THE PIXAR TOUCH

 
Photo from Alex Van Mecl via InstagramUsed with permission

Photo from Alex Van Mecl via Instagram

Used with permission

A Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year

A Fast Company and Library Journal Best Business Book of the Year

The Pixar Touch chronicles the history and evolution of Pixar Animation Studios and the self-described “fraternity of geeks” that shaped it. Under computer graphics visionaries Ed Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith, former Disney animator John Lasseter, and youthful industrialist Steve Jobs, Pixar started as a computer hardware and software company, one that struggled financially for years. Yet it became the gold standard of animated filmmaking, beginning with short films made for marketing purposes in the 1980s all the way up through landmark features such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and others. David A. Price goes behind the scenes of the hardscrabble early years, the breakthroughs, and the later corporate feuding between Jobs and Disney’s Michael Eisner. And finally he explores Pixar's complex relationship with the Walt Disney Company as it transformed itself into the $7.4 billion jewel in the Disney crown.

WHERE TO BUY

Print: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Ebook: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Audio: Apple Books/iTunes | Audible | Google Play

REVIEWS

“Unprecedented detail about the notoriously press-shy company’s workings, a story that abounds with lessons for business people and creative artists alike.” — Wall Street Journal

“Price, the author of Love and Hate in Jamestown, a much lauded history of the Jamestown colony, successfully brings to life the band of animation enthusiasts behind Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles… . Full of fascinating characters, all struggling—in classic Pixar film style—to overcome seemingly impossible odds.”— BusinessWeek

“Price is a smart reporter and a solid writer… . As early as the 60s, when computers filled entire rooms and the rendering of even simple images took days, men like Catmull and Lasseter saw … something. For decades they followed promising animation research like surfers stalking tasty waves, took repeated wrong turns, risked their savings for the most abstract of dreams, stuck with it and ultimately brought us a brilliant run of animated movies… . This is an inspiring tale.” — The New York Times Book Review

“[An] excellent, readable account of Pixar’s early years.” — The Economist

“David A. Price records Pixar’s improbable fortunes with a deft touch and an eye for drama.” — The Onion (A.V. Club)

“An absorbing chronicle that functions not only as the history of an unconventional business but also serves as witness to the dawn of a digital revolution in mass entertainment.” — Newsday

“Well-crafted… . [Price tells] the Pixar story briskly and with great clarity.” — The Boston Globe

“This account of the ensuing 20 years, as Pixar evolved from a nervous-making money hole into a wealth-creating animation powerhouse, is remarkably thorough, covering corporate deals, tech developments, and script rewrites with equal care.” — San Francisco Magazine

“It’s a rags-to-riches story, a classic example of the cream rising to the top. And it’s as entertaining and heartwarming as, say, a Pixar movie. It’s The Pixar Touch, and its topsy-turvy, roller-coaster plot has all the thrills of a ride at Disneyland. In this unauthorized account of Pixar, David A. Price paints the most complete picture yet of the little studio that could. He talks to scores of insiders, Pixar colleagues and members of the ‘fraternity of geeks,’ true believers in the potential of the pixel to revolutionize animation. With the precision of a technical writer and the sensitivity of an artist, Price spins the story of the Pixar vision, its achievement, and its art.” — The Christian Science Monitor

“Take this informative page-turner with you on the next plane trip, and you may not care how shoddy airline service has become these days.” — Animation Magazine

“Brisk history of an entertainment juggernaut that is also the history of computer animation… . A heck of a yarn, full of vivid characters, reversals of fortune and stubborn determination.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A most fascinating and entertaining story of how a struggling little company overcame many odds to become a major Hollywood entity.” — Library Journal

“Price’s book is not only a fascinating and comprehensive account of Pixar’s evolution from a technology-focused hardware company to a digital animation company, it’s one of the best business books I’ve read. Price, a true historian, uncovers an enormous amount of detail about Pixar’s history for a fascinating journey.” — Peter Sims, author, Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge From Small Discoveries

“I have read a lot of stories about organizations over the years, especially about the success or failure of innovative organizations, but The Pixar Touch is one of the very best.” — Robert Sutton, Professor of Management Science and Engineering, Stanford School of Engineering

“It’s quite a story, and David Price has finally got it right, its details and the players. This is the definitive history of Pixar.” — Alvy Ray Smith, co-founder of Pixar