To Pixar and Beyond: My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History
Written by Lawrence Levy
Narrated by Bronson Pinchot
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
“Hi, Lawrence?” the caller asked. “This is Steve Jobs. I saw your picture in a magazine a few years ago and thought we’d work together someday.”
After Steve Jobs was unceremoniously dismissed from Apple, he turned his attention to a little-known graphics art company that he owned called Pixar.
One day, out of the blue, Jobs called Lawrence Levy, a Harvard-trained lawyer and Silicon Valley executive to whom he had never spoken before, in the hope of persuading Levy to help him get Pixar on the right track.
What Levy found in Pixar was a company on the verge of failure. To Pixar and Beyond is the extraordinary story of what happened next: How Levy, working closely with Jobs and the Pixar team, produced and implemented a highly improbable roadmap that transformed the sleepy graphics art studio into one of Hollywood’s greatest success stories.
Set in the worlds of Silicon Valley and Hollywood, the book takes readers inside Pixar, Disney, law firms, and investment banks. It provides an up-close, first-hand account of Pixar’s stunning ascent, how it took risks, Levy’s enduring collaboration and friendship with Jobs, and how Levy came to see in Pixar deeper parallels that apply to all aspects of our lives.
Reviews:
“What a delightful book about the creation of Pixar from the inside. I learned more about Mr. Jobs, Pixar and business in Silicon Valley than I have in quite some time. And like a good Pixar film, it’ll put a smile on your face.” -- Andrew Ross Sorkinin The New York Times (7/4/2016)
“I love this book! I think it is brilliant. Of course I am biased, but even so, I think people will love this story -- one they didn’t even know existed. And Lawrence has told it beautifully.” -- Ed Catmull, Co-Founder and President Pixar Animation, President Disney Animation, bestselling author of Creativity Inc.
“Lawrence Levy's To Pixar and Beyond is the gripping story of how, through hard work, vision, and a devotion to excellence, tiny Pixar transformed itself into a Hollywood powerhouse. But it’s also something more: a wonderful buddy story -- between Levy and Steve Jobs --and how their friendship and partnership transformed them both.” -- William D. Cohan, bestselling author of House of Cards and Money and Power
Lawrence Levy
LAWRENCE LEVY is a former Silicon Valley attorney and business executive who was personally recruited by Steve Jobs in 1994 as CFO and member of the Office of the President of Pixar Animation Studios. Levy was responsible for Pixar’s business strategy and IPO and guided Pixar’s transformation from a money-losing graphics company into a multibillion-dollar entertainment studio. He later joined Pixar’s board of directors. Levy left corporate life to study Eastern philosophy and meditation and their relevance to modern life. He now writes and teaches on this topic and cofounded Juniper Foundation to pursue this work. Originally from London, Levy earned degrees from Indiana University and Harvard Law School. He lives with his wife, Hillary, in Palo Alto, California.
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Reviews for To Pixar and Beyond
260 ratings16 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Amazing journey, I felt like I've been to with author Watching Pixar Grow... Bonus you get to know things beyond corporate life, a peaceful life beyond the obvious... Loved it
2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Incredible how todays work illuminates tomorrows work. Lawrence is awesome. Thank you for your contributions to all that have and will open ears and heart to this wonderful production. Timeless!!!!!
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A good book, well written. I wasn't a fan of the last few chapters, but the rest of the book was a good read/listen.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A fascinating and sincere account of life inside the modern day dream machine that is Pixar. While the author may have the personality the colour taupe, it provides a unique perspective from which to peer inside to witness the birth of a once in a generation powerhouse of creative innovation.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fascinating insight into Pixar from a business perspective. I never knew Steve Jobs was even involved in it! Great to learn more about the team that make the films that stick with you from childhood!
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An excellent listen! A must book to enjoy and learn from
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I found the book engaging. The narrative flows well across the chapters. The author teaches quite a bit about the entertainment industry and business without going into too much detail. I recommend this to someone interested in the animation business or anyone that likes a good business story.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Loved hearing about the side of the Pixar story that's often untold.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was such an amazing read. Being able to go back into the past and learn how Pixar started its humble beginnings
-Erica’s Book Club - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Insightful and inspired to to listen and remember and note
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wonderful book with a quaint Silicon Valley story. If you are building a business there are few valuable insights.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Really good book. Extremely interesting to see the perspective of what the company’s ultimately turned out to be from beginning to what it is now. Especially from the perspective of someone else and from the other books that are out there.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Interesting inside story of Pixar’s rise and Jobs in general...
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5He talks about the business side of the life of Pixar. It is very complementary with the book of Ed Cadmull, Creativity, inc. He also talks a lot about Steve Jobs. And I find very interesting that perspective. It is different from what I had read in other books. There is also a section dedicated to his new venture after Pixar. It is related to Buddhism and meditation. It was more difficult for me to connect with that part. Anyway, it is just the final section of the book. The epilog is really nice, full of nostalgia.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Este audiolibro es una obra de arte para los que aman el emprendurismo y la aventura en los negocios. Además, los hechos reales y los personajes como Steve Jobs dan una dulce sensación de nostalgia.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good one to read , good insights to explore entertainment industry