Not The Man I Thought He Was
Monday, April 09, 2007, posted by Q6 at 11:01 PM
I just finished reading a biography of Walt Disney by Neal Gabler. It's the most exhaustive biography I think I've ever read--almost 25% of the book is endnotes, bibliography, and index. This is the third bio I've read about Disney, and I've come to realize that he was not the man I always thought him to be. Not only was he financially inept (I always thought he put the work over the money--which is true--but he genuinely didn't care about it at all, and almost lost the studio twice due to his oversight), but what I always perceived as a "love of people" wasn't really that at all. Yes, I've walked away from this book slightly disillusioned, but my perceptions about his pursuit of quality and of scale are still intact. He could also, at times, be something of a jerk--if reading biographies every now and then has taught me anything, however, is that each human being has that capability, and it shouldn't be assumed that anyone doesn't display that quality from time to time. From this book I've learned two things: even iconic figures such as Disney have their faults, dark days, and errors; and you can build a lasting empire from nothing, though it will take its toll in some things. Nothing revolutionary in either, but food for thought.
 
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