Unscripted: "The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacy" by James B. Stewart and Rachel Adams

When I was in the 5th grade at Oakwood, I had a Paramount Studios T-shirt that I wore often. The light blue shirt showed the Paramount logo, a snow-covered mountain against a clear sky. Paramount is where my dad worked as a TV show runner. In those days, I pictured Paramount as a playland, much like Disneyland, where the cast of "Happy Days" would roller skate, ride bicycles, eat ice cream and play basketball. However, my images of Paramount were from the mid-1970s, and the next 50 years of Paramount would morph into something very different. "The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacy" by James B. Stewart and Rachel Adams is the inside story of what became to be known as Paramount Global, the multi-million-dollar entertainment empire owned by Sumner M. Redstone and his family. The cast of characters smacks Shakespearean and includes the 90-year-old Sumner, his loyal but independent daughter Shari once married to a Rabbi and the head of CBS, Les Moonves once popular but soon to fall from grace. This book dives deep into the world of private planes, sexual misconduct in the workplace, lies, bribes, and many power struggles inside and out of the office. Stewart and Adams are journalists so they approach this story with a trained reporter's eye. What reads like a season of "Billions" or "Succession" is a real-life saga that is so surreal it is hard to believe it is true. Supported by dozens of examples of bad behavior, "Unscripted" is a shocking testament to the abuse and corruption of power in the entertainment and business worlds. To buy this book on Amazon click here.