Mix Book Review Week: ‘Unplugged’

New York, NY (December 9, 2025)—The colder months of the year are a perfect time to settle in with some hot coffee (or something stronger) and read something that’s not on a screen. There’s any number of bestsellers out there to devour, but audio pros occasionally want to read something that hits a little closer to home. With that in mind, this week, we’re looking at a stack of new books to dig through. Whether you want to check them out for yourself or give them as gifts to your fellow sound mavens, here’s some heartily recommended tomes.

UNPLUGGED: STORIES AND SECRETS FROM A LIFE OF MAKING RECORDS, SCORING FILM AND WORKING WITH THE LEGENDS OF MUSIC

By Fred Mollin (Gatekeeper Press). At 24 years old, Fred Mollin co-produces his first hit— an era-defining soft-rock smash—but industry economics ensure he never sees a penny from it. Where do you go from there? That’s just the first 11 pages of Unplugged, and the rest of the book explores what happens next, recounting an inspiring career of continual reinvention as Mollin works behind the scenes with some of the biggest names in music, breaks into film and TV composition and even becomes the most successful instrumental lullaby artist in the history of Walt Disney Records.

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Along the way, Mollin rubs elbows with the likes of legendary producer John Hammond; produces artists like Jimmy Webb, America and Randy Edelman; writes songs for Cher, Eddie Money and Shania Twain; and composes music for TV series ranging from Beverly Hills, 90210 to Friday the 13th: The Series. Peppering the story are plenty of fly-on-the-wall moments, like when Mollin and cohorts pull a nauseating prank on Rod Stewart, or when he brings Billy Joel and Johnny Mathis together for a duet. All of this is shared in a charming, relaxed tone that reveals Mollin is as skilled a storyteller as he is a music man.

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