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by Jerry Weintraub
Premium summary · Opens in the app · 30 min read
Jerry Weintraub was not supposed to become Jerry Weintraub. He was born in Brooklyn in 1937 to a father who sold jewelry and a mother who sang opera. The family had no connections to Hollywood, no wealth, no inside track to power. What Jerry had was something else entirely. He had a kind of relentless energy that made people want to say yes to him, even when every rational instinct told them to say no.
**Author:** Jerry Weintraub with Rich Cohen
**Estimated Reading Time:** 45 minutes
**What You'll Learn:**
How a kid from the Bronx became one of the most powerful figures in entertainment history. The art of persistence that turns rejection into opportunity. Why relationships matter more than talent in any industry. How to package and sell anything, from a singer to a movie to yourself. The mindset that allows a person to reinvent themselves across five decades of success.
**Who This Book Is For:**
Anyone who has been told no and kept going anyway. Anyone who wants to understand how deals really get made. Anyone who believes that charm, persistence, and relationships can overcome a lack of credentials. Anyone who wants to learn from a man who lived at the center of American entertainment for fifty years.
Jerry Weintraub was not supposed to become Jerry Weintraub. He was born in Brooklyn in 1937 to a father who sold jewelry and a mother who sang opera. The family had no connections to Hollywood, no wealth, no inside track to power. What Jerry had was something else entirely. He had a kind of relentless energy that made people want to say yes to him, even when every rational instinct told them to say no. This book is the story of how that energy carried him from a cramped apartment in the Bronx to the highest reaches of show business. Along the way, he managed Elvis Presley, promoted Frank Sinatra, produced The Karate Kid, and assembled the cast of Ocean's Eleven. He became friends with presidents and movie stars. He made and lost fortunes. He reinvented himself so many times that even he lost count. But this is not a book about celebrity gossip or behind-the-scenes scandal. It is a book about how to live. Jerry Weintraub understood something fundamental about the world that most people never grasp. He understood that the world is not a meritocracy. It is not a system that rewards the most talented or the most deserving. The world rewards the people who show up, who keep showing up, and who refuse to take no for an answer. The title of the book comes from a line Jerry used throughout his life. He was a talker, a storyteller, a man who could fill a room with his voice. When someone asked him to be quiet, he would say, "When I stop talking, you'll know I'm dead." It was a joke, but it was also a philosophy. Life is about expression. It is about putting yourself out there, making your case, telling your story, and never shutting up until the job is done. What makes this book remarkable is its honesty. Jerry does…
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Get the complete summary in the appPersist. When the man says no, pretend you can't hear him.
Build relationships before you need them.
Talent alone is not enough. Package and sell it.
Say yes to opportunities that scare you.
Reinvent yourself when circumstances demand it.
Seek out mentors who have achieved what you want.
"When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead" is a strong fit if you want practical ideas around biography, memoir, business, especially themes like persist. when the man says no, pretend you can't hear him; build relationships before you need them. The MinuteRead summary distills these concepts into a focused read, whether you're deciding whether to buy the book or applying its lessons at work.
Motivated to help readers with if there's one piece of advice I can give to young people, Jerry Weintraub wrote “When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead” to package those ideas for a fast, focused read. In “When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead”, Jerry Weintraub focuses on if there's one piece of advice I can give to young people. Through “When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead”, Jerry Weintraub distills the core ideas on biography into lessons readers can absorb in a single short sitti…
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