A BOOK REPORT
The Insanity of Advertising by Fred S. Goldberg
I've been walking around with FRED S. GOLDBERG'S book, THE INSANITY OF ADVERTISING, lodged between my paws for a few days now. It's a great read. Piss and vinegar in literary form. Nice to see writing with some spontaneity, sandpaper, and real grit to it. Fred calls it like he sees it and sets the record straight on any number of fronts, from Apple's "1984" Super Bowl spot to Jay's deal-making acumen, AHEM. Imagine being shotgun-forced to buy your agency from the mother ship (Chiat/Day) and then building it to over 500 million in billings and doing it your way. I know I would have loved working for GMO, Brian, Mike, and the rest of the crew. Fred's book is no misty-eyed memoir, mind you. It's rife with hurdles and behind-the-scenes details that make you feel as if you're right there on the firing line. Fred spares no fools as an account guy and agency owner. He obviously cared deeply about the work, the people who made it, and the clients who paid to produce it. Loyalty has its rewards and it seems like a lot of people walked away from the agency with a nice piece of the pie.
Bravo, Fred.
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