Longtime resident of Brentwood, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, will host a book signing of his new memoir, “The Mayor,” at Diesel bookstore in Brentwood on Wednesday, Oct. 1.
“Diesel is one of the last survivors of great bookstores, I owe it to them to have my event there,” Riordan told Brentwood News.
Riordan’s memoir, “The Mayor: How I Turned Around Los Angeles after Riots, an Earthquake and the O.J. Simpson Murder Trial,” delves into his successes and difficulties during his time as mayor and the ideas and value system that drove his work.
The book reveals much about events that took place during his time in office, and how he utilized his core belief of empowerment in leadership, Riordan explained.
“My style of leadership is about empowering others,” he said. “I just told people to ‘get things done’, “not to worry about rules and regulations’ and ‘don’t think about how it would reflect upon the Mayor’.”
Known for his deep spiritual belief of equality, much of Riordan’s philosophy is drawn from person life events that shaped him.
“From the deaths of his two, young children to the passing of his mother on the eve of his first mayoral election, Riordan’s courage and compassion in the face personal heartbreak illustrates why he is so beloved and continues to be a major force in the political and civic worlds of LA,” said “The Mayor” publisher, Michael Wilson, from Post Hill Press.
“Through his touching life story, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard J. Riordan offers his unique insights on how he turned around L.A. and how the country can realize better times,” Hill added.
Riordan is one of the few Republicans to be elected mayor of Los Angeles in modern history.
During his time in office, 1993- 2001, Riordan worked closely with President Bill Clinton and constantly tapped the best and brightest to rebuild the city he loved, including basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson, billionaire and world-famous arts patron Eli Broad, legendary architect Frank Gehry, and many others.
“They had a background of getting things done that was greater than mine,” Riordan said, adding that he just asked them to lead by example.
Riordan is pro-choice, pro-gay rights, and pro-immigration, Riordan was elected to office in the aftermath of the Rodney King beating and subsequent 1992 L.A. Riots.
Only a few months into Riordan’s mayoralty, the devastating 1994 Northridge earthquake rocked the city to its core.
“The next several years of rebuilding and reforming Los Angeles would be arduous work, and I had to continually earn the public’s trust. If my parents had told me when I was a child that I would be leading one of the world’s capital cities through these very trying times, I would have thought they were crazy. I had only wanted to play baseball for the New York Yankees,” Riordan says in “The Mayor”.
Riordan is keeping most of his book’s contents under wraps until publication, but said he hopes it will be a great read for anyone interested in wanting to become a better leader, or for those familiar with the city’s events, to get a great picture of what went on behind the scenes.
“Hopefully young colleague grads will get the most out of the book,” Riordan said, adding that it should be an interesting read for leaders at all levels.
Riordan currently teaches The Riordan Programs at UCLA Anderson School of Management, where he regularly introduces young people to top world leaders.
“They get ideas and insights on leadership from others, at the end of the course, leadership has become part of their DNA, they just do it naturally,” Riordan explained.
Recently taking a group of students to a school that was falling apart at the seems, Riordan had participants pick up paint brushes and “just get things done.” He said that most young people he meets are keen to get involved in community life, they just have to be empowered to do so.
“The Mayor: How I Turned Around Los Angeles after Riots, an Earthquake and the O.J. Simpson Murder Trial,” will be released Sept. 30.
The book signing will take place Wednesday, Oct 1 from 7-8:30 pm at Diesel bookstore, Brentwood County Mart on 26th at San Vicente Blvd. For more information about the event, contact Diesel on 310.576.9960.
