Thanks for checking out our giveaway on the must-read book for Television buffs… Seth Shapiro’s book TELEVISION: Innovation, Disruption & The The Story of the World’s Most Powerful Medium.

We recently spoke with Seth about why he wrote this book and here’s what he had to tell us…

“So much of the most interesting parts of working in media are the behind the scenes stories you hear. When I started teaching at USC about five years ago, I was really surprised to find that there was no book that summarized all the amazing stories of how television went from a crazy techno-geek fantasy to the most powerful medium int he world. I thought— and still think— that the most interesting stories in any medium are the stories of the people who created that medium and pushed it forward. So that’s what I decided to write about.”

Of course, we wanted to know which story he felt most fascinating out of his research that he could share with us…

“There were several. The story of David Sarnoff, who arrives in America as a destitute kid who doesn’t speak English, and becomes THE mogul of his era— like Gates, Jobs, and Jack Welsch combined. Lucille Ball is basically and fading B movie actress who bets her future on television, and then with Desi, more or less reinvents it— then goes on to be one of the dominant Hollywood studio owners of her time. She essentially goes back to the studio she worked at (RKO) and buys it— then later sells if for 17x what she paid for it. I also love the stories of Johnny Carson, Bill Paley, Walt Disney, Nixon and Roger Ailes…there are a lot of them.”

We asked Seth about why television is so important to us today and he told us…

“Because what’s happened before will all happen again. The impact of TV on everyday life is the best roadmap for how life in the future will be remade by the continued growth of the Internet and mobile, and by virtual and augmented reality.”

We’ve heard some pundits say television is over because of the on-demand and streaming options, why do people miss the point that this medium as powerful as it is today and Seth told us…

“It depends on how you define “television”— but ultimately TV is video shot in one place and then viewed in another place. The term itself means “remote seeing”. I don’t see that ever going away.”

Finally, we asked him what he sees television holding for us in the future… and he told us….

“It will continue to evolve and morph into other things. The old forms of TV will recede a bit, but the new ones will affect life even more than the previous ones.”

Want to enter to win one of three copies we are giving away through Amazon?

We think this is one of the best books out there to read if you’re a fan of pop culture, history and of course, television.

You’ll learn more about …

• How an impoverished immigrant became the king of all media, creating the first radio network and the first TV network
• Why the inventor of FM radio to jumped out of a window to his death
• How NBC, CBS and ABC innovates to build their media monopolies
• How Star Trek created the first fan culture movement
• What The Mary Tyler Moore Show was the first great feminist show, and #1 hit
• How Norman Lear became the most influential TV comedy producer ever
• How Lucille Ball went from a washed-up B movie actress to a multi-millionaire Hollywood studio mogul
• What made Louis C.K. the Jackie Gleason of the digital age
• and MORE!

Enter for a chance to win one of three of the “TELEVISION: Innovation, Disruption and the World’s Most Powerful Medium Volume 1”  books we are giving away today! It’s easy, go to Amazon by following this link!

Can’t wait for our giveaway to end? Get the book today at Amazon.

About Seth Shapiro

Two-time Emmy® Award winner Seth Shapiro is a leading advisor in business innovation, media and technology. He has worked with many of the most innovative players in the world, including Disney, Comcast, DIRECTV, Intel, IPG, NBC, Showtime, RTL, Telstra, Universal, Slamdance Studios, Goldman Sachs, government bodies, NGOs and a wide range of new ventures around the world. Shapiro is an Adjunct Professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, a Governor of the Television Academy, and a member of its Executive Committee. He has served as a frequent Expert Witness, including before the FCC, and has been quoted in outlets including The Economist, The New York Times. The LA Times, CNBC, The Boston Globe, Bloomberg, The Associated Press, PBS and The Daily Mail UK. As Head of Production at DIRECTV Advanced Services, he launched over 25 services, including TiVo by DIRECTV, the world’s first major DVR platform. “TELEVISION: Volume 1″ is the first of a series that will cover broadcast, cable , online video, Over the Top services, and virtual and augmented reality. Shapiro sits on the Annenberg Research Council and the Producer Guild’s New Media Council. He is a Magna cum Laude graduate of New York University and was Adelbert Alumni Scholar at Case Western Reserve University. Find out more here http://sethshapiro.com/television-book/