Watch and Learn: How I Turned Hollywood Upside Down with Netflix, Redbox, and MoviePass—Lessons in Disruption

Lowe, former CEO of MoviePass and a self-described “zen disruptor,” recounts his career in the media industry, along with business advice and Buddhist teachings, in this mixed but rollicking account. After dropping out of high school in the mid-1960s, Lowe embarked on a variety of adventures, from living on an Israeli kibbutz to selling Romanian clothes, before settling in California and getting into the video business. In the late 1970s, Lowe had an idea for a videocassette rental kiosk called Video Droid, and though that idea fizzled, his traditional rental business grew and eventually caught the attention of Netflix founders Marc Randolph and Reed Hastings, who brought him on board. His second attempt at an automated kiosk, Netflix Express, failed and led to his departure from the company—“It had just been too early”—but the third time proved to be the charm, as his Redbox business took off in the early 2000s. Lowe writes about his life and career with candor, though his business advice feels phoned in (“Learning how to evaluate the integrity and intentions of people you want to work with can save you much pain and misery”) and the Buddhist musings he drops in feel detached from the narrative. Still, for fans of bootstrapping tales, this one’s worth it for the hard-earned personal story. (Sept.)