Walt Disney - Neal Gabler

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⭐ 9.0/10

(Originally written by Joseph)

This was another classic Overdrive download that I was somewhat interested in, but far less so when I realized it was another mammoth 35 hour audiobook. I was just interested enough after going through the first few hours to renew it when I ran out of time, but I'm really happy I did. The book was probably too long, but my goodness the guy did so much and made such an impact on American pop culture that you really can't do his life justice if told quickly.


I ended up spending my lunches watching old Mickey Mouse cartoons to better understand the context and grew to love the style and it kinda made me nostalgic for a time way before mine. I was also super intrigued by what an innovator Walt was, always trying new things and pushing the limits of cinema forward. This, as well as his obsession with perfection and quality above a desire for money and stability reminded me a lot of Steve Jobs, both guys who changed their fields. Then like Steve Jobs, he broke ground on a completely different field with Disney Land and revolutionized theme parks as well. Really great stuff.


I can't recommend such a big book to anyone who doesn't love biography or Walt Disney, but I do think he was incredibly fascinating, complex and influencial to the degree that most of the entertainment we consume had his fingerprints on it somehow without us knowing.

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