Back in the mid to late 60's, I was a motion picture agent in the New York office of ICM. I knew Paul Lazarus (casually) in those days, so when I heard about his book, I decided to give it a look-see, totally out of curiousity. All I can say is, it's as much fun as I've had in a long time (since "Easy Rider, Raging Bulls") reading anything about our business. Lazarus has totally captured the atmosphere and dialogue, I hear every day of my life, now that I'm living in Los Angeles. Even though the author considers his book to be fiction, I know better. Every moment of this book, deals with "inside stuff". Somebody must be keeping him up to date. And since it's "The Real Deal", it ends up being very, very funny.

Having worked in the entertainment industry for over 25 years as both a casting director and an agent, I can honestly say that "Agent" is as true to life as it gets. Mr. Lazarus has written a wonderful novel that is both fascinating and humorous and should be enjoyed by both movie afficianados and literature lovers alike.

If a novelists job is to create fictional worlds and characters that convince us they are not fictional - that they are indeed real people, real events and real human experiences then Paul Lazarus has indeed done his job. Lazarus gives us fiction which makes us believe the characters, believe the world they inhabit, care what happens to them and he does it with simple, convincing prose and great insight.

Agent is a beautifully written, well crafted, insightful look at the world of Hollywood and the people who create the movies we worship. It is an honest account of the coils and overlays of their personal lives and tragedies.

A wonderful read in the tradition of the great Hollywood novels.

Rafael Lima Screenwriter

Paul Lazarus takes you on a journey through the world of film production. He covers it all, from acquisition of rights to audits and accounting. The book is perfect for anyone interested in the world of films. From the simple movie buff to a 2 time Oscar winner such as myself, there is plenty to be learned from this master piece.