A brainy business book that also looks at ideology and influence of Hollywood present and future. Included it in “Hollywood Moment: 12 New Books on Tinseltown,” my recent round-up of movie-related reading for Zoomer magazine’s Books section ahead of the Oscars. (review at link)

Red Carpet by Erich Schwartzel is a fascinating tale of how China is the real new player in Hollywood.. It's an immense read, well re-searched and eye opening tale of how much the drive for profit over art has clouded our movie system, for decades. Any fan of film or history will be shocked to see how much our entertainment is controlled by China.

You may have noticed in your blockbusters lately, that more attention is being paid to China, either by including Chinese characters, locations, or making adjustments to appeal to Chinese censors. While not everyone may acknowledge it, this is a propaganda battle that America is not necessarily equipped to win. Lacking the driving force behind the anti-Soviet culture wars, the US movie industry is likely to see itself overtaken by China.

A book about something you didn't know you needed to care about, but that will shape global culture for decades to come.