From memorable disasters such as New Coke, the XFL, and Tiger Woods’ marriage to less-remembered failures such as Yugo, Cop Rock, and Microsoft’s BOB, Worst Ideas Ever revisits history’s biggest blunders. Whether it’s a pop culture failure the likes of Dennis Miller’s disastrous run on Monday Night Football, a political one such as John Edwards’ odd decision to run for president while cheating on his cancer-stricken wife, or a technological misstep such as Apple’s Newton ...

Top Ten Things You’ll Learn When You Read This Book:Jay was beaten up by an MMA fighter on live televisionInterviewing Will Ferrell can be a harrowing experienceJay once ruined a perfectly good pair of underwear on Christmas EveFailing as a stand-up comedian can lead to a job in broadcastingJay ran a marathon to get a ticket for the 2010 men’s Olympic gold-medal hockey game

For 25 years, there's always been a home in Uncle John's Bathroom Reader for those times in life you wish you could take back--"oops" moments, embarrassing accidents, spectacular failures. Because we never get tired of reading about unfortunate accidents (as long as they're happening to someone else), here is a whole book of "the best of the worst," the troubling and funny stories of things got terribly awry. Read all about:* The little math error that took down a spaceship.* A sexy stimul...

The New York Times bestseller about two guys who went out for coffee and dreamed up Seinfeld—“A wildly entertaining must-read not only for Seinfeld fans but for anyone who wants a better understanding of how television series are made” (Booklist, starred review).Comedians Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld never thought anyone would watch their sitcom about a New York comedian sitting around talking to his friends. But against all od...

Uncle John channel-surfs through America’s favorite pastime: television.What does Homer Simpson call “friend…mother…secret lover?” Television, you meathead! Here comes your wacky neighbor Uncle John to present TV the way only he can. From test patterns to Top Chef, from My Three Sons to Mad Men, as well as TV news, advertising, scandals, sitcoms, dramas, reality shows, and yadda yadda yadda, Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Tunes into TV

In the executive offices of the four major networks, sweeping changes are taking place and billions of dollars are at stake. Now Bill Carter, bestselling author of The Late Shift, goes behind the scenes to reveal the inner workings of the television industry, capturing the true portraits of the larger-than-life moguls and stars who make it such a cutthroat business.In a time of sweeping media change, the four major networks struggle for the attention of Am...

Through the stories of gaming's greatest innovations and most beloved creations, journalist Harold Goldberg captures the creativity, controversy--and passion--behind the videogame's meteoric rise to the top of the pop-culture pantheon.Over the last fifty years, video games have grown from curiosities to fads to trends to one of the world's most popular forms of mass entertainment. But as the gaming industry grows in numerous directions and everyone talks about the advance of the mo...

Ruthless tells the explosive story of Jerry Heller's alliance with Eric Wright, aka Eazy-E, one of the legends of rap music and a founding member of N.W.A., "the world's most dangerous band." As a longtime music industry superagent, Heller had the skill and insight necessary to guide N.W.A.'s cometlike rise to the top of the charts. Along the way there were raucous nationwide tours, out-of-control MTV pool parties, and X-rated business meetings. Heller held on through the brutal s...

For the first time, Appetite for Self-Destruction recounts the epic story of the precipitous rise and fall of the recording industry over the past three decades, when the incredible success of the CD turned the music business into one of the most glamorous, high-profile industries in the world -- and the advent of file sharing brought it to its knees. In a comprehensive, fast-paced account full of larger-than-life personalities, Rolling Stone contributing editor Steve Kno...

From $10,000 tweets to making money in the afterlife, a recovering gossip columnist explores the business lessons that power the Hollywood Industrial ComplexWhy do celebrities get paid so much more than regular people to do a job that seems to afford them the same amount of leisure time as most retirees? What do Bush-era economics have to do with the rise of Kim Kardashian? How do the laws of supply and demand explain why the stars of Teen Mom are...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A witty, charming, and engaging dive into trivia’s colorful history, from America’s highest-earning game show contestant of all time and host of Jeopardy!“Insightful, informative, and written with a strong dose of humor and humility. . . . I loved this book.”—Will Shortz, crossword editor, The New York TimesKen Jennings is trivia’s undisputed king—and as he traces his rise from anonym...

In this memoir, the charming TV host shares funny yet poignant stories from his life and career, plus his secrets to staying calm on & off camera.Tom Bergeron, Emmy Award–winning former host of Dancing with the Stars and America's Funniest Home Videos, has always been ambitious, driven, and charming. However, as a young man, he had an enemy that posed a serious threat to what otherwise would have been guaranteed success—a bad temper. His family and...