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To Pixar and Beyond: My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History Hardcover – November 1, 2016

by Lawrence Levy (Author)

94 customer reviews

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An AMAZON BEST BOOK of 2016 in BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP

A top pick on FORTUNE’S FAVORITE BOOKS LIST for 2016.

A 2017 AXIOM AWARDS SILVER MEDALIST in Business Memoir & Biography

The never-before-told story of Pixar's improbable success.

“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.

To Pixar and Beyond: My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Enchanting...What makes Mr. Levy’s contribution so insightful is not that he plows old ground in greater depth but that he uses his personal story as vehicle to add a new dimension...Mr. Levy’s ability to remain calm and clear-eyed in the face of singular personalities and business challenges translates into a crisp, even elegant, narrative...The power of Mr. Levy’s writing and the success of his management at Pixar are both grounded in the same personal quality that is evident from the earliest pages of To Pixar and Beyond: humility.”
—New York Times

“A lovely and surprising discourse on topics business books rarely touch. Levy is a rare humanist in the world of finance and technology. In describing the pre-IPO, pre-Toy Story Pixar, he captures the fragile and wonderful workplace dynamic anyone who loves their (difficult) job can appreciate... Reading how Levy played go-between is eye-opening and inspiring... This delightful book is about finance, creative genius, workplace harmony, and luck... That’s a lot for one volume by a first-time author with a legal and financial background covering exceedingly well-trod material... Life obviously is about more than business, but few books discuss both so well.”
—Fortune

"Revealing and humanizing ...[A]n epic tale of Levy’s quest to balance the competing interests of the quiet artists and technologists who created Toy Story and the mercurial entrepreneur who controlled their professional fates.” -FortuneFavorite Books of 2016

"[T]here is still an irresistible attraction to the story of Pixar, the little animation studio that could. Lawrence Levy turns it into a charming, upbeat tale – much like one of Pixar’s animated features.” –Financial Times

"A natural storyteller, Levy offers an inside look at the business and a fresh, sympathetic view of Jobs."

—Success Magazine

“Levy has written a fascinating look at one of the most innovative companies of the early 21st century.”
—Publishers Weekly

"A detailed and fascinating peek behind the curtains at Pixar before it became one of the most successful film studios in history.” --Cult of Mac

"Levy is an affable guide who writes with clarity... his account of the inner workings of the company, and the personalities that shaped it into what it has become, is an informative and engaging read."
—Shelf Awareness

“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 Sorkin in The New York Times

“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

“To Pixar and Beyond is a finely sketched insider’s account of the hard-fought success of a pathbreaking company. Lawrence Levy goes surprisingly and refreshingly deep on the business details behind Pixar’s creative achievements. He also shows an intimate side of Steve Jobs that will delight the mercurial businessman’s many admirers.”
—Adam Lashinsky, Assistant Managing Editor of Fortune Magazine and author of Inside Apple

“Lawrence Levy, a former top exec at Pixar, tells the inside story of how a struggling computer animation company became one of the greatest entertainment organizations of all time. To Pixar and Beyond is part business book and part thriller—a tale that’s every bit as compelling as the ones Pixar tells in its blockbuster movies. It's also incredibly inspirational, a story about a team that took big risks and reaped the rewards. This is a must-read book for anyone who cares about corporate culture and wants to learn how to build a business, as well as everyone who loves Woody, Buzz, and all of the other beloved Pixar characters. I loved this book and could not put it down.”
—Dan Lyons, bestselling author of Disrupted

"Levy’s book offers a detailed and fascinating peek behind the curtains at Pixar before it became one of the most successful film studios in history… The book paints an intimate, very human portrait of Jobs, one at odds with more facile accounts of his career. It’s all very relatable."
—Cult of Mac

"With rich clarity and detail, Levy recounts Pixar’s humble beginnings and astronomical success... Even if the world of finances, business and stocks is alien to the reader, To Pixar and Beyond is a thoroughly engaging and fascinating read. This is attributed to Lawrence Levy’s personable and warm tone. A deep sense of humility characterizes his reflections. This book is an excellent resource for anyone who wishes to learn more about Pixar’s history and the overlooked people responsible for its breakthrough success. Levy also makes a case for how necessary practicality is to a company like Pixar. Just as technology can be wedded to art, so too can business."
—Pixar Planet

About the Author

LAWRENCE LEVY is a Silicon Valley lawyer and executive hired by Steve Jobs in 1994 as CFO and member of the Office of the President of Pixar Animation Studios. He 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. He then 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, England, he earned degrees from Indiana University and Harvard Law School. He lives with his wife, Hillary, in Palo Alto, California.

Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 1st edition (November 1, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0544734149
ISBN-13: 978-0544734142
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 94 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #342,686 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #103 in Books > Business & Money > Industries > Sports & Entertainment > Entertainment
- #205 in Books > Arts & Photography > Graphic Design > Animation
- #446 in Books > Arts & Photography > Other Media > Film & Video

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Top customer reviews

A business thriller with heart

ByGlen D. Allporton November 4, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Well written, full of humanity, and hard to put down, To Pixar and Beyond is an engaging read. I was surprised at the number of obstacles Levy and Pixar needed to overcome on the way to success. This one immediately shouldered aside the five or six other books I had open in my Kindle app; highly recommended, and not just for those interested in business.

0Comment 8 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

An engrossing look into the turn-around of a beloved animation studio, from the former CFO's point-of-view

ByAlex Borellion December 14, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

"To Pixar and Beyond," a parody of the famous line "To infinity and beyond" from Pixar's "Toy Story," is an engrossing look into the years in which Pixar grew from a struggling TV commercial and technology company (specifically the Academy Award-winning Renderman software) to a computer animation company worth over $1.5 billion (now worth many times that!). Lawrence Levy's book focuses on his years as CFO of Pixar and his and Steve Jobs' (as well as a slew of other legal personnel's) efforts to turn around the struggling Richmond Point-located company, from figuring out how much money would have to be reserved for each portion of the movie production process to steps toward Pixar's IPO (including finding an investment banker and determining Pixar's worth), as well as decisions regarding whether to have Pixar continue selling Renderman software and producing TV commercials. Levy's account of his years at Pixar and his interactions with the owner of Pixar, Steve Jobs, is truly telling of the faith Levy, Jobs, and others had in the relatively unknown California company who would soon revolutionize the computer animation field (a form of animation that had until then not been used in feature-length films), as well as the effort and commitment that was put forth to help out a company where the people were absolutely brimming with artistic talent and passion for their product.

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

A very fun, readable, educational, and enlightning book.

ByCamp Runamokon November 4, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Lawrence Levy is to blame for my lack of sleep last week. This book was for me a real page turner, as Levy narrates his move to Pixar, and his involvement with Steve Jobs and the folks at Pixar to make the leap from a long struggling startup to a mega force in the entertainment world - a company that would change the world.

Levy has a very readable style of writing - casual, but not in a gee whiz sort of way that is all too common for insider books like this one - from non professional writers. Levy takes us behind the scenes of how Pixar was turned from a company with great potential in to the entertainment powerhouse of our generation. I knew a little about this from watching a DVD called Pixar Short Films Vol 1, but Levy provides so much more detail, particularly with regard to Steve Jobs (and his own) personal transformation through his involvement with Pixar, from both a creative and a business standpoint.

I've met Lawrence at several Juniper mediation events, but do not know him, so it was especially fun for me to read about his motivations and more recent personal transformation from hi-tech/entertainment executive to working to help found and fund the Juniper (juniperpath.org) organization. A big thumbs up for a great story and a great read.

11 comment 7 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Good Insight and Lessons n Strategic Simplification and Focus

ByT G Nelsonon December 14, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Levy's book is a good story with a hand full of important business take-a-ways. His simplification of the strategic needs of Pixar relative to establishing its future are great lessons. Additionally, their negotiations with Disney are another good lesson in facing both your opponents/partners/fears. Some additional insight into Jobs during a challenging stage of Jobs life.

And, like a lot of business books there are a few solid, life long lessons.

0Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

It was like I was there all over again

ByCharles H. Greene Jr.on November 13, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Lawrence Levy has truly written a gem about his time @ Pixar and beyond. Having worked @ the Investment Bank that took Pixar public made reading Lawrence's account about it as CFO extra special. It was like I was there all over again.

Describing his personal accounts of working with Steve Jobs, the ups and downs and finally success for Pixar made this book an incredible page turner.. It truly is an inspirational book for me and my entire family.

What I really enjoyed was when Lawrence insisted that his team be included in the credits for Pixar films! THAT was indeed remarkable.

I felt sad when I finished it because I wanted it to keep going. Going for a walk after reading it helped! ;>)

0Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Pixar required much more than a good story to survive

ByDanielon November 15, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

A great book telling you so sometimes need boring people as they help you get the lifeline of a funding or translate your pixie dust to a molecular structure to be well received by the investors.

Where past books about Pixar storytelling or creativity tell us about the captivating process of what Pixar gives to the world, this completes the job of what the would gave back - in terms of hard-won results. Focus and ingenuity were what helped he team to escape the trap of mild business ventures, and primed their prime channel of genius to what they truly wanted to excel at: true creative process.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Insightful and Inspiring. A great read.

ByJWRon March 25, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This book is nothing short of incredible. As a student in business school who dreams of a future with the company, I was looking for a bit of spring break pleasure reading. I wasn't quite prepared for the ride that I was about to go on. Throughout Mr. Levy's account of Pixar's history, he had me laughing, excited, and periodically getting misty.
My only disappointment in the book was closing the cover for the last time. Reading "To Pixar And Beyond" felt like one of those amazing after-dinner conversations where all pretence falls to the side, and what you're left with are small lessons that deeply move you.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

This is not just a book, it is a movie

ByWONG CHIH HAOon November 14, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This book is more than just another book to read. Reading this book was like watching a movie. It has up and down. It brought me tears and great joy. Also just like movie, it has a meaning to it. Once started reading, I couldn't put it down. It brought me perspectives in so many levels. At the finale, it is the Middle Way.

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

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Most recent customer reviews

An above average book about how some of our greatest animated movies came to be

If you are a fan of Pixar - and who isn't - this is a fun and light read with good behind the scenes chatter about Steve Jobs and a lot of familiar films.Read more

Published 2 months ago by Robert Moore

Stellar Synthesis of the heart...Bravo!

I wish there were more than 5 Stars!!!!
This book is an evolutionary link ...a shining example that the balance of profession and meaning and purpose can co-create and...Read more

Published 2 months ago by Elan Sun Star

A Wonderful insight into Steve Jobs's Dream-Project of advancing Computer Animation and how it came to be

First to say, I've previously read the bio about Steve Jobs and it was a wonderful, well detailed book about what made Steve Jobs tick and beyond being an SOB to work for due to...Read more

Published 2 months ago by Al A.

Well, what are you waiting for?

Bob:
“Well, what are you waiting for?”
Little Boy on Tricycle:
“I don’t know, something amazing I guess”

The Incredibles, 2004 Pixar

Over...Read more

Published 3 months ago by Amir

Super.

Nice.

Published 3 months ago by M. V. Dziak

Excellent book that talks about a side of enterpreunership not ...

Excellent book that talks about a side of enterpreunership not often focused. The link between everything that happened and the buddhist "middle way" is amazing!

Published 3 months ago by aragaobittencourt

10/10, Excellent.

I absolutely loved this book. It was well written and explained the starting up of Pixar very well. Being a admirer of Steve Jobs, it was good to read a book by someone else that...Read more

Published 4 months ago by Kelvin Eagleton

Interesting history of Pixar. The last part, his ...

Interesting history of Pixar. The last part, his spiritual awakening, was very weird and out of place; it came off as a sales pitch for his current venture.Read more

Published 4 months ago by MBochat

Stockholder

I really enjoyed the book, mostly because my husband and I were a stock holder a stock holder from the onset.Read more

Published 4 months ago by Gerry Mokry

Great read

As innovative a book as its subject. It tells a story of business plans and IPOs with drama and suspense.Read more

Published 4 months ago by Bill Lokke

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