BOOK 1

I consider Succession not only one of my favorite shows but also one of the best ever made. Although I rarely watch TV—perhaps due to an attention span rivaling that of a goldfish—the fact that I was so captivated by this series speaks volumes. The plot was fantastic and entertaining, but what intrigues me most about the show is that you don’t really like any of the characters. To put it politely, they’re all terrible people.

Take Logan Roy, for instance—the CEO of Waystar Royco and father of four spoiled, entitled children. From a business standpoint, I find him to be an admirable fictional character, but as a father, he is far from an ideal role model.

To be completely honest, Logan Roy was my favorite character in the show because he was the only one who truly had to work for his success. The allure of his personality—a ruthless business owner who, despite everything, still cared for his children—was fascinating to me. This was also my introduction to Brian Cox and his exceptional acting career. Naturally, this led me to choose Putting the Rabbit in the Hat by Brian Cox.

This book tells a rags-to-riches story, and after reading reviews, I was particularly intrigued by the suggestion that there’s a little bit of Logan Roy in Cox’s writing. It made me wonder whether the actor and his character might not be all that different. Ultimately, I want to understand Cox’s mentality and worldview. If he does, in fact, share some of Logan Roy’s characteristics, I want to know which ones—and, more importantly, why. What is the correlation between highly successful people and their characteristic bluntness and ruthlessness? Although I haven’t read much of the book yet, I’m already impressed by how Cox’s personality seeps into his writing.