There are a lot of books out there on how to achieve job satisfaction and get ahead in the business world, but few are from the viewpoint of someone with a front row seat in the always-elusive entertainment industry.  That’s what I found interesting about Danielle Weinstock’s Can This Elephant Curtsy on Cue?.

A Hollywood producer, Danielle has worked on thirty television shows or feature films such as Weeds, 24, The Agency, White Fang, Crossing Jordan, and Fantasy Island. She also wrote the documentary A Song's Best Friend: John Denver Remembered, which aired on PBS, and is a member of the Producer's Guild of America (PGA) and the Director's Guild of America (DGA).

Can This Elephant Curtsy on Cue? is a fascinating look at life on a film set, where producers must daily contend with temperamental wildlife, unattainable demands, and stringent budgets.  Weinstock provides an insider’s view on how movies and television shows are made, and uses her hilarious and sometimes cringe-worthy anecdotes to extend the entertainment world’s lessons to other fields.  The book offers guidance for working with difficult people, coping with sexual harassment, managing complicated scenarios, and making appropriate financial decisions.  

Given that Weinstock survived the Hollywood jungle and was able to claim a successful, two-decade career in it, her perspective is intriguing and invaluable.