"Something Out of Nothing . . . A Hollywood Maverick's Rule Book" is an often funny, enlightening insider's view on how to break into the world of show biz and navigate its shark-infested waters. Each chapter, a rule like "Good Ideas Don't Just Fall Off a Turnip Truck" to "Never Get Your Hopes Up Higher Than the Lowest Drawer in Your Desk," includes anecdotes of "war stories" about working with legendary and Academy Award-winning talent. Something is funnier than Julia Phillips's "You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again," less "sour grapes" than Joe Esterhaz's "Animal," and more broadly...