Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Toronto : Viking, 2015.
Description
"An exploration of the effect our celebrity-dominated culture has on our ideas of living the good life Our perceptions of beauty, health, success, and happiness are framed by a popular culture that is increasingly disconnected from reality. This isn't just a hyperbolic assertion. Research tells us that our health decisions and goals are influenced by both celebrity culture and celebrity endorsements, that our children's ambitions are now overwhelmingly governed by the fantasy of fame, and that our ideals of beauty and success are mediated through a celebrity-dominated worldview. The celebrity brand is at once the most desired state of being (modern-day royalty!) and one of the most socially problematic. Health law and policy researcher Timothy Caulfield provides a fun look into the celebrity world, including interesting facts and anecdotes, as well as a boatload of practical and evidence-based advice on everything from diet, skin care, and colon cleanses to detoxing from our celebrity ambitions. Caulfield tries out for American Idol, has a professional makeover, and endures the Gwyneth Paltrow-endorsed cleanse in this thoroughly unique, engaging, and provocative book"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member bragan
The title of this book is actually rather misleading; it made me think it was going to be mostly about celebrity-endorsed products, the nutty psuedoscientific lifestyle choices of the rich and famous, and how celebrities are used to market to us. But the scope is actually a lot broader (and a fair
It does start out, however, with a longish discussion of celebrity health fads, particularly the cleanses used and recommended by Gwyneth Paltrow and others. Caulfield looks at what the science says about Paltrow's cleanses in particular and the whole concept of "cleansing" in general, as well as interviewing people at Paltrow's mail-order company and giving her cleansing regimen a try himself, and concludes, unsurprisingly, that it's all pretty much nonsense.
He then does something similar with various beauty products, but from there he moves on to discuss the wider social and psychological impacts of celebrity culture: He contemplates how models and actors are both the perpetrators and the victims of unreasonable beauty standards. He looks at the idea of fame as something that, increasingly, has become an aspiration of the average American teenager. He trots out statistics that make it very, very clear that you will never be a movie, rock, or sports star -- seriously, it will not happen -- and others that suggest that even if you were, you might not find it as satisfying as you'd expect.
A lot of this is no doubt depressing, hard-to-accept stuff, at least for those who crave fame and fortune (or who swear by cleansing), but while Caulfield doesn't shy away from hard truths, he presents them in a casual, friendly, often self-deprecatingly amusing way that's very easy and entertaining to read. He manages to write thoughtfully about the downsides of celebrity culture without indulging in any condescending finger-wagging at those who enjoy that culture, and without any of the usual cliched wailing about how dumbed down and shallow the world is becoming. And while he may be a little more meticulous about it in some areas than in others, he tries to keep everything well-grounded in real science and decent statistics.
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bit deeper) than that.It does start out, however, with a longish discussion of celebrity health fads, particularly the cleanses used and recommended by Gwyneth Paltrow and others. Caulfield looks at what the science says about Paltrow's cleanses in particular and the whole concept of "cleansing" in general, as well as interviewing people at Paltrow's mail-order company and giving her cleansing regimen a try himself, and concludes, unsurprisingly, that it's all pretty much nonsense.
He then does something similar with various beauty products, but from there he moves on to discuss the wider social and psychological impacts of celebrity culture: He contemplates how models and actors are both the perpetrators and the victims of unreasonable beauty standards. He looks at the idea of fame as something that, increasingly, has become an aspiration of the average American teenager. He trots out statistics that make it very, very clear that you will never be a movie, rock, or sports star -- seriously, it will not happen -- and others that suggest that even if you were, you might not find it as satisfying as you'd expect.
A lot of this is no doubt depressing, hard-to-accept stuff, at least for those who crave fame and fortune (or who swear by cleansing), but while Caulfield doesn't shy away from hard truths, he presents them in a casual, friendly, often self-deprecatingly amusing way that's very easy and entertaining to read. He manages to write thoughtfully about the downsides of celebrity culture without indulging in any condescending finger-wagging at those who enjoy that culture, and without any of the usual cliched wailing about how dumbed down and shallow the world is becoming. And while he may be a little more meticulous about it in some areas than in others, he tries to keep everything well-grounded in real science and decent statistics.
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LibraryThing member bnbookgirl
This book is dead on. I work in a bookstore and people flock in for the latest diet book, health book, etc. It is amazing. Also, a book that hasn't sold in years will suddenly sell if the author dies. People are obsessed (just like this book says) with the latest and greatest miracle cure. If it is
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advertised by a star or Dr. Oz everyone needs to have it. Celebrity culture rules how so many of us think and feel about ourselves. I enjoyed reading Caulfield's take on this prevalent phenomena in our society. It is a shame it is happening, but it was interesting to read this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member 06nwingert
This book explores how we are persuaded by celebrities into detoxes and other diets, impossible beauty standards including plastic surgery and myriad other things. Caulfield takes a two-fold approach to this: first, he describes the science behind celebrity and celebrity persuasion, then he shows
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how the things celebrities endorse are not good for us. During the latter part of the book, Caulfield shows his biases, writing in an over-the-top dismissive, pessimistic and cynical nature. While I enjoyed the book, this writing style turned me off. Show Less
LibraryThing member GrinningSybil
Ugh! This book is the worst. Caulfield, an academic by profession, sets out to write a book for mass consumption and fails miserably. His bias is so strong that it's hard to read. The first half of the book explores celebrity authority and the products and procedures they tout. The author tries
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them for himself, indicating at every step of the process that he thinks they're dumb, citing evidence to support his claim that none of them work. Many alternative medicines and techniques fall under this category, and he's insultingly dismissive of them. Throughout the book, Caulfield expects his experience at trying to get an acting job, audition for American Idol, etc. to stand in for the mass experience, but it doesn't. His ultimate message that we should stop being so focused on celebrity and pursue what makes us happy without the hope of fame is sound. It's too bad that I couldn't swallow another word by this author by the time his conclusion arrived. Show Less
LibraryThing member JenNicholson
This was a fun read with a message we should already be aware of, do what is right for you, not because a celebrity is doing it.
Celebrities are not scientists.
Celebrities are not scientists.
LibraryThing member cissa
Despite the title, this is more about "celebrity culture" then Gwynnie per se.
There are 2 separate sections:
The first discusses the way "celebrities" advocate for things like nutrition, medical care, finances, etc. that are not only not effective, but that are known to be ineffective and often
The second addresses the idea of "celebrity culture"- where everyone seems to think they deserve celebrity status, but only maybe 1 in 1.5 MILLION can achieve it. This is important, because more and more kids aspire to "fame" rather then any actual productivity. (The movie "Fame" was a precursor.)
Personally, I would hate being a celebrity. I just wish I were rich!
More seriously- as actual ability to accomplish upward mobility has lead us to despair, and unrealistic hopes of making it BIG!. Which isn't going to happen, but then people cam blame themselves rather than a concentrated class war that takes ALL of the producers's gains and siphonns them to the already wealthy, exclusively.
This is also a really entertaining read- very well-written.
I received this in exchange for writing an objective review on LibraryThing.
There are 2 separate sections:
The first discusses the way "celebrities" advocate for things like nutrition, medical care, finances, etc. that are not only not effective, but that are known to be ineffective and often
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counter-productive. Well, celebrities are not trained in these things, so the fact that they make stupid recommendations is not really surprising.The second addresses the idea of "celebrity culture"- where everyone seems to think they deserve celebrity status, but only maybe 1 in 1.5 MILLION can achieve it. This is important, because more and more kids aspire to "fame" rather then any actual productivity. (The movie "Fame" was a precursor.)
Personally, I would hate being a celebrity. I just wish I were rich!
More seriously- as actual ability to accomplish upward mobility has lead us to despair, and unrealistic hopes of making it BIG!. Which isn't going to happen, but then people cam blame themselves rather than a concentrated class war that takes ALL of the producers's gains and siphonns them to the already wealthy, exclusively.
This is also a really entertaining read- very well-written.
I received this in exchange for writing an objective review on LibraryThing.
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LibraryThing member cstafford
This book is an entertaining but well researched look at how celebrity diet and health ideas have no relationship to any factual data or research other than self report. The author both researched the literature that is available in scientific journals as well as he participated in some of the
The book is divided into two parts with the first being the illustrating of how poor celebrities are at advising or creating health and beauty advice. The second half covers the desire for the majority of people to seek fame through being a celebrity in movies, music, or sports. The author did some personal research by going to an American Idol tryout where he talked with many of the contestants and he also auditioned to be on the show. The best aspect of this book is that the author has not over done the technical information and has put humorous anecdotes about his experiences throughout the researching of the book. The book is very approachable and not preachy for the most part and he acknowledges that he is not trying to do that. It reads like books such as Freakonomics or Tipping Point. One of the best points from this book is to get a facial for the relaxing aspect, but not for any improvement in my skin tone.
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celebrity promoted diet and beauty routines. The author spent time talking to various authorities in the beauty and health fields but found there is no definitive research in the beauty industry. The book is divided into two parts with the first being the illustrating of how poor celebrities are at advising or creating health and beauty advice. The second half covers the desire for the majority of people to seek fame through being a celebrity in movies, music, or sports. The author did some personal research by going to an American Idol tryout where he talked with many of the contestants and he also auditioned to be on the show. The best aspect of this book is that the author has not over done the technical information and has put humorous anecdotes about his experiences throughout the researching of the book. The book is very approachable and not preachy for the most part and he acknowledges that he is not trying to do that. It reads like books such as Freakonomics or Tipping Point. One of the best points from this book is to get a facial for the relaxing aspect, but not for any improvement in my skin tone.
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LibraryThing member seongeona
Mildly entertaining and informative. I'm not much of a celebrity-hound, however, so perhaps I found it less interesting than others might. I found the occasional catty witticisms humorous, but had anticipated a much less catty-humor tone coming from a lawyer-professor. The tone was closer to one of
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those celebrity-bashing daily news shows (see, I can't even tell you the name of one, I'm so not obsessed ). The book seems more like 2 books in one - the first part having to do with celebrity-endorsed diets, products and procedures, the second part a study about the unattainability of celebrity-status. It was never clear to me how one impacted the other because the two parts were not connected with a statement "this is what one has to do with the other". All I could guess is that the author was trying to say that people believe what celebrities say about diets because they believe if they diet like a celebrity they will become a celebrity. One thing that really bothered me was the use of, apparently, many direct quotes in quotation marks but no citations (other than "a 2011 article in XYZ Magazine said ..."). I received my free copy thru LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Show Less
LibraryThing member pjasion
This book should be required reading for all High School, College Students and parents. Will they heed the cautions, warnings, and pitfalls? Probably not...as Caulfield points out our society is fixated and (almost) thrives on following the famous in whatever media they may be currently appearing
While celebrity worship certainly isn't new (it really started with the Greek and Roman Gods), Caulfield brings us up to date with their influential role in product endorsements and the scary ambition and mentality that “anyone can be famous”.
Starting with the health and product endorsement arena Caulfield does an excellent job of presenting the science (in reality, the predominantly lack thereof) surrounding the myriad of products that are fostered and pontificated by various celebrities. And by actually experiencing the cleansing diet and the dermatologist (for the stars...) anti-aging process he lends total credibility to the fact that they are just great marketing schemes with no consistent proven, documented scientific results.
Part II– “The Allusion That You To Can Be a Celebrity,” is where Caulfield conveys the current social attitudes that are somewhat scary. They should at least be a concern as our young people enter society since his research has discovered the ambition to be famous has transcended most or all the available goals. As he continually points out the odds of achieving celebrity status are absolutely minuscule.
But it doesn't seem to stop anybody. Thankfully he does point out that if acting, music, etc. is truly your passion and your happy just to be part of those careers you can maintain a good internal balance without “losing it” if you don't make it to the top.
As a closing thought, Caulfield's book is a great read and will certainly provide a realistic perspective of “celebrity selling” and your chances of you becoming one. And while the odds are truly insurmountable think what would happen if they held an audition and nobody came...
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in from magazines to Twitter. Sprinkled with many personal anecdotes and observations adds the perfect levity in all the right places throughout the book. While celebrity worship certainly isn't new (it really started with the Greek and Roman Gods), Caulfield brings us up to date with their influential role in product endorsements and the scary ambition and mentality that “anyone can be famous”.
Starting with the health and product endorsement arena Caulfield does an excellent job of presenting the science (in reality, the predominantly lack thereof) surrounding the myriad of products that are fostered and pontificated by various celebrities. And by actually experiencing the cleansing diet and the dermatologist (for the stars...) anti-aging process he lends total credibility to the fact that they are just great marketing schemes with no consistent proven, documented scientific results.
Part II– “The Allusion That You To Can Be a Celebrity,” is where Caulfield conveys the current social attitudes that are somewhat scary. They should at least be a concern as our young people enter society since his research has discovered the ambition to be famous has transcended most or all the available goals. As he continually points out the odds of achieving celebrity status are absolutely minuscule.
But it doesn't seem to stop anybody. Thankfully he does point out that if acting, music, etc. is truly your passion and your happy just to be part of those careers you can maintain a good internal balance without “losing it” if you don't make it to the top.
As a closing thought, Caulfield's book is a great read and will certainly provide a realistic perspective of “celebrity selling” and your chances of you becoming one. And while the odds are truly insurmountable think what would happen if they held an audition and nobody came...
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LibraryThing member Sovranty
How does this book read? Like the DNA of People magazine, FoxNews and The Onion were spliced together. By that I mean this simply written, name-dropping book is semi-entertaining, makes you smile every once in a while and seems informative, while at the same time making you question the
Starting with celebrity trends and fads, it reminds the reader that The Famous are people, too; famous people are just as capable of stupidity as is the layman. What Caulfield warns is the fans are not always willing to admit that those they follow can make mistakes; thus, leading the masses on potentially harmful, if not financially negative, paths. Ultimately, be the skeptic not the fanatic.
Caulfield then leads the reader into the world of how to become rich and famous, or rather how this is nearly impossible to do so. Exampling a few individuals and supporting their failures, or somewhat successes, with statistics and studies, the reader is reminder that pursuing the activity of choice should be done for the simple enjoyment it brings an individual and not as a means for financial independence. This part of the book seems common sense, and at the same time is a little depressing; it's rare these days that someone will claim you're not special or talented and mean it in the nicest way possible.
The subject of how the famous influence society and individuals is thought-provoking. This book is a lovely introduction to such thoughts.
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science/truth behind it despite the references/sources listed. Starting with celebrity trends and fads, it reminds the reader that The Famous are people, too; famous people are just as capable of stupidity as is the layman. What Caulfield warns is the fans are not always willing to admit that those they follow can make mistakes; thus, leading the masses on potentially harmful, if not financially negative, paths. Ultimately, be the skeptic not the fanatic.
Caulfield then leads the reader into the world of how to become rich and famous, or rather how this is nearly impossible to do so. Exampling a few individuals and supporting their failures, or somewhat successes, with statistics and studies, the reader is reminder that pursuing the activity of choice should be done for the simple enjoyment it brings an individual and not as a means for financial independence. This part of the book seems common sense, and at the same time is a little depressing; it's rare these days that someone will claim you're not special or talented and mean it in the nicest way possible.
The subject of how the famous influence society and individuals is thought-provoking. This book is a lovely introduction to such thoughts.
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LibraryThing member BookAngel_a
I love pop culture so I was really looking forward to this book. In this book the author delves into popular trends and ideas that are spread by celebrities, and shows us how we shouldn't always trust something just because it is endorsed by a celebrity.
The author obviously knows a lot about pop
I was a little 'put off' by his tone at times. He seemed to be very quick to condemn and dismiss the practices celebrities claim work for them, in fact, he seems to almost delight in dismissing them. He is probably right in his claims and facts, I'm just saying that the tone of his book bothered me a bit and made it a little more difficult for me to enjoy the book.
The author obviously knows a lot about pop
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culture and I appreciated all the references he made to celebrities and things they have done. I was a little 'put off' by his tone at times. He seemed to be very quick to condemn and dismiss the practices celebrities claim work for them, in fact, he seems to almost delight in dismissing them. He is probably right in his claims and facts, I'm just saying that the tone of his book bothered me a bit and made it a little more difficult for me to enjoy the book.
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LibraryThing member JenNicholson
This was a fun read with a message we should already be aware of, do what is right for you, not because a celebrity is doing it.
Celebrities are not scientists.
Celebrities are not scientists.
LibraryThing member Mebru001
The smugly superior tone of this book was hard to overcome, particularly in "Part I, The Illusion of Celebrity Authority." While everything Caulfield wrote may be absolutely correct, there is no way the message will make it to those who need to hear it most-- those currently entranced by celebrity
Having said this, "Part II, The Illusion That You Too Can Be A Celebrity," was fascinating. It went much more into the psychology of celebrity culture, as well as the statistics of achieving fame, and, regardless of your stance on Fame, it was relevant and informative.
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culture. Other "enlightened" individuals will read this book and find justification for everything they suspected about fame (and famous people), however, anyone who worships celebrity will likely put the book down immediately.Having said this, "Part II, The Illusion That You Too Can Be A Celebrity," was fascinating. It went much more into the psychology of celebrity culture, as well as the statistics of achieving fame, and, regardless of your stance on Fame, it was relevant and informative.
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LibraryThing member hcubic
While I was teaching Introductory Chemistry years ago, the World News reported that Gwyneth Paltrow had shown up at a fancy occasion with odd circular hickeys on her shoulders and back. It turned out that these were due to her use of an acupuncture technique known as “cupping” in which glass
Over the years since then, I have seen Ms. Paltrow in many television interviews, and she nearly always has some hair brained diet or beauty tip to flog, along with her own most recent movie or tv role. These are inevitably quite ridiculous and they inevitably given the utmost respect by the interviewer. Of course, Gwyneth (I call her by her first name because she is so friendly and flirty) is not the only celebrity who trades on fame to promote highly questionable science. In political years like this, they also trade as much as possible on their celebrity to push political causes and candidates. In “Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?”, Timothy Caulfield investigates some of the claims by Paltrow and others about cosmetics, nutrition, and health. He even tries them out himself, enduring the 21-day “Clean cleanse” recommended by Paltrow, except for the daily coffee enemas part. (You can buy the necessary vitamins and supplements for your own campaign for only $425.)
He also enjoyed a very pleasant spa facial ($250), but no objective change in skin appearance. He also conscientiously treated his skin twice daily for three months with high-end cosmetic products – a cleansing-exfoliation gel, a second cleansing lotion to control bacteria, a morning moisturizer and sunblock, and an evening moisturizer especially for problem pores. Evaluation was done with the same “sophisticated” photography-based machine before the regimen began, by one expert, and afterward by another. No objective difference. Shock!
One could argue that people who believe the celebrities and buy the products they hype are merely wasting their money. But those products are not always benign, and there is absolutely zero oversight of nutritional claims or beauty products by the US government, so real harm is a real possibility. Further, those same supposed experts on beauty engage in practices that are objectively dangerous – for example, smoking (images of Gwyneth, Sandra Bullock, Katie Holmes, Julia Roberts, Jessica Alba, Ben Affleck, Ellen DeGeneres, Kate Beckinsale, Mila Kunis, Uma Thurman, Jennifer Anniston, Sean Penn can easily be found). Gwyneth also advocates tanning: “We’re human beings and the sun is the sun - how can it be bad for you? … I don’t think anything that is natural can be bad for you”. Apparently she is has not heard about rattlesnakes, earthquakes, drowning, or asteroids.
“Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong” is written in a snarky style that its subject deserves. I enjoyed reading it – at least, at least up to Chapter 6, which shifts to the industry that feeds on the illusion that “you too” can be a celebrity. That part did not interest me as much, and I skimmed it.
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jars that have been warmed (with a candle, I think) and then placed on the skin. As the air cools, it produces a partial vacuum. This supposedly sucks “toxins” out through the skin. My students and I had a good laugh at her expense – I probably should have turned it into a lab exercise.Over the years since then, I have seen Ms. Paltrow in many television interviews, and she nearly always has some hair brained diet or beauty tip to flog, along with her own most recent movie or tv role. These are inevitably quite ridiculous and they inevitably given the utmost respect by the interviewer. Of course, Gwyneth (I call her by her first name because she is so friendly and flirty) is not the only celebrity who trades on fame to promote highly questionable science. In political years like this, they also trade as much as possible on their celebrity to push political causes and candidates. In “Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?”, Timothy Caulfield investigates some of the claims by Paltrow and others about cosmetics, nutrition, and health. He even tries them out himself, enduring the 21-day “Clean cleanse” recommended by Paltrow, except for the daily coffee enemas part. (You can buy the necessary vitamins and supplements for your own campaign for only $425.)
He also enjoyed a very pleasant spa facial ($250), but no objective change in skin appearance. He also conscientiously treated his skin twice daily for three months with high-end cosmetic products – a cleansing-exfoliation gel, a second cleansing lotion to control bacteria, a morning moisturizer and sunblock, and an evening moisturizer especially for problem pores. Evaluation was done with the same “sophisticated” photography-based machine before the regimen began, by one expert, and afterward by another. No objective difference. Shock!
One could argue that people who believe the celebrities and buy the products they hype are merely wasting their money. But those products are not always benign, and there is absolutely zero oversight of nutritional claims or beauty products by the US government, so real harm is a real possibility. Further, those same supposed experts on beauty engage in practices that are objectively dangerous – for example, smoking (images of Gwyneth, Sandra Bullock, Katie Holmes, Julia Roberts, Jessica Alba, Ben Affleck, Ellen DeGeneres, Kate Beckinsale, Mila Kunis, Uma Thurman, Jennifer Anniston, Sean Penn can easily be found). Gwyneth also advocates tanning: “We’re human beings and the sun is the sun - how can it be bad for you? … I don’t think anything that is natural can be bad for you”. Apparently she is has not heard about rattlesnakes, earthquakes, drowning, or asteroids.
“Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong” is written in a snarky style that its subject deserves. I enjoyed reading it – at least, at least up to Chapter 6, which shifts to the industry that feeds on the illusion that “you too” can be a celebrity. That part did not interest me as much, and I skimmed it.
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LibraryThing member sueo
Couple of things:
#1 -- I'm not yet done with the book
#2 -- I LOVE the title and the premise of the book
'm about halfway through it and have enjoyed it so far. I do find myself talking about the different chapters with co-workers and the hubby and I think they hope I finish this book soon! The
#1 -- I'm not yet done with the book
#2 -- I LOVE the title and the premise of the book
'm about halfway through it and have enjoyed it so far. I do find myself talking about the different chapters with co-workers and the hubby and I think they hope I finish this book soon! The
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author covers just about every celebrity endorsement you can think of (tanning, cleansing, gluten vs. gluten free, cosmetics, etc.) and some of what he says makes me laugh at loud. While I love that he is backing up his opinion(s) with science and research that's the part that gets me off track and a bit bored. So, I move on to the next topic. Snail excrement facial anyone?! Show Less
LibraryThing member Dgryan1
This book made me laugh, but also caused me to reflect on the current state of our selfie-obsessed society. In its ability to make me think seriously about a topic while also being quite funny, it reminded me of A. J. Jacobs’ books, The Year of Living Biblically, My Life as an Experiment, The
Caulfield makes many good points about celebrity influence on our ideas of health, beauty, and lifestyle, and that almost all of what is pushed our way is complete bunk. I think it is especially important for our youth, and many of their parents, to hear that the chances of making it to any sort of “celebrity-level” of success as an actor, musician, athlete, dancer, etc., is just about zero. Yet, it is a primary driver for many who invest finances and time in the pursuit of these goals, rather than for a simple love and appreciation of the activity. One look around us at the proliferation of selfie sticks and the constant postings to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook proves many of Caulfield’s points, and he backs up his claims with input from researchers, psychologists, and others, as well as an examination of the myriad cognitive biases and biological influences that shape our narcissistic, overly-optimistic, and unrealistic behavior.
This book is a quick read and a very enjoyable one. I did not find the author to be condescending at all. He simply points out the dangers of falling for the celebrity-fueled fallacies that can divert us from more scientifically proven means of attaining better health, beauty, and happiness. I would recommend this for anyone, but I am going to begin by sharing it with my teenagers with the hope that it injects a pause into their ambitions to be the next big YouTubers, and refocuses their attention on where they might want to attend college!
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Know-It-All, and Drop Dead Healthy. I think Caulfield is spot-on in his assessment of modern day society’s obsession with celebrity culture and the negative impact it ultimately has on individual happiness and overall life satisfaction, as well as on our communities and our democracy. It is hard to argue with the premise that fame and fortune are increasingly the goal for many Americans, rather than education, personal growth, and social progress. Caulfield makes many good points about celebrity influence on our ideas of health, beauty, and lifestyle, and that almost all of what is pushed our way is complete bunk. I think it is especially important for our youth, and many of their parents, to hear that the chances of making it to any sort of “celebrity-level” of success as an actor, musician, athlete, dancer, etc., is just about zero. Yet, it is a primary driver for many who invest finances and time in the pursuit of these goals, rather than for a simple love and appreciation of the activity. One look around us at the proliferation of selfie sticks and the constant postings to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook proves many of Caulfield’s points, and he backs up his claims with input from researchers, psychologists, and others, as well as an examination of the myriad cognitive biases and biological influences that shape our narcissistic, overly-optimistic, and unrealistic behavior.
This book is a quick read and a very enjoyable one. I did not find the author to be condescending at all. He simply points out the dangers of falling for the celebrity-fueled fallacies that can divert us from more scientifically proven means of attaining better health, beauty, and happiness. I would recommend this for anyone, but I am going to begin by sharing it with my teenagers with the hope that it injects a pause into their ambitions to be the next big YouTubers, and refocuses their attention on where they might want to attend college!
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LibraryThing member foof2you
An enjoyable book about the celebrity culture and fads in beauty, dieting and those seeking fame. Mr. Caulfield makes some great observations about those seeking the perfect look. I loved his use of listing the studies that he quotes from, Though I wish he would have used footnotes to direct us do
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his studies instead of the way he did it. A great book that opened my eyes to the amount of frauds out there preying on consumers. Show Less
LibraryThing member seasonsoflove
It was definitely the title that drew me to request this book from Early Reviewers. I've long rolled my eyes at Paltrow's lifestyle website and out there quotes, all while eagerly devouring the latest issue of People Magazine.
In his book, Caulfield argues that our obsession with celebrity culture
In his book, Caulfield argues that our obsession with celebrity culture
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can actually be hurting us as a nation, as we buy into useless celebrity-endorsed beauty and health products, and neglect education so as to focus more on our goals of fame and fortune. What makes this book particularly interesting, besides its timely nature, is that Caulfield really immerses himself in the culture, trying out for American Idol, and auditioning for a talent scout, among other escapades. Show Less
LibraryThing member MissCassieReads86
I was actually really excited to read this book as I have always had a deep rooted understanding of how manipulative media can be and how celebrity branding can make or break "health" trends. Gwyneth Paltrow has become one of the celebrities that people idolize and follow religiously for their
I did feel the book went topic when if went into odds of achieving stardom, which sadly account for half of the book. I would have rather had a smaller book, then read the rest in regard to his personal views on rising to fame and fortune. Sadly due to this topic change I can only give the book a 3 star rating.
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spiritual and health needs so I loved seeing this book hit the shelf. In this book the author examines how celebrities are able to influence health trends despite lack of scientific proof, or credible scientific studies to back the health fads up. The author also delves into the impact celebrity culture has in cosmetic surgery and other treatments. I did feel the book went topic when if went into odds of achieving stardom, which sadly account for half of the book. I would have rather had a smaller book, then read the rest in regard to his personal views on rising to fame and fortune. Sadly due to this topic change I can only give the book a 3 star rating.
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Subjects
Awards
SWCC Book Awards (Winner — 2015)
Language
Physical description
304 p.; 24 cm
ISBN
067006758X / 9780670067589