“Living well is not the best revenge. Succeeding in your career and humiliating your critics is.” - Bill O’Reilly
Since The New York Times won’t review Bill O’Reilly’s books no matter how many copies they sell, I shall assume responsibility for this one!
I reread this set of personal memoirs a while back looking for career inspiration (believe it or not), and the above quote definitely re-energized me a bit. It should also resonate with anyone who sets out on a career path with something to prove, knowing that you are smart and qualified, and that you WILL get it together, critics be damned. In fact, the title of the book comes from a nun’s response to a very young Bill in middle school after a wise-crack remark by him: “William, you are a bold, fresh piece of humanity.”
Indeed, Sister. Indeed.
Mr. O’Reilly got the idea for his cable news program, The O’Reilly Factor, during a down period in between jobs in the broadcasting business. At the time, even he wasn’t sure where he was headed professionally. I’m sure a lot of us monkeys have been through something similar, or are going through it now! And if not now, then at some point in the future.
But many critics and others he talked to about his idea thought they knew exactly where was headed: nowhere. “Everybody knew” there was no way you could win by being aggressive and confrontational on television. “Everybody knew” the big established networks like CNN and CBS would crush anybody in a ratings war. “Everybody knew” he had no shot at success. Even his parents didn’t really share his go-getter mindset; they came of age during the Great Depression and weren’t exactly on board with someone rocking the boat or causing trouble.
Fast forward more than 15 years later, and The O’Reilly Factor is the most watched and acclaimed cable news program by a considerable margin. Even if you personally disagree with Mr. O’Reilly’s approach and political philosophy, he took a shot and created something through hard work--but even by his own admission, he made plenty of mistakes. Those mistakes, and triumphs, are collected here in his personal memoirs of growing up, going to school, establishing a career, and eventually obtaining true success.
The author doesn’t usually tell personal stories on the air or in his other books, but here he lays out the defining life experiences that shaped his worldview and demonstrate why he is...well, the way he is. You might even share a few common experiences! The chapter titles have big subjects: “Fear,” “Politics,” and “Saving the World” among them. They are all things we need to think about.
You’ll hear about how he overcame professors’ objections to get into a London study abroad program, bulled his way through winter brutal football practices, dealt with a hyper-political, paranoid office environment, encountered class warfare at his high school, witnessed merciless bullying of a fellow classmate, and evaluated some of the richest, most powerful people in the world.
It’s all here, and you’re left with a clearer understanding of just how rough the ride to success can be. But there are plenty of laughs as well, including a story about Club Med during its heydey that involves the humiliation of a bunch of Frenchmen in a game of water polo.
What is actually surprising is that O’Reilly doesn’t actually recommend we follow his brash approach to careers, at least not 100% of the way. “Don’t be like me,” he seems to say, and it’s hard to tell if he’s being sarcastic. Regardless, when you’re done with this entertaining and thought-provoking trip down the bold, fresh guy’s memory lane, it’s like reading a long WSO Success Story: “Wow, if he could do it, so can I.”
And I’m sure he would agree wholeheartedly.
Read up, monkeys!
Monkey’s Review 1: Barbarians At the Gate
Monkey’s Review 2: The Financier
Monkey’s Review 3: Decision Points
Monkey’s Review 4: Debunkery
Monkey’s Review 5: When Genius Failed
Monkey’s Review 6: Monkey Business
Monkey’s Review 7: Death Of The Banker
Monkey’s Review 8: A Journey
Monkey’s Review 9: Damn It Feels Good To Be A Banker
Monkey’s Review 10: The Quants
Monkey’s Review 11: All About Hedge Funds
Monkey’s Review 12: The Unlikely Disciple
Monkey’s Review 13: Adventure Capitalist
Monkey’s Review 14: The Hedge Fund Book
Monkey’s Review 15: Investing In Hedge Fund of Funds
Monkey’s Review 16: Hilarity Ensues
Monkey’s Review 17: The Prince
Monkey’s Review 18: Markets Never Forget (But People Do)
Monkey’s Review 19: The Money Culture
Monkey's Review 20: An Empire of Wealth
Monkey's Review 21: The New Tycoons
That's because it's not news. It's comedy. CNN and CBS are not fair comps for The O'Reilly Factor. Better comps would be something on Comedy Central, like The Daily Show or The Colbert Report. I would say MADtv, but they stopped making new episodes in 2009.
Thank god for that. I can't take O-Reilly seriously, if you consider yourself a professional and you yell over people you disagree with and call them "pin heads", you've lost my interest. It's working for him though... I guess.
Which is why you should read his book and find out how he did it. :)
Bill O'Reilly himself doesn't claim that it's news. He calls it news commentary--in other words, opinion. Of all the commentators on during prime time, he's one of the best in trying to present both sides. He's definitely a conservative, but I've observed his evolution over the last 12 years or so watching him--he is not a bomb thrower and he's really made an effort to get both sides on the program. He's usually pretty polite, too. There's a far cry between Bill O'Reilly and Keith Olbermann.
hahaha it is "news commentary"...o'reilly is dumb irish trash
That would be news to Colbert and Stewart. I'm sure they're kept awake at night by the thought that they have to compete against Bill O'Reilly.
Comedy Central is a complete joke. The second someone references The Daily Show I automatically tune out. Go pick up The Economist or read the BBC. Daily Show is about laughs and comedy. John Leibowitz is a comic and nothing else.
And O'Reilly is news commentary. At a whole other level than Joke Central is.
Stewart you mean? And no shit its comedy and not news...It's on comedy central.
I think that's the point that he was getting at... that O'Reilly is a joke.
And honestly, O'Reilly and Stewart are like vitriolic best buds when they're on each other's show. Even though they disagree on almost everything politically, I think there's a genuine level of respect there. Having more people respect you rather than like you is pretty nice.
I hear ya mayne. It's like O'Reilly is the yin to Stewart's yang. They both respect each other as entertainers. I give them both credit for that.
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