggressively throughout the worlds of movies, television, music, advertising, and investment banking. Powerhouse is the fascinating, no-holds-barred saga of that ascent. Drawing on unprecedented and exclusive access to the men and women who built and battled with CAA, as well as financial information never before made public, author James Andrew Miller spins a tale of boundless ambition, ruthless egomania, ceaseless empire building, greed, and personal betrayal. It is also a story of prophetic brilliance, magnificent artistry, singular genius, entrepreneurial courage, strategic daring, foxhole brotherhood, and how one firm utterly transformed the entertainment business. Here are the real Star Wars—complete with a Death Star—told through the voices of those who were there. Packed with scores of stars from movies, television, music, and sports, as well as a tremendously compelling cast of agents, studio executives, network chiefs, league commissioners, private equity partners, tech CEOs, and media tycoons, Powerhouse is itself a Hollywood blockbuster of the most spectacular sort.

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In the relentless pursuit of success, the only true measure is not the accolades we gather, but the impact we leave behind.

Powerhouse

By James Andrew Miller