Hardcover, 222 pages
Content Rating: PG 13 + M

Book Description:

“Our celebrity captivation seems out of proportion,” says Michael S. Levy, PhD, addiction expert and author of CELEBRITY & ENTERTAINMENT OBSESSION: Understanding Our Addiction

Dr. Levy wrote CELEBRITY & ENTERTAINMENT OBSESSION to shed light on why we as a society are obsessed with people who work in the entertainment field—movies and television in particular—but singers, musicians sports figures and people on reality TV as well. Dr. Levy, whose previous book, Take Control of Your Drinking…and You May Not Need to Quit, resonated with many people, finds it remarkable that people who work in the entertainment field get more recognition and adoration than a competent brain surgeon who saves people’s lives, or a pathologist who has made inroads in cancer treatment.

This wasn’t always the case. Sixty years ago, a Gallup Poll study showed that people who were most admired included Einstein, Winston Churchill, Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur. Not one entertainer, sports star or media personality made the list. Fast-forward to 2000 – 2009 and we have stars like Bono, Tiger Woods, and Denzel Washington making the list.

Dr. Levy can discuss society’s obsession with beauty, how our vulnerability to addiction, our need for idols and our voyeuristic predispositions all contribute to our celebrity obsession as well as:

• How the mass media controls our thinking, the nature of our social intercourse and interactions with each other and our preoccupation with celebrities

• How the media exploits our voyeurism and how our voyeurism serves as a form of distraction and amusement

• Why being entertained has become our primary preoccupation

• Why celebrities’ real-life, off-screen stories get more publicity than anything they have done in their careers

Dr. Levy laments that television news programs focus as much, if not more, on the lives of high-profile celebrities than about other more important issues of the day. He believes that our obsession with entertainers is something to be concerned about since we will have missed opportunities to learn from others who could provide us with valuable ideas and standards for our young people. While the entertainment machine has given us a quick fix to feel good, Dr. Levy asks: “is our obsession with celebrities the best use our time? What will be important to reflect on at the end of our lives: Will it be what we knew about some celebrity or might it be something else?”

Book Review:

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

Having taken both psychology courses in the past and having worked in Social Services, I'm always interested in learning more about human behaviour. Psychologist Michael S. Levy has explored a relatively new field, that of our society's addiction to celebrities and entertainment. We all do it, and perhaps don't realize that we do. And in today's world with super easy access to the Internet 24/7, we and our children are even more vulnerable to this addiction.

Dr. Levy writes in the first person, sometimes mentioning his own personal experiences which makes this intelligent and well-written book a pleasure to read. It's not dry even though he does mention statistics and quotes from many studies and includes 40 page of notes and references in the back section of the book. The thorough index makes it easy to find information.

I was fascinated but not surprised by the information presented because I have researched how to help my kids not become so addicted to the entertainment scene. But what I did learn was why and how we are inclined to do certain things and how both our inherent nature and the social scene contribute to this. For example, we have a natural tendency towards voyeurism so even if we don't want to view something we are still drawn to it. Also we live an increasingly isolated existence and this coupled with boredom and loneliness will draw us toward this obsession with celebrities and their lives.

Essentially, as Dr. Levy states, "...we have come to rely on entertainment to feel good." Is it no wonder we are a depressed society? Entertainment has "capitalized on our humanness", Dr. Levy continues. As a mother, this book reinforced my vigilance towards what my children watch but has also made me more conscientious as to what I can do to keep my children actively engaged in society.

This book is an excellent resource and should be part of any curriculum in the studies of Psychology. I also think it's good reading for parents and social workers. Dr. Levy includes an epilogue summarizing his findings and this quote touched me:

In a world where celebrity equals talent, and where make-believe is called reality, it is most important to have real love, truth and stability in your life. - Bernie Brillstein

Indeed, how true.

 

To read more reviews, please visit Micheal S. Levy's page on iRead Book Tours.

Buy the book: 

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About the Author:

Michael S. Levy, PhD is a clinical psychologist who is the director of substance use services at North Shore Medical Center in Salem, Massachusetts. He also maintains a private practice in psychotherapy in Andover, Massachusetts and is a lecturer in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He has often been interviewed on radio and television. Levy has published numerous articles and book chapters, gives many lectures and workshops, and is the author of one previous book, Take Control of Your Drinking...And You May Not Need to Quit.

Adventurers Abroad explains in detail who the new American expat generation is, why they are moving abroad, where they are moving abroad and the personal characteristics  required for expat success. But the heart of the book is 14 personal stories told through the eyes of American expats living in all corners of the world. Through their experiences, readers will learn how to move, live and work in a variety of countries, with practical advice and information that is useful for any aspiring expat.

Reviewed by Sandra Olshaski

Buy the book: 

  Amazon

A long-time expat, Robert Nelson wrote his first book, "Boomers in Paradise:Living in Puerto Vallarta," while residing in that Mexican international resort city for seven years. He has also lived in Germany, Turkey and Greece and has traveled to over a dozen countries on three continents. He also is a co-founder of www.MyInternationalAdventure.com, an on-line publisher of international relocation planning information and resources.

Connect with the author: 

  Website  ~   Twitter  ~   Facebook

Enter the Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Quinn Robbins is about to go on an adventure that will change her life, and alter the future of two worlds. 

This specially priced boxed set includes the first four books, which together tell the complete story of Quinn's discovery of Eirentheos, and finding her place in her own destiny.

J.J. Sherwood’s debut novel KINGS OR PAWNS: THE KINGS, BOOK 1 is the first in a high fantasy epic series sure to please fans of both the science fiction and fantasy genres.

ISBN: 978-0986287701

Trade paperback, 373 pages

Content Rating: PG - 13 for language & violence. No explicit sex scenes

Disclosure: Thanks to the publicist for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

To read more reviews, please visit J.J. Sherwood's page on iRead Book Tours.



J.J. Sherwood lives in Ohio with her husband and four near-identical cats. KINGS OR PAWNS is J.J.’s widely anticipated debut novel, and is the first book of The Kings quartet. The series is set in the high fantasy world of Aersadore, home to hundreds of characters who all clamor for J.J.’s attention. To learn more about the trials and tribulations of General Jikun and King Hairem, visit StepsofPower.com. J.J. Sherwood will be at the tenth Fandom Fest Comic Con in Louisville, Kentucky this coming August 7th-9th.

Enter the Giveaway:

Trade paperback, 4444 pages
Content Rating: PG-13 (There is only one f-word, but no other profanities, sex, or violence)

Book Description:

Book Review:

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

Disclosure: Thanks to the author for sending me this book for review. I was not told how to rate or review this product.

To read more reviews, please visit N.R. Bates' page on iRead Book Tours.



NR Bates was born in London, grew up in Wales, and lived in Canada and Bermuda. He shares his life with his wife and his house with seven cats, one dog and the subtropical wildlife of lizards, wolf spiders and ant colonies that seek out a better life indoors.

He is an oceanographer and scientist, and has published more than one hundred and thirty scientific papers on ocean chemistry, climate change and ocean acidification. He is a Senior Scientist at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and Professor of Ocean Biogeochemistry at the University of Southampton, UK.

​His novels focus on epic fantasy and magic realism, and inspired by his deep love of the ocean and environmental sciences. He has also recently published a small book of short-stories set in Paris, entitled “The Fall of Icarus (The Elevator, The Fall of Icarus, and The Girl)”.

Being an independent woman in 1913 London is certainly empowering, but Emmy Nation is tired of the inescapable damp seeping through her worn shoes and the hopeless grumblings of her stomach.

When she receives an offer from Scotland Yard to boost her typist income by spying on the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), Emmy jumps at the chance. But as she grows closer to the WSPU women the lines begin to blur, and when a painful part of her past resurfaces Emmy begins to question her choices.

​How far are you willing to go to secure your equality?

Free Kindle Books:

Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

J'Adore Montréal by Isabelle Laflèche

Book Description:

Too many sales people are focused on the end result, the outcome—the close—and another notch on their gun! But, what if you approached “sales” from a heart-centered standpoint, with curiosity and playfulness, as though the world were your sandbox?

What if you created relationships for no other reason than to help others and make new friends? I know what you are saying, "How can it not be about results when it comes to business?"

The bottom line is important, but if you detach from this burden while you are creating relationships, you will find that the health of your bottomline will improve on its own!

Disclosure: Thanks to the publisher for sending me this book for review. I was not told how to rate or review this product.

To read more reviews, please visit Stan Holden's Page on iRead Book Tours.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia who now blogs at To Be Continued. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Mailbox Monday now has a permanent home on its blog. Link up to share your MM.

What a crazy first week in January. My daughter came down with the stomach flu. Now we're dreading as to who will get it next. Not fun!

Some great books in my mailbox this past week:

I love YA historical fiction and look forward to reading this one:

The red-headed Karin is strong-willed and determined, something she inherited from her father. She tries to keep her true nature a secret to avoid being deemed a traitor by those loyal to the king. Karin and her father butt heads over her duty to her family and the Czech Crown. She is then sequestered to the Royal Viscount’s hunting lodge. 

Not aware of everything that is happening, she becomes the target of an individual with murderous intent. Her heart soon becomes entangled though her father intends to wed her to another. The turmoil inside Karin deepens and reflects the turmoil of her homeland, on the brink of the Hussite Wars.





The following three are on tour with iRead Book Tours:


Mukhabarat, Baby! My Life as a Wartime Spy for the CIA by Eric Burkhart (memoir)

Book Description:

Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally murdered in a townhome outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers together only to be killed.

Taking on his first official murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton, USN, believes that if he can uncover the thread connecting the victims, then he can find their murderer.

The case takes an unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the victims has a connection to his stepmother, Homicide Detective Cameron Gates. One wintry night, over a dozen years before, her first husband, a Pennsylvania State trooper, had been run down while working a night shift on the turnpike.

In this first installment of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, the Lovers in Crime join newlyweds Lieutenant Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday to sift through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can the detectives of the Thorny Rose uncover the truth without falling victim to a cunning killer?

My Review:

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

The first book I read by Lauren Carr was Three Days to Forever which I enjoyed very much. Two of the characters from this book, Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday, become newlyweds and form the main characters in Kill and Run. I enjoyed this book even more than the first one I read, probably because Murphy and Jessica were further developed and we get to know them more intimately. We get to see their insecurities and how they deal with their new lives as a married couple.

Although Carr includes her signature heroic crime action scenes with both her human and animal characters--who I must say were a riot!--she involves many family scenes that endear us to the characters. Family loyalty is important to the main characters as is their duty to their work and country.

The plot line is well-executed and although as readers we think we have it all solved there is much more to the puzzle than meets the eye. I liked this. Carr knows how to keep a reader involved. She shows both the good and bad side of the government and its military. She manages to develop a great storyline that's easy to follow with alternately suspenseful and humorous moments. Best of all, she includes characters from her other series with some of their past history to tie in with this new story.

With a great cast of characters that keeps this mystery / suspense novel light and fun, Kill and Run is a great first instalment to Lauren Carr's newest Thorny Rose Mystery series. I truly look forward to the next book in this series.

Buy the Book:

Amazon

About the Author:

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. Open Season for Murder is the tenth installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series.

In addition to her series set on Deep Creek Lake, Lauren Carr has also written the Lovers in Crime Mysteries, which features prosecutor Joshua Thornton with homicide detective Cameron Gates, who were introduced in Shades of Murder, the third book in the Mac Faraday Mysteries. They also make an appearance in The Lady Who Cried Murder.

Three Days to Forever introduced Lauren Carr’s latest series detectives, Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday in the Thorny Rose Mysteries. Look for Kill and Run, the first installment in this series, to be released September 1, 2015.

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. Visit Acorn Book Services’ website for more information.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.

She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with the author: 

  Website

  Twitter 

  Facebook

Book Description:

“Tell no one what I’ve given you.”

Until he got that cryptic warning, Christopher Rowe was happy, learning how to solve complex codes and puzzles and creating powerful medicines, potions, and weapons as an apprentice to Master Benedict Blackthorn—with maybe an explosion or two along the way.

But when a mysterious cult begins to prey on London’s apothecaries, the trail of murders grows closer and closer to Blackthorn’s shop. With time running out, Christopher must use every skill he’s learned to discover the key to a terrible secret with the power to tear the world apart.

Our Review:

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani & Son

My son is an extremely picky reader, so when we find a book that catches his attention from the first chapter onward we plunge on. Well this book had "everything you want in a book" according to my son. It had mystery, suspense, great characters, action and humor.

London, 1665. Christopher Rowe is an orphan who becomes an apprentice to Master Benedict Blackthorn, an apothecary with a keen interest in research and a keeper of secrets. When London's apothecaries begin to get murdered by a mysterious cult, Christopher fears for his master. When the unthinkable happens, Christopher must use all his skill to solve the puzzle his master gives him that holds the key to great power.

The story itself takes place within a few days that are full of suspense as Christopher is thrust into one dangerous situation after another. He must rely on his wits and what he learned in his master's workshop to piece together the clues before time runs out. Both Christopher and his best friend Tom have a close friendship and they are characters that makes the reader want to cheer. The situations are realistic in that we feel Christopher's deep feelings as he experiences heartbreaking and touching moments in his life.

My son and I loved this book, with my son naming this one of his favorite books. Kevin Sands certainly knows how to spin a tale for reluctant boy readers with an entertaining plot that is both educational and filled with well-executed emotional scenes. We were impressed with this debut novel and hope to read more by this author.