885: Ramin Setoodeh, Author of Ladies Who Punch

“When Barbara Walters was in her 30s and 40s, her father was a nightclub owner and he gambled away his family’s fortune on these investments and as a result of that, Barbara was always very conscious of money and always very afraid that her fortune could disappear one day.”

That’s Ramin Setoodeh, our guest today, talking about the one and only Barbara Walters, creator of The View.  Ramin is the author of Ladies Who Punch. It’s a brand-new book that takes a deep dive into the personalities behind The View. If anyone here listening is a fan of The View, or once upon a time watched it, this episode is for you.

Ramin’s book has become an instant New York Times bestseller, despite initially being rejected by publishers over 20 times. Can you believe that? You heard him talk a little bit about some of the financial fears that Barbara Walters harbors. Ramin went deep with this book looking at how The View came to be, the surprising rejection that The View received in the beginning of Barbara Walters’ pitch, as well as the behind the scenes of how some of the co-hosts handled the drama that ensued being on The View.

Ramin also provides his own personal experiences with money, growing up the son of immigrants and climbing up in the world of news. He is an award-winning journalist and the New York Bureau Chief for Variety. Ramin was formerly a senior writer at News Week and he’s also written for the Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times and many other publications.