Smartest Guy In The Room

Early in the book, Zappia tells a story about a family from the Midwest who visited Hollywood in hopes of seeing a live taping of "All in the Family." Unable to get tickets, they were left standing outside the studio. Zappia brought them into the editing room, and not only did they watch the taping on his monitors, but they learned from an Emmy winning editor how one of the best shows in history was put together. Zappia does the same for the reader, taking us from the old days of cutting tape with a razor blade to the latest non-lineal digital systems. It's a fascinating journey, and along the way he shares anecdotes from TV shows we've all come to love, from "Who's the Boss" to "Rosanne" to "Home Improvement," to name just a few. By telling his personal story, Zappia edits heart, humor and wisdom into the history of an art form that too many people take for granted.

When I first sat down to start reading this book, I expected it to be another somewhat boring technical manual. What a surprise! The book takes us from author's humble beginnings through his 35 years in the videotape editing field. He went from no knowledge of editing to being the very best in the field. It was so interesting to read the stories of the stars he worked with and how his clients followed and moved with him as he progressed in his career. He showed us that although you are considered the best, you can always learn from others. Even though this book may have been written to help guide aspiring young editors, the insight shared here will be an asset to anyone starting out in a new life.

I sat down to read a few pages before dinner. Before I knew it I had read the entire book. Fascination inside look at theEntertainment industry. He was a two time Emmy winner with years of experience and was able to handle all personality types and their egos. This guy was down to earth and does not give himself enough credit. He deserves much praise for his contributions to the technical side of this wonderful entertainment industry.I can honestly recommend this book to anyone.

I enjoyed learning about the various editing techniques while following the advances in technology over the time period covered. I was fascinated with the innovation and creativity and greatly impressed by Mr. Zappia's humbleness in working with many different personalities. His eagerness to try new things and help anyone who asked speaks volumes. I do feel the book should have been subtitled. "With Carole Ann at my back."

In the end, the cutting room floor is the worst place for a performance to end up. I doubt that Marco has ever left a moment there that the audience deserved to see. One of the most gifted and humble men in show business, Marco Zappia has put together a walk down memory lane that should be read and appreciated by anyone who cares about television.

I was lucky to have met and worked with Carole Ann and Marco. They were very nice to me and the words written so very true.A great account of a special time in Hollywood production and the technical movement to digital workflows today.Thank you and God bless you Marco.