Person
Every book Michael Ovitz recommended on podcasts
Key facts
- Michael Ovitz has recommended or discussed 7 books on podcasts, as of August 9, 2026.
- Michael Ovitz has talked about books on 3 podcasts, as of August 9, 2026.
- Those books came up in 4 episodes, as of August 9, 2026.
- The 3 books Michael Ovitz has mentioned in the most episodes, as of August 9, 2026: Jurassic Park, Picasso's War and Dracula.
- The latest episode with a book mention from Michael Ovitz aired on August 9, 2026.
Updated
Across 3 podcasts. Every show Michael Ovitz appears on, in one place — not just one.
Michael Ovitz’s most recommended books
- Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
- Picasso's War by Hugh Eakin
- Dracula by Bram Stoker, Jack Kelly
- Shogun by James Clavell
- Tai-Pan by James Clavell
- The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
- The Cola Wars by J. C. Louis
Michael Steven Ovitz is an American businessman. He was a talent agent who co-founded Creative Artists Agency in 1975 and served as its chairman until 1995. Ovitz later served as president of The Walt Disney Company for 16 months, from October 1995 to January 1997. Across multiple podcast appearances with David Senra and on Invest Like the Best, Michael Ovitz discussed several books that shaped his understanding of history, entertainment, and creative discipline. He recommended Hugh Eakin's Picasso's War, noting that it fascinatingly details Abby Rockefeller and the women who founded the Museum of Modern Art. When discussing the origins of creative writing and entertainment, he reflected on reading a rough draft of Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park, while also highlighting Crichton's The Andromeda Strain and the suspenseful opening structure of Jurassic Park to illustrate how the author educated readers. Additionally, Ovitz mentioned James Clavell's novels Shogun and Tai-Pan to underscore Clavell's rigorous and disciplined writing routine, working six days a week from early morning until midday. Finally, he referenced Bram Stoker's Dracula to metaphorically describe his ongoing intellectual curiosity and drive to learn from younger people.
Books recommended by Michael Ovitz
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Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton is a science fiction thriller novel exploring the catastrophic dangers of cloning dinosaurs through biotechnology.
Discussed“It was fantastic to read Michael Crichton's rough draft of "Jurassic Park." It was a thrill, but it was a book, and there have been books since the invention of the printing press.”
Where to get it
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Picasso's War
Picasso's War by Hugh Eakin is a compelling historical account that details the fierce cultural and political battles surrounding the rise of modern art in the United States, anchored by the institutional fight for Pablo Picasso's masterpieces.
Recommended“If you read the book" Picasso's War," which is fascinating, I told you about it at dinner- - ...it talks about the Rock, about Abby Rockefeller, and the women that started MoMA.”
Where to get it
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Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 epistolary novel by Bram Stoker that chronicles the vampire's attempt to move from Transylvania to England and his subsequent conflict with Abraham Van Helsing.
Discussed“And you know, the original Dracula, the conceit of the story, the book, forget there was no movie in those days, the book was this constant quest for eternal youth, and you suck a young person's blood and it makes you young.”
Where to get it
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Shogun
Shogun by James Clavell is an epic historical novel set in feudal Japan that chronicles a complex web of political intrigue, cultural collision, and survival.
Discussed“So James Clavell, who wrote "Shogun" and "Tai-Pan," he would write every day from 7:00 in the morning till 12:30, hell or high water, six days a week.”
Where to get it
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Tai-Pan
Discussed“So James Clavell, who wrote "Shogun" and "Tai-Pan," he would write every day from 7:00 in the morning till 12:30, hell or high water, six days a week.”
Where to get it
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The Andromeda Strain
The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton is a classic science fiction novel about a deadly extraterrestrial microorganism that crashes to Earth and threatens humanity.
Discussed“Andromeda strain was like that. So many. Yeah. That was his trademark, which no one ever.”
Where to get it
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The Cola Wars
Discussed“we're getting hurt by pepsicola and bear in mind in the 80s and 90s there was a book written called the cola wars where these guys were fighting like cats and dogs for mark for market share”
Where to get it
Books Michael Ovitz wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Ovitz, Co-founder of CAA | David Senra | 2026-08-09 | 2 |
| Michael Ovitz, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) | David Senra | 2025-11-23 | 3 |
| Michael Ovitz - Knowledge Is Power - [Invest Like the Best, EP.359] | Invest Like the Best | 2024-01-09 | 3 |
| CAA (with Michael Ovitz) | Acquired | 2021-12-21 | 1 |
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“And then I kind of put a dash of Alexander Dumas, three musketeers on top of it all for one and one for all. Sounds trite, sounds stupid, but in 1974, 74, it worked.”
“The good news is we’ve got Cathy Kennedy, Steven Spielberg, and Michael Crichton with a detailed book that’s going to be a best-seller about dinosaurs, and we've got a screenplay and it’s going to cost this much money. Well, we own it, and you don’t. Now take those six to eight other studios that don’t get that phone call—they're not”