David Rensin Books in Order

The name Bob becomes the basis for a playful survey of famous people, ordinary namesakes and supposed shared characteristics. Hairstyles, clothes and personality traits supply the jokes in a tongue-in-cheek examination of how a familiar name acquires its associations.

Fictional talk-show host Larry Sanders examines his career, relationships, addictions and rivalries in an imagined autobiography. Fact and invention mingle as the character’s private world blurs with that of his creator, revealing the insecurities behind a public entertainment persona.

Hollywood manager Bernie Brillstein recalls a career involving major performers and productions, from John Belushi to Jim Henson. Behind-the-scenes stories connect personal relationships with the negotiations and decisions that helped shape television comedy and popular film.

Olympic runner and wartime bombardier Louis Zamperini survives a Pacific plane crash only to face weeks adrift and imprisonment in Japan. His memoir follows the physical and psychological struggle to endure captivity while his family refuses to accept reports of his death.

Interviews with entertainment industry insiders trace the path from agency mailroom jobs to positions of power. Ambition, humiliation, opportunity and exploitation shape an oral history of the trainees who learned Hollywood’s rules while performing its least glamorous work.

Yanni traces his journey from a self-taught childhood pianist in Greece to an internationally known composer and performer. Creative ambition, industry resistance, depression and personal relationships shape a memoir about building a musical career outside familiar commercial categories.

Producer and manager Bernie Brillstein distills fifty years in Hollywood into lessons about judgment, relationships and professional survival. Personal observations connect the entertainment business with broader questions about recognizing talent, forming opinions and distinguishing temporary popularity from lasting quality.

Miki Dora’s influence on surfing extends from Malibu’s crowded waves to years spent avoiding authorities abroad. Interviews with friends, rivals and family construct a portrait of a charismatic rebel whose devotion to the sport coexisted with deception, restlessness and controversy.

Hollywood agent Sam Haskell reflects on promises to his mother that shaped his conduct from childhood through an entertainment career. Family memories and professional crises test his effort to preserve honesty, faith and self-respect within a business associated with ruthless ambition.

Therapist Brandy Engler finds that men dominate the calls to her new sex-therapy practice. Accounts of their sessions challenge her assumptions about desire, vulnerability and intimacy, while her own relationship difficulties complicate the distance between professional understanding and personal experience.

Louis Zamperini draws lessons from a life encompassing athletic achievement, war, captivity and spiritual renewal. Memories of hardship and recovery support reflections on perseverance, humor and the values that helped him build a meaningful life after extreme adversity.