This book has been floating around the office for a bit, and I finally got my grubby paws on it. It details ESPN's creation and rise to the pervasive cultural force it is today. It was fascinating to read about how and why the company culture developed into the one that exists today.

The book covers founder Bill Rasmussen's struggle to grow his idea for an all-sports cable channel into a reality. It details how Rasmussen obtained $10 million from Getty Oil as seed money in exchange for 80% of the company, and how he was shortly forced out thereafter. Key hirings and their impact on ESPN are described, along with several problems (notably sexual harrassment charges and underpaid Production Assistants) the organization has dealt with since its inception in 1979.

The Uncensored History has interviews with many of the key players that helped make ESPN what it is today. It's fascinating both from the perspective of providing insight on how such an organization came to exist and thrive in 20 or so years, and from that of learning about the company's entertaining history. For example, I did not grow up watching ESPN (it wasn't available in Canada), but this book made me wish that I was around when Keith Olberman and Dan Patrick were making history with their genius 11pm SportsCenter broadcasts.

It's well worth a read if you are interested in company building or in sports media.