Promises I Made My Mother

By: David Rensin, Sam Haskell, Ray Romano

Narrated by: Sam Haskell, Ray Romano

What would my mother say? How would she want me to handle this situation? How can I make this tough decision and stay true to myself?

What would my mother say?

Sam Haskell still asks himself these questions every day.

When Haskell was young, his devoted mother, Mary, instilled in her son the values of character, faith, and honor by setting an example and asking him to promise to live his life according to her lessons. He did, and those promises have served Haskell consistently from his Mississippi boyhood to his long career at the venerable William Morris Agency in Beverly Hills.

In this inspiring memoir full of touching stories and amusing anecdotes, Haskell reveals how he kept his pledge to his mother to live a decent life–even in the shark-infested waters of Hollywood, where he handled the hottest stars and packaged the highest-rated shows–by refusing to become the cliché of an amoral agent. Here is Haskell as a child in Amory, Mississippi (pop. 7,000), discovering the power of hope as he waits for an unlikely visit from the “Cheer Man” (a representative of the detergent company who gave ten dollars to anyone using the brand), learning humility after pursuing an eighth-grade “Good Citizenship” award he cockily assumed he’d win, confronting the complications of human character when a near-fatal car crash exposed his judgmental father’s true nature.

Years later, in Hollywood, Haskell would rely on his mother’s teachings–honesty, self-reliance, and belief in God–as he swiftly rose from the William Morris mailroom to eventually become the company’s Worldwide Head of Television. His capacity for friendship and his insistence on living his version of the Golden Rule (being “thoughtfully political”) allowed him to handle various client crises and the tense negotiations that nearly scuttled the last years of Everybody Loves Raymond and the entire existence of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Haskell has achieved success through self-respect, and from his story we learn how we, too, can maintain our dignity when faced with life’s challenges. This stirring memoir is a testament to mothers everywhere who instill in their sons the lasting values they need to become good men and devoted fathers.

©2009 Sam Haskell (P)2009 Random House

Critic reviews

“My friend Sam Haskell’s journey has taken him from rural Mississippi to the great cities of the world—including The White House and Buckingham Palace. This book will tell you exactly how he did it. He had an inspirational mother who taught him life’s lessons!”—Morgan Freeman

“My friend Sam Haskell’s Promises I Made My Mother is a portrait of character—something mothers and sons should read together while celebrating one of the greatest bonds that exist in the world today!”—Lily Tomlin

“Sam Haskell is an anomaly in Hollywood. He brings to this book his humor, his honor and his unique perspective on how to live life. He is a great friend.”—Leslie Moonves, President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS

Beautiful True Story that Will Encourage You

This is about how Mother's Love fuels BIG dreams. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll remember the beautiful moments in your childhood with your wonderful Mother, seeing yourself, feeling the warmth of the air, smelling the deliciousness of the gifts she cooked from her kitchen, you'll experience Mother's love. The heartfelt memories he shares will bring you joy, tears and laughter. If you enjoyed the movie 'The Blind Side' buy this book now! Sam delivers wisdom about work and life. Move over 'Who Moved My Cheese' by Spencer Johnson, M.D. this book is a life instruction manual. Sam Haskell's voice will have you feeling that you're in a conversation with him, and he's focused on you, he sincerely cares about your feelings too. Sam takes you directly into true life stories that include intimate details, so intimate you'll feel like you know Sam Haskell as well. I admit that Sam is one of my career heros, and this book has further proven Sam Haskell's character. Perhaps it seems counterintuitive that Sam Haskell remains one of the most powerful people in 'Hollywood' ... and that is a big part of the secret and beauty of this work. Sam Haskell tells the story of Hollywood the same way that I see it. So many refer to an 'evil' side of Hollywood, but Sam Haskell is a man of true character. His integrity has carried him from a small Mississippi town to representing talents like Ray Romano and our mutual friend Doris Roberts. Without Sam Haskell, we wouldn't have had the family friendly shows we've enjoyed like The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Everybody Loves Raymond. You'll learn that in the midst of great odds against you, you too can make it. Living in Hollywood, being reared in a small Alabama town, I understand the adversity, the doubts others had and sticking with the dream. Hopefully you'll also feel encouraged to do the same. Now that Mom has ovarian cancer, this book is even more meaningful to me. Oh, as a bonus, this book is FILLED with Hollywood secrets! Sam Botta

Unenthused.

Dull and boring.