When I stop talking, you'll know I'm dead : useful stories from a persuasive man
(Book)

Weintraub is one of those guys you probably haven't heard of (unless you're a Hollywood insider), but you know his work. As a talent manager and agent, he handled Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and Led Zeppelin, among many others. As a movie producer, he was instrumental in getting Robert Altman's masterpiece Nashville made, and he also produced Soderbergh's Ocean's 11 and its sequels. His memoir, written with coauthor Cohen, takes us all the way back to Weintraub's early days as an entrepreneurial youth; it's written in a personable, anecdotal style, as though Weintraub were just chatting with us about his life. In style and structure, the book is reminiscent of Sit, Ubu, Sit (2008), by television producer and Weintraub's fellow Brooklynite Gary David Goldberg. It's not a tightly organized, chronological recounting of a man's life but, rather, a series of episodes that illuminate the life of a very interesting fella. Fascinating reading for those interested in Hollywood behind the cameras.--Pitt, David Copyright 2010 Booklist

Hollywood power player Weintraub, now 72, is always in control and goes to great lengths to prove it: besides having managed musical legends like Presley, Sinatra and John Denver ("I cooked [him] from scratch"), Weintraub once closed a deal by faking a heart attack, and won the respect of one of Chicago's most powerful men, Arthur Wirtz, when he cursed Wirtz out for making him wait (Wirtz would go on to become one of Weintraub's mentors). Weintraub's also produced plays, TV shows, movies (from Nashville to the Ocean's 11 franchise), and more, summing up his talent simply: "When I believe in something, it's going to get done." Edgy and honest but refreshingly spare in his criticism of stars, colleagues and family, Weintraub can be forgiven for glossing over speed bumps in his career (one failed business lost $30 million before it closed in the mid-'80s) and occasionally showing his age with wandering rumination. As Weintraub repeatedly states, he is not a star, which perhaps that explains the disappointing omission of photos. Still, with a bold voice, a storied career, and a cast of superstars, his memoir makes a rousing insider tour of some five decades in the entertainment industry. (Apr.) Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

A self-proclaimed hustler from the Bronx, NY, Weintraub worked his way up in show business with his driving ambition and an apparent ability to attract powerful men as mentors, including former president George H.W. Bush and the legendary Lew Wasserman, one of the most successful men in the entertainment industry. Weintraub began his rise via the mail room of the William Morris talent agency. Eventually, he became a producer as well as a talent agent, representing Frank Sinatra and John Denver (who fired him) and such offbeat personalities as chess champion Bobby Fischer. He admits that this is neither a biography nor a memoir but an account of his overweening need to succeed. Weintraub offers little insight into himself and those with whom he worked, and his perhaps deservedly large ego is reflected throughout. Verdict While sporadically interesting and occasionally humorous, this is, at bottom, little more than a name-dropping brag sheet. Its potential audience seems limited.-Roy Liebman, California State Univ., Los Angeles (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Weintraub is one of those guys you probably haven't heard of (unless you're a Hollywood insider), but you know his work. As a talent manager and agent, he handled Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and Led Zeppelin, among many others. As a movie producer, he was instrumental in getting Robert Altman's masterpiece Nashville made, and he also produced Soderbergh's Ocean's 11 and its sequels. His memoir, written with coauthor Cohen, takes us all the way back to Weintraub's early days as an entrepreneurial youth; it's written in a personable, anecdotal style, as though Weintraub were just chatting with us about his life. In style and structure, the book is reminiscent of Sit, Ubu, Sit (2008), by television producer—and Weintraub's fellow Brooklynite—Gary David Goldberg. It's not a tightly organized, chronological recounting of a man's life but, rather, a series of episodes that illuminate the life of a very interesting fella. Fascinating reading for those interested in Hollywood behind the cameras. Copyright 2010 Booklist Reviews.

A self-proclaimed hustler from the Bronx, NY, Weintraub worked his way up in show business with his driving ambition and an apparent ability to attract powerful men as mentors, including former president George H.W. Bush and the legendary Lew Wasserman, one of the most successful men in the entertainment industry. Weintraub began his rise via the mail room of the William Morris talent agency. Eventually, he became a producer as well as a talent agent, representing Frank Sinatra and John Denver (who fired him) and such offbeat personalities as chess champion Bobby Fischer. He admits that this is neither a biography nor a memoir but an account of his overweening need to succeed. Weintraub offers little insight into himself and those with whom he worked, and his perhaps deservedly large ego is reflected throughout. Verdict While sporadically interesting and occasionally humorous, this is, at bottom, little more than a name-dropping brag sheet. Its potential audience seems limited.-Roy Liebman, California State Univ., Los Angeles Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

Hollywood power player Weintraub, now 72, is always in control and goes to great lengths to prove it: besides having managed musical legends like Presley, Sinatra and John Denver ("I cooked [him] from scratch"), Weintraub once closed a deal by faking a heart attack, and won the respect of one of Chicago's most powerful men, Arthur Wirtz, when he cursed Wirtz out for making him wait (Wirtz would go on to become one of Weintraub's mentors). Weintraub's also produced plays, TV shows, movies (from Nashville to the Ocean's 11 franchise), and more, summing up his talent simply: "When I believe in something, it's going to get done." Edgy and honest but refreshingly spare in his criticism of stars, colleagues and family, Weintraub can be forgiven for glossing over speed bumps in his career (one failed business lost $30 million before it closed in the mid-'80s) and occasionally showing his age with wandering rumination. As Weintraub repeatedly states, he is not a star, which perhaps that explains the disappointing omission of photos. Still, with a bold voice, a storied career, and a cast of superstars, his memoir makes a rousing insider tour of some five decades in the entertainment industry. (Apr.) Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.