Unplugged - by Tom Freston (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A freewheeling and riveting memoir from media honcho Tom Freston that takes us behind the scenes of his global adventures--from hitchhiking around the world, to running a clothing export company out of India and Afghanistan, to cofounding MTV, to becoming CEO of MTV Networks, then CEO of Viacom, then later returning to work in Africa and Afghanistan.

Tom Freston's path to the C-suite was decidedly non-traditional. After getting his MBA, he bartended his way through the United States and the Caribbean, sparking a lifelong passion for travel. After a brief stint on the fast track at an ad agency, he chucked it all and headed to the Sahara Desert and beyond. Entranced by India and Afghanistan, he stayed on for eight years and launched his first big success, Hindu Kush, a company that designed and manufactured contemporary clothing for export to America and other countries.

Freston's next chapter followed his other passion: music. He joined the small original team that launched MTV where he swiftly climbed the ladder, eventually overseeing not only MTV but also Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, VH1, CMT, and other iconic networks. He built a creative powerhouse that transformed global popular culture in cable's all-conquering heyday.

In this unique memoir of risk-taking, rule-breaking, and warm cultural exchanges, Freston shows how to be successful at living your life on your own terms.

Review Quotes

"Unplugged shows by example that trying to follow a straight line to success is not the only path." --Associated Press

"A CEO memoir that rocks." --Literary Hub

"This book is something different: a cheerfully optimistic look at the life and career of a man whose path to the business world was somewhat unconventional.... Music and pop-culture fans will appreciate Freston's account of the origins of MTV .... Freston is impressively self-aware.... An unexpectedly charming and self-effacing business memoir." --Kirkus

"This freewheeling debut memoir... is equal parts industry tell-all, escapist travelogue, and glittering glimpse into the golden age of music videos....It's a memorable ride." --Publishers Weekly

"Like a cat with nine lives, Freston charges through a drama-filled life, leaving counterculture entertainment sprawling in his wake... With pacing resembling a page-turning thriller...truly, there is never a dull moment.... A fun and fascinating memoir." --Booklist

"The latest in a recent run of must-read memoirs from media moguls, this book by MTV co-founder Tom Freston shares the story of how a peripatetic young man became one of the world's most influential creative thinkers, and the surprising lessons a career that went from bars to boardrooms taught him." --Town & Country

"Only Tom Freston could give us a magical evocation of the joys of travel--to Afghanistan, to Burma, to Mali and Morocco--while also sharing a front-seat view of life at the top of both Hollywood and MTV. He evokes foreign wonders with a vividness and precision I can only envy, and he shows us how a big-hearted and maverick spirit can throw open the most unexpected doors. Unplugged is pure delight--a history lesson, an adventure story and a handbook on how to succeed in business all at once." --Pico Iyer

"Lively, inventive, charming, and often exhilarating. An enjoyable telling of a life well lived." --Rory Stewart

"There is no table in the world where you would not want to be sitting across from Tom Freston. The man can turn a corporate boardroom into a juke joint. If I did not know this urbane cowboy so well, I would not believe half the stories in this remarkable book. Musicians, actors, and directors be warned: Tom Freston can dance us all off the stage." --Bono

"This is a brilliant business book wrapped inside of a wild adventure story. Funny, insightful, and filled with colorful characters, it tells the story of how Tom and his gang created MTV, built a multibillion-dollar company, and changed both the music and television business. He broke rules, took risks, made amazing friends, and had a hell of a ride, from Manhattan to Timbuktu." --Walter Isaacson

"Tom Freston had led the most enviable and enjoyable media career imaginable, shaping popular culture and influencing music taste like few other figures in recent times. He also knows how to tell a great story. The result is an extraordinary memoir, ranging across many cultural worlds and several continents. Freston has not just helped shape the modern media landscape; he has done so while remaining personally level-headed and likeable. Unplugged is as droll as it is revealing, as gossipy as it indiscrete and as warm as it is witty and wise." --William Dalrymple

"Tom Freston hasn't just lived life Unplugged--he's lived it full throttle. From designing and exporting clothes in India and Afghanistan to co-founding MTV and becoming CEO of Viacom, he broke the rules and made his own luck. This memoir takes you along for the ride as Freston comes of age during the Vietnam war and remains a central figure amidst some of the most important cultural influencers over the past fifty years." --Lee Woodruff

"Tom Frestons's Unplugged is the most thrilling rock & roll literary ride of this era, full of excitement and zany counterculture cool, spiced with his razor sharp observations and quick wit. The adventures never cease." --Fab 5 Freddy

About the Author

Tom Freston is a cofounder of MTV and the former CEO of Viacom, where he oversaw Paramount Pictures. After launching a successful clothing export company out of Afghanistan and India, Freston transitioned into the media landscape, helping found MTV and bringing it to international fame in more than 150 countries. Before his Viacom roles, he ran MTV Networks for seventeen years, overseeing Nickelodeon, VH1, Comedy Central, and other legendary networks. He is a board member of Imagine Entertainment and a board member emeritus of both the American Museum of Natural History and the think tank New America. He currently serves as Board Chair of The ONE Campaign, an anti-poverty advocacy organization focusing on Africa.