Indy radio icon Jeff Smulyan new book gets rave reviews from Andrew Luck, David Letterman

INDIANAPOLIS — In the strait-laced world of business, with a personal net worth of $20 million, running a radio company that launched the hottest hip hop stations in America and pioneered a newfangled idea called sports talk radio, Jeff Smulyan has always worn his laces a bit looser than most.

He never took himself too seriously. And he always was ready to take risks, the kind that sometimes made those suits on Wall Street cringe.

His life, says Smulyan, 75, has been filled with ups and downs, curves and stomach-dropping descents, perhaps more than any businessman to give an earnings report and sit at a table to negotiate deals worth millions of dollars.

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Few people knew just how crazy and wild of a ride Smulyan's entrepreneurial journey had been, but his teenage daughter, Samantha, did. She heard her dad tell his stories on car rides to school. They taught her something, but mostly they made her laugh. And not long ago, Samantha told her dad, "You should write a book."

And so Smulyan did.

"Never Ride a Roller Coaster Upside Down," Smulyan's 299-page book which goes on sale today, is part memoir, part business educator, part comedy and full of stories, great storytelling. That last bit of praise comes from former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who gives his two cents on Smulyan's book inside its covers.

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"Jeff Smulyan is a natural storyteller and makes me laugh out loud every time he shares the highs and lows of his life as an entrepreneur in sports and media," Luck writes. "Full of insight, humor and an honest voice, (the book) ... is a delight for the reader."

"Never Ride a Roller Coaster Upside Down" details Smulyan's life, his victories and what he calls his "bitter failures." It tells the stories of his wacky adventures as owner of the Seattle Mariners, of being invited by President Bill Clinton to witness the signing of a historic Middle East peace agreement, of being named Cosmopolitan magazine's "Bachelor of the Month," (OK maybe that's not in there but we had to bring it up) and of a radio mascot pig named Sweetmeat.

Among the 16 chapter names are "The Fine Line Between Idiot and Genius," "The Search for Shiny New Objects," "How to Fix Television (Or Not)" and "Rising From the Ashes, the First Time."

Through Smulyan's career, he managed everyone from Ken Griffey Jr., to radio genius Don Imus to Indy-bred funny man David Letterman, who Smulyan gave his radio start to fame.

"Meeting, knowing and working for Jeff Smulyan gave me the confidence to leave Indianapolis and seek fame and fortune in our sister city of Hollywood. I will never be able to repay Jeff for his faith, kindness and motivation. Please read the book and phone me," Letterman writes in the book, followed by the quote. "*Anyone attempting to phone Mr. Letterman will be subject to prosecution."

Inside the pages of "Never Ride a Roller Coaster Upside Down," Smulyan tells his story from taking over his cousin's failing country music radio station to founding his own company, to purchasing and then selling ownership of the Mariners (for which he became a detested figure in Seattle) to guiding his company through the Golden Age of radio.

It delves into some detailed business acumen and into the future of the industry. It gives advice on what battles to fight and what battles to let go.

It has stories from encounters with the rich and famous and from the loving words of his parents that never left him, including his mother's adage that Smulyan has always lived by: "In life, you just have to laugh."

And that, more than anything, is what Smulyan said he hopes the book will bring to readers, laughter from his mistakes, his successes and his stories. He hope readers will learn and find comfort in the fact that life is never a straight line for anyone, even a multimillion-dollar golden boy of the radio industry.

"Writing this book has been one of the most cathartic, enjoyable experiences I've ever had," Smulyan says. "I hope you will have fun reading it and come away with an understanding that will help you in all of your endeavors."

Get the book

"Never Ride a Roller Coaster Upside Down: The Ups, Downs, and Reinvention of an Entrepreneur," goes on sale Dec. 6 at major book stores and online at Amazon and other retailers.

Summary: "What is it really like to be an entrepreneur? For Jeff Smulyan, the path to success has been anything but straightforward. When you’ve owned a Major League Baseball team, started America’s first all sports radio station, created the world’s two largest hip hop radio stations and managed everyone from David Letterman to Ken Griffey Jr. and Don Imus and even been nationalized by an ally of Vladimir Putin, you’ve seen the rollercoaster ride of an entrepreneur from every side."

Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on Twitter: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: dbenbow@indystar.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Jeff Smulyan book gets rave reviews from Andrew Luck, David Letterman