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When I Stop Talking, You’ll Know I’m Dead
Useful Stories from a Persuasive Man

by Jerry Weintraub with Rich Cohen

       Jerry Weintraub was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised right in the middle of the Bronx. His accent, which you will hear as he reads his story, gives him away immediately. This is his story of how he became a famous movie producer.

Jerry learned to be persuasive from his father, who was a jewelry salesman. He taught Jerry many of the finer points of the art of salesmanship. Jerry, as a movie producer, used the things his dad taught him to sell his movie ideas to the money men who financed the production. His skills were good enough to sell an idea that every producer in Hollywood had already turned down. That took considerable skill and the offer to put up some of his own money to finally finance it. Though the movie was never made due to various problems, he was still able to sell an idea whose time never came.

There are many such stories in this book. Jerry also tells of the interesting people he met along the way. He began as a talent manager, managing such talents as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and many others. But movie production was his real love, and no matter what he tried, he always went back to producing.

This book is definitely well written. Personally, I have no interest in the lives of Hollywood denizens. Thus, it is a tribute to Mr. Weintraub’s storytelling expertise that I did not sleep through listening to this book. Nor did I put the book down until I finished it. I actually enjoyed the debunking of some of the Hollywood gossip. I also enjoyed some of the stories and the selling techniques. So listen to “When I Stop Talking, You’ll Know I’m Dead.” It’s more interesting than you might expect.


The Book

Hachette Audio
June 1, 2010
Unabridged audiobook / 8 CDs
1607889684 / 978-1607889687
Nonfiction / Memoirs
More at Amazon.com
Excerpt
NOTE: Contains profanity

The Reviewer

Jo Rogers
Reviewed 2010
NOTE:
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