Sam Haskell has had a highly unusual go of it in Hollywood. A southern gentleman through and through, he was raised with honest-togoodness values passed down from his mother.
Promises I Made My Mother (Ballantine; $24) is at once a touching memoir, an absorbing history lesson in entertainment-business lore, and a reminder of some basic values that will serve you without fail. Curious what they are? Here’s the list: character, honesty, humility, confidence, and integrity. Take a minute and think about it. If you’re missing any of these vital attributes, get your hands on this book. “I was compelled to
write this because my mother was one of the great influences on who I am today,” says Haskell. “I wanted my readers to think back on the lessons they have learned, or not learned, from their own mothers.”
Many of Tinseltown’s top stars credit Haskell with building their careers and treating them with genuine respect—and a host of icons are proud to call him a true friend as well. His winning ways are hard to believe at first. Some celebs—such as Ray Romano, who wrote the book’s foreword—have even thought Haskell too good to be true initially. But in reading this book and discovering the successes Haskell has enjoyed, one thing becomes quite clear: Mister Nice Guy has the last laugh more often than you think.
