Jump In! : Even If You Don't Know How to Swim

Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable, is this really non-fiction?
Review: A life like that can only be headed in one direction, and that's Hollywood. Burnett's unexpected milestones from being a paratrooper then of all things, a Beverly Hills nanny, then to exotic shooting locales and signing incredible deals that every producer dreams of, it's no wonder that Burnett found his niche in the entertainment industry. JUMP IN, though a too-good-to-be-true testament of Mark Burnett's mantras and success, it even has the biggest pessimist start believing in that inspire and motivational hoopla. This pessimist has officially "jumped in".

Rating:
Summary: He can write too???
Review: Even the most skeptical critics can have a field day with a title like JUMP IN!, but Burnett surprisingly stands his ground with his storytelling translating naturally to print. After reading JUMP, Mark Burnett deserves to live this charmed life and has raised the bar of genuine merit for who in Hollywood is the most worthy of success. The man's got it all, done it all and if adventures define a man, then Burnett is a dictionary of character.
Throw in Trump, Stallone and Martha Stewart, well yeah, I'd write a book too.


Rating:
Summary: Jumping away is the better choice
Review: This book did not live up to it's billing. I got it primarily because of the expected insider accounts of "Survivor". Burnett didn't have anything to say about "insider" information regarding the first show and very little to say about any of the others. I learned more inside information about the survivors from a three-page interview with Jeff Probst I read recently.
Burnett does lather on self-laudatory remarks, and sucks up so obviously to Donald Trump and Martha Stewart it makes one think his lips are shaped like a vacuum cleaner.
If you want information about set decorating and negotiating the best deals for shows, this is the book for you. If you want what is promised in the write-up on the book jacket, jump away from this trite little money-maker that showcases an ego that knows few bounds.

Rating:
Summary: American Dream does exist
Review: Who knew Mark Burnett, TV's best producer of real-life stories, has the most surreal story line, straight from the pages of his own life. Burnett's journey to influence and respect in the most critical,challenging arena, the "industry", is vibrantly chronicled in JUMP IN! The access Burnett provides readers with is priceless and privileged: engaging them in a behind-the-scenes look behind tv's top-rated hits, the deals, and the surprisingly relatable interactions between the world's biggest names: Katzenberg, Spielberg, Trump, Stewart and now Burnett.
JUMP IN! reminds average joe readers that the path to success, when risky and paved with doubt, one must "jump in"; as Burnett is the true definition, the grass is greener on the other side.