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Reach: Hard Lessons and Learned Truths from a Lifetime in Television Audiobook
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“An immediate must-read.” — Forbes
One of the most daring, creative, and influential minds in nonfiction television, Arthur Smith draws on the most exciting moments of his pioneering career as a producer to show how far you can go when you reach for your dreams.
Arthur Smith is famous for his innovation and audacity, and as the man behind some of the longest-running unscripted series in television history. His groundbreaking hit Hell’s Kitchen forged the modern food competition reality genre, while his Emmy-nominated American Ninja Warrior has spawned a cultural movement, with Ninja-inspired gyms in every major American city.
In Reach, Smith shares adventures, triumphs, and hard-won lessons from his astonishing career, beginning with his unprecedented ascension from the ranks of sports production to become the youngest-ever head of CBC Sports. Never one to rest on his laurels, Smith moved from Canada to the United States to produce a wide variety of entertainment programming with his mentor, television icon Dick Clark. Years later, he spearheaded an entirely new approach to sports television at FOX Sports Net, helping to grow the fledgling business into a true industry powerhouse. In 2000, Smith made the biggest reach of his career with the launch of A. Smith & Co. Productions, which has produced over two hundred television shows on more than fifty networks. Across genres, formats, and platforms, Smith and his A. Smith & Co. team have earned a reputation for original, emotional, buzz-worthy, and deeply personal storytelling.
In these pages, Smith takes us behind-the-scenes of dozens of pivotal moments in sports and television history, ranging from the high-intensity control room at the Olympics to the development of The Titan Games with Dwayne (“The Rock”) Johnson. We learn about a show that never was with Donald Trump, as well as a super-far-fetched idea that became the bizarro-classic genre-buster I Survived a Japanese Game Show. Through winning anecdotes involving a disparate cast of famous characters, including Marlon Brando, Gordon Ramsay, Magic Johnson, Little Richard, Wayne Gretzky, Simon Cowell, and Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, Smith illustrates just how far you can go when you work hard, take risks, and reach for your dreams.
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“Smith’s genuine and down-to-earth tone makes this an optimistic and quick read. His ability to rise to the challenges that life presents is admirable. With humor and honesty, he leaves readers hopeful that no matter how easy it is to rest on laurels, it is important to continue to reach and unlock one’s full potential…Readers looking for a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the world of television production, as well as those searching for inspiration and motivation to pursue their own dreams, will enjoy this memoir. It’s a great addition to a collection looking to round out its entertainment section.”
— Library Journal
Quotes
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“Arthur Smith is a reality TV pioneer and maverick…His insight into TV is unmatched and you’ll learn so much in this book, just like I have over many years of Hell’s Kitchen.”
— Gordon Ramsay -
“Arthur’s story is the perfect read to inspire, entertain, and inform. A kid with an insatiable love of TV makes his dreams come true by not only becoming a giant in the industry but becoming a trailblazer for others.”
— Howie Mandel -
“Arthur says that he’s ‘not exactly a name-above-the-title kind of guy.’ But make no mistake: Arthur Smith makes the name-above-the-title guys…As a leader, a producer, and now an author, Arthur leads with heart and passion…He’s the kind of boss you hope to work for, and with Reach it becomes clear he’s the kind of writer you dream to meet. The ‘peeks behind the curtain’ that Arthur reveals in his memoir will prove particularly thrilling for TV enthusiasts, but the life lessons he shares are priceless gems that anyone with a dream will be grateful to have!”
— Zuri Hall, cohost of Access Hollywood and American Ninja Warrior -
“An absolutely fascinating and engaging book about the workings of the television and entertainment world by an insider who has led the field.”
— Robin Sharma, #1 worldwide bestselling author of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari and The 5 AM Club -
“I’ve been lucky to work with and learn from Arthur for almost a decade and a half, and I know that Arthur is, at heart, a storyteller. And his story gives you a front-row seat to how great television gets made while showing that ‘there’s more for you’ in life if you just Reach.”
— Matt Iseman, cohost of American Ninja Warrior -
“Hosting one of Arthur Smith’s many shows, American Ninja Warrior, I always thought that the competitors were the only ones that navigated through tough obstacles, until I read Reach. Arthur made so many reaches in his career, that it teaches you no dream is too big to reach for and succeed. Reach is an inspirational and relatable book that gives you the tools and the script for success personally and professionally. This book is an amazing read with an inside look at one of the most successful executive producers in entertainment.”
— Akbar Gbajabiamila, cohost of American Ninja Warrior and The Talk -
“Leaves readers hopeful that no matter how easy it is to rest on laurels, it is important to continue to reach and unlock one’s full potential.”
— Library Journal -
“Readers looking for a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the world of television production, as well as those searching for inspiration and motivation to pursue their own dreams, will enjoy this memoir.”
— Library Journal -
“Reach: Hard Lessons and Learned Truths from a Lifetime in Television will keep you entertained about the inside stories of working in the entertainment field. It will inspire you to reach for anything you too want to pursue. And, more importantly, it will inspire you to extend that reach to help others.”
— Forbes
Awards
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A Toronto Metropolitan University Pick of Buzzworthy Books by Alumni
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A Kobo Pick of Best Books of the Month in Biography/Memoir
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An Audible Pick of New Audio Releases
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A Sports Business Journal Pick of Page-Turners
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A Jewish Journal Pick of Featured Books
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A Jewish Book Council Pick in Memoirs
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A Film Stage Pick of Recommended Books about Filmmaking
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About Arthur Smith
Arthur Smith, the chairman of A. Smith & Co. Productions, is a pioneering veteran of nonfiction television, known for creating and producing some of the longest-running unscripted series in history, including Hell’s Kitchen and American Ninja Warrior. Smith was honored as one of Variety’s “Titans of Unscripted TV” in 2022, inducted into the Realscreen Awards Hall of Fame in 2021, awarded Broadcasting & Cable’s “Producer of the Year” in 2020, has been nominated for several Emmy Awards, and has received dozens of industry honors and awards. Smith embarked on his career in television as a 22-year-old wunderkind, talking his way into sports production at CBC in his native Canada. He quickly distinguished himself as a rising star at the network, where he produced three Olympic Games among countless other high-profile events. At the age of 28, Smith was named the youngest-ever head of CBC Sports. His successful run at the network ended when American broadcasting icon Dick Clark lured him to Hollywood to develop and produce a wide variety of entertainment programming. Then as the head of programming and production at FOX Sports Net, Smith played an instrumental role in the launch and growth of this massive entity, before the biggest reach of his life—the creation of his eponymous production company that has since thrived for more than twenty years and counting. Smith’s proceeds from this book support the REACH Foundation.