Memoir · Book club
Who Is Michael Ovitz? book club questions
Here are 11 book club questions for Who Is Michael Ovitz? by Michael Ovitz, ordered to open easily and end somewhere worth arguing about. Copy them, print them, or bring them up one at a time.
The 11 questions
- 1.
Ovitz describes CAA's culture as disciplined, secretive, and highly hierarchical. What are the limits of that kind of culture, and where do you see it eventually breaking down?
- 2.
The packaging deal moved power from studios to talent. Can you think of analogous structural moves in industries you know — moments where an intermediary captured leverage that previously belonged to the buyer or seller?
- 3.
Ovitz is largely a self-exculpatory narrator. How do you read against his account — what signals in the text suggest the story might be different from his telling?
- 4.
How much does the book explain versus rationalize the allegations that Ovitz used intimidation and blacklisting to silence critics?
- 5.
What does the Disney chapter say about the difference between power that relies on an independent base versus power that depends entirely on one person's approval?
- 6.
Ovitz describes his family relationships as casualties of his ambition. At what point in the story did you start to see that cost accumulating?
- 7.
He claims that Eisner hired him knowing they would eventually conflict. Is there a structural reason that two high-dominance operators in a tight hierarchy will tend toward conflict?
- 8.
Ovitz's $140 million Disney severance became a cause célèbre about executive compensation. Does the memoir change how you think about whether he deserved it?
- 9.
What does the book say about loyalty in transactional industries — is it ever genuine, or is it always instrumental?
- 10.
Ovitz says his biggest mistake was leaving CAA. Do you believe him, or do you think the underlying dynamics that destroyed his Disney tenure would have eventually destroyed CAA too?
- 11.
What does the book suggest about the role of mystique in power? Once Ovitz became publicly visible and scrutinized, did that change his effectiveness?
How to run the discussion
- Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
- Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
- Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
- Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.
Themes worth steering toward
If the conversation stalls, these are the threads that usually restart it.
Common questions
What are good book club questions for Who Is Michael Ovitz??
Here are 11 book club questions for Who Is Michael Ovitz? by Michael Ovitz, ordered to open easily and end somewhere worth arguing about. The strongest openers ask what each reader noticed rather than what they concluded, and the discussion usually turns on power, hollywood, negotiation.
How long should a book club discussion of Who Is Michael Ovitz? last?
Most groups run 60 to 90 minutes of actual discussion. That is roughly six to eight questions, not all of them, so pick the ones that suit your group rather than working down the list in order.
What are the main themes in Who Is Michael Ovitz??
Power, Hollywood, Negotiation, Ambition, Betrayal. Those are the threads most likely to divide a room, which makes them the useful places to steer a discussion that has gone quiet.
Picking the next one? See books like Who Is Michael Ovitz? or questions for other book club picks.
