What I Learned When I Almost Died, Chris Licht
What I Learned When I Almost Died, Chris Licht
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What I Learned When I Almost Died
How a Maniac TV Producer Put Down His BlackBerry and Started to Live His Life

Author: Chris Licht

Narrator: Chris Licht

Unabridged: 3 hr 1 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/15/2021


Synopsis

Equal parts Mitch Albom and Jerry Maguire, Chris Licht tells the tale of a brilliant career nearly cut short by a brain aneurysm—and how that near-death experience changed everything.

Chris Licht was a “killer” at his day job as the executive producer in charge of running MSNBC’s must-watch politics and morning news show Morning Joe. A thirty-eight-year-old control freak who thrived in the high-octane world of media, he had spent years sacrificing relationships with family and friends in the fiercely driven pursuit of his career. But that was before a brain aneurysm nearly killed him. Suddenly humbled, Chris is forced to recognize the richness of the life he nearly lost and to reckon with his family and career. This is a story of a man who nearly died—and found a way to remove what doesn’t matter and wound up more in love with his work and his family than ever.

What I Learned When I Almost Died brings to life the set of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, plunging into the competitive world of television and revealing all the egos and adrenaline it takes to create a popular cable TV political show. Licht also flings back the curtain to one of the nation’s most prestigious emergency rooms as his life hangs in the balance, detailing the extraordinary courage and professionalism it takes to bring him back from the edge.

About Chris Licht

Chris Licht is the recently appointed chairman and CEO of CNN Global. Previously the executive producer of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Licht was also vice president of programming at CBS News and the executive producer of CBS This Morning. Licht has also been the co-creator and original executive producer of Morning Joe—the popular daily morning show on MSNBC hosted by Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, and Willie Geist—as well as the executive producer on Scarborough Country. He lives in Manhattan with his family.


Reviews

Goodreads review by DJ on February 03, 2012

First and foremost, I would suggest this book for people looking to read something while on their commute; it would be a great book to read on a train or subway. I would also suggest people get this on loan from the library rather than make an investment in purchasing it. Despite the title, and the......more

Goodreads review by Anna on June 20, 2013

This book really spoke to me. Having been diagnosed with an aneurysm and undergoing surgery the following week myself this year, Chris' experiences really hit home with me. As a high school teacher and yearbook adviser, I take a lot of little criticisms to heart. I agonize over decisions, my student......more

Goodreads review by Ben on November 29, 2012

This is a sad and happy story. Sad for Chris Licht for having to go through such a horrendous illness, and happy because the knowledge he had gained from his unfortunate experience. His writing style is simple yet good, his language is common yet informative. The read is so quick and absorbing I'd a......more

Goodreads review by Barb on April 23, 2012

Loved it - a quick read, at 162 pages - a reminder of how precious life can be, and how illness can change our life, and those around us, in a second. The book is told with humour and honesty, and thank goodness, with a happy ending!......more

Goodreads review by Sarah on December 23, 2022

I didn't even know this book existed until I read the NYT piece the other day (12/18/2022) about Chris and his job as the new head of CNN. The book was mentioned in the article, and it was written a while ago, but I was intrigued about it. I have watched the Late Show with Steven Colbert, and knew t......more