Unplugged by Tom Freston | Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu

About

The Book

A freewheeling memoir of risk-taking, rule-breaking, and warm cultural exchanges.

A freewheeling memoir from media honcho Tom Freston that takes us behind the scenes of his global adventures—from hitchhiking around the world, to running a clothing export company out of India and Afghanistan, to cofounding MTV, to becoming CEO of MTV Networks, then CEO of Viacom, then later returning to work in Africa and Afghanistan.

Tom Freston’s path to the C-suite was decidedly non-traditional. After getting his MBA, he bartended his way through the United States and the Caribbean, sparking a lifelong passion for travel. After a brief stint at an ad agency, he chucked it all and headed to the Sahara Desert and beyond. Entranced by India and Afghanistan, he stayed on for eight years and launched his first big success, Hindu Kush, a company that designed and manufactured contemporary clothing for export to America and other countries.

Freston’s next chapter followed his other passion: music. He joined the small original team that launched MTV where he swiftly climbed the ladder, eventually overseeing not only MTV but also Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, VH1, CMT, and other iconic networks. He built a creative powerhouse that transformed global popular culture in cable’s all-conquering heyday.

In this unique memoir of risk-taking, rule-breaking, and warm cultural exchanges, Freston shows how to be successful at living your life on your own terms.

Publisher Gallery Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster)

Pub Date November 18, 2025

Length 320 pages

Formats Hardcover · eBook · Audiobook

ISBN 9781668089798

What they’re saying

Praise

“There is no table in the world where you would not want to be sitting across from Tom Freston. The man can turn a corporate boardroom into a juke joint. If I did not know this urbane cowboy so well, I would not believe half the stories in this remarkable book. Musicians, actors, and directors be warned: Tom Freston can dance us all off the stage.”

— Bono

“This is a brilliant business book wrapped inside of a wild adventure story. Funny, insightful, and filled with colorful characters, it tells the story of how Tom and his gang created MTV, built a multibillion-dollar company, and changed both the music and television business. He broke rules, took risks, made amazing friends, and had a hell of a ride, from Manhattan to Timbuktu.”

— Walter Isaacson

“Only Tom Freston could give us a magical evocation of the joys of travel—to Afghanistan, to Burma, to Mali and Morocco—while also sharing a front-seat view of life at the top of both Hollywood and MTV. Unplugged is pure delight—a history lesson, an adventure story and a handbook on how to succeed in business all at once.”

— Pico Iyer

“Tom Freston’s Unplugged is the most thrilling rock & roll literary ride of this era, full of excitement and zany counterculture cool, spiced with his razor sharp observations and quick wit. The adventures never cease.”

— Fab 5 Freddy

“Lively, inventive, charming, and often exhilarating. An enjoyable telling of a life well lived.”

— Rory Stewart

“Unplugged is as droll as it is revealing, as gossipy as it is indiscrete and as warm as it is witty and wise.”

— William Dalrymple

“Tom Freston hasn’t just lived life Unplugged—he’s lived it full throttle. From designing and exporting clothes in India and Afghanistan to co-founding MTV and becoming CEO of Viacom, he broke the rules and made his own luck.”

— Lee Woodruff

From the Press

“A CEO memoir that rocks.”

Literary Hub

“An unexpectedly charming and self-effacing business memoir.”

Kirkus

“Equal parts industry tell-all, escapist travelogue, and glittering glimpse into the golden age of music videos. It’s a memorable ride.”

Publishers Weekly

“With pacing resembling a page-turning thriller… truly, there is never a dull moment. A fun and fascinating memoir.”

Booklist

“The latest in a recent run of must-read memoirs from media moguls.”

Town & Country

“Unplugged shows by example that trying to follow a straight line to success is not the only path.”

Associated Press

The Author

About Tom

Photo: Courtesy of Tom Freston / Fortune

Tom Freston is a cofounder of MTV and the former CEO of Viacom, where he oversaw Paramount Pictures. After launching a successful clothing export company out of Afghanistan and India, Freston transitioned into the media landscape, helping found MTV and bringing it to international fame in more than 150 countries.

Before his Viacom roles, he ran MTV Networks for seventeen years, overseeing Nickelodeon, VH1, Comedy Central, CMT, and other legendary networks. He was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 2010, and was named to Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2005.

Today, he is Principal of Firefly3, an investment and consultancy firm focusing on media and entertainment, and a Senior Advisor to The Raine Group. He serves as Board Chair of The ONE Campaign, the anti-poverty advocacy organization focused on Africa, and is a board member of Imagine Entertainment. He has written the travel column “On the Road” for Vanity Fair.

Timeline

Career

From the Sahara to the C-suite—a non-linear path.

Explore the Full Timeline

From hitchhiking the Sahara to the top of Viacom—and back to Afghanistan.

Five decades, four continents, one non-traditional career. Walk through the milestones that shaped Tom Freston’s path from Madison Avenue dropout to MTV co-founder to global media leader.

View Tom’s Career →

On Tour