Promises I Made My Mother

by Sam Haskell

What would my mother say? How would she want me to handle this situation? How can I make this tough decision and stay true to myself?

What would my mother say?

Sam Haskell still asks himself these questions every day.

When Haskell was young, his devoted mother, Mary, instilled in her son the values of character, faith, and honor by setting an example and asking him to promise to live his life according to her lessons. He did, and those promises have served Haskell consistently from his Mississippi boyhood to his long career at the venerable William Morris Agency in Beverly Hills.

In this inspiring memoir full of touching stories and amusing anecdotes, Haskell reveals how he kept his pledge to his mother to live a decent life–even in the shark-infested waters of Hollywood, where he handled the hottest stars and packaged the highest-rated shows–by refusing to become the cliché of an amoral agent. Here is Haskell as a child in Amory, Mississippi (pop. 7,000), discovering the power of hope as he waits for an unlikely visit from the “Cheer Man” (a representative of the detergent company who gave ten dollars to anyone using the brand), learning humility after pursuing an eighth-grade “Good Citizenship” award he cockily assumed he’d win, confronting the complications of human character when a near-fatal car crash exposed his judgmental father’s true nature.

Years later, in Hollywood, Haskell would rely on his mother’s teachings–honesty, self-reliance, and belief in God–as he swiftly rose from the William Morris mailroom to eventually become the company’s Worldwide Head of Television. His capacity for friendship and his insistence on living his version of the Golden Rule (being “thoughtfully political”) allowed him to handle various client crises and the tense negotiations that nearly scuttled the last years of Everybody Loves Raymond and the entire existence of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Haskell has achieved success through self-respect, and from his story we learn how we, too, can maintain our dignity when faced with life’s challenges. This stirring memoir is a testament to mothers everywhere who instill in their sons the lasting values they need to become good men and devoted fathers.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Laura]

the book was not so bad...but it was just live a good life....be a nice person...and your life will turn out well...how nice..

[Nancy]

I’m once again bucking the general rating trend. This time my four stars are higher than average. I don’t know how this came to be on my To Read list but in my effort to reduce that list this title popped up. Sam Haskell was as unknown to me as Joe Blow. One of the criticisms for this memoir is that the book is egocentric; in one way or another aren’t all autobiographies Andrew memoirs? Yes there is name dropping but that is his world. More than the “star” gossip appeal I found Haskell’s mother the “star” of this book. How fortunate he was to have be nurtured by the love and wisdom of this mother!

[Bill Zappone]

I recommend this book. Sam Haskell narrated his own which made the listening more enjoyable. Awesome story.

[Tanya]

Holding onto a dream is valuable - as well as nurturing a child's ability to dream and work for those dreams to come true.

"I learned a very valuable lesson about the power of believing in a dream no matter how impossible it seems. Any thing is possible. Everything my mother taught me, and everything that I promised to always strive for, is built on the idea that you should never give up on your dreams. And if your dreams come true, it just confirms and strengthens your faith for the next one."

In keeping with my philosophy that what you do, you become, this paragraph resonated with me...
"You are what you do. When a situation can go either way, having faith might just be that little bit of extra focus and energy and action it takes to make your dreams come true." Also, "It always pays to believe that good things can happen....I have to believe there's always hope."

So the promises he made to his mother are expanded upon in each of the chapters, but to list them and have a sense of the remainder of the book:
* share your blessings
* have faith in yourself
* be kind
* find something to believe in
* treat every one (high or low) the same
* be a strong and fair parent
* never stop dreaming
* be a good friend
* keep God at the center of your life
* maintain your character and integrity
* be trustworthy
* live every day to the fullest
* always pick up a penny for good luck
* have a wonderful life
* never forget how much [your parents:] love you

[Dirk]

it's as if Horatio Alger lived in late 20th Century America. Sam Haskell's story is just that -- he pulled himself up buy his own bootstraps to rise from a difficult childhood in rural Mississippi to become one of the top TV agents in Hollywood. Sam is such a classy guy, and he always gives credit to others for his achievements. He describes his upbringing and his mother's love and her ability to build his self esteem a sweet, old-fashioned way. There were lot's of aphorisms, expressions and messages in the book that i have adopted for use with my family. It's hard to believe this book was written in 2008/09, it has such an early 20th Century feel to it.

[Marca]

Memoir of a Hollywood powerhouse who rose from modest beginnings in Mississippi. Sam was laser-beam focused on Hollywood from a very young age and succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. He credits his mother for teaching him to always be true to himself and to be a good and moral person. Although it seems to go against everything we hear about Hollywood and corporations in general, Sam believes his success is because he lives a clean and moral life. He seems like a decent guy. Comes off in the book as a bit self-congratulatory, but stories about his rise through the ranks and his encounters with Hollywood royalty and actual royalty (Queen of England royalty) are fun and interesting.

[deLille]

Interesting to read about the life of a Hollywood agent who somehow managed to keep his values through it all. However, his life is not as gilded as the cover of the book would have you believe. He deals with life's disappointments, pain and betrayals by keeping a smile on his face and using his pen as his sword. "I love you Dad! Thanks for trampling all over dear sweet Mom, taking up with that yellow-rosed hussy, and suing your own son over Mom's estate before her body had even turned cold. I love you, man!"

[Sue]

While this is far from great literature, I'm giving it 4 stars because I was taken by the examples of lessons the author learned from his mother. They were a good refresher course for me in how to better interact with those I love and with all around me. Plus, it was sort of fun to read about what goes on behind the scenes in Hollywood.

[Femmy]

I read it to page 7, plus the Foreword from the NonFiction Book Club. It seems like an interesting, inspirational book.

[Margaret]

I made myself finish listening. It was just an okay book. I'm not sure this is the best title for this book. Should maybe be bragging rights about my life.

[Jean]

It is the life of Sam Haskell. Interesting reading and easy enough to read. Just one man's life and how he made it to the top of his profession.