How was Nike able to take a gamble on an unknown Michael Jordan and transform itself from a $900 million company to a $9.19 billion company in less than fifteen years? Why did the artist Jeff Koonss Balloon Flower (Magenta) sell for a record $25.7 million in 2008? What does the high school football star have in common with the Hollywood headliner? And why should an actor never; ever go to Las Vegas? Celebritymdash;our collective fascination with particular peoplemdash;is everywhere and takes many forms; from the sports star; notorious Wall Street tycoon; or film icon; to the hometown quarterback; YouTube sensation; or friend who compulsively documents his life on the Internet. We follow with rapt attention all the minute details of stars lives: their romances; their spending habits; even how they drink their coffee. For those anointed; celebrity can translate into big business and top social status; but why do some attain stardom while millions of others do not? Why are we simply more interested in certain people? In Starstruck; Elizabeth Currid-Halkett presents the first rigorous exploration of celebrity; arguing that our desire to "celebrate" some people and not others has profound implications; elevating social statuses; making or breaking careers and companies; and generating astronomical dividends. Tracing the phenomenon from the art world to tabletop gaming conventions to the film industry; Currid-Halkett looks at celebrity as an expression of economics; geography (both real and virtual); and networking strategies.Starstruck brings together extensive statistical research and analysis; along with interviews with top agents and publicists; YouTube executives; major art dealers and gallery directors; Bollywood players; and sports experts. Laying out the enormous impact of the celebrity industry and identifying the patterns by which individuals become stars; Currid-Halkett successfully makes the argument that celebrity is an important social phenomenon and a driving force in the worldwide economy.
#772393 in eBooks 2010-10-19 2010-10-19File Name: B003YCOOHQ
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Well researched and engaging book about a fascinating womanBy Top CatId visited Greece and wanted to learn more about the "Elgin marbles" and that time in Greeces history. Id read the novel "Stealing Athena" which was good but made me want to delve more into the life of Mary Nisbet. the Countess of Elgin. What a life! Without giving too much away. this is a well researched and detailed recounting of an amazing and. in the end. sad life that illustrates the plight of women at the time. Mary Nisbet was an adventuress who tried to live life on her own terms in a day when they had few rights. I was inspired by her story and grateful for pioneers like her who made it possible for me to live a life of freedom.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Not A headstrong Woman. But Rather The Original Founder OF The Charm Brigade.By LoisHaving read this book I am filled with admiration for the energy and people skills that Mary Elgin not only had. but used so successfully on behalf of her husband. Lord Elgin a British diplomat based in Constantinople. A wealthy heiress. with strong family ties. she seems to be the original holder of the charm brigade award and was loved and feted by all with whom she came into contact. Her most notable conquests however were the Turkish sultans who not only showered her outrageously expensive and exclusive gifts. but who relinquished political advantage and power to the Christian West represented by Lord Elgin. The latter is portrayed as a selfish man who spent not only his own meagre funds. but also those of his wife in order to live in style and build his collection of ancient Greek artifacts. He also was intent on producing an heir and plenty of spares for the future despite his wifes pleas to the contrary having had to endure four pregnancies in under six years. It was this selfishness. jealousy and arrogance that began to undermine his previously idyllic marriage. Mary turned to his best friend Thomas Ferguson for support and was eventually to marry him after a divorce that rocked British society and which gave Elgin full custody of his children. Mary was devastated at the loss of contact with her children but threw her heart into her relationship with her new husbands illegitimate children. Her new husband became a politician and once again benefitted from Marys charm and ability to transcend class. party politics and social convention. Their marriage was an extremely happy partnership based on equal admiration. love and the joy of sex without children !! Mary was definitely a female aristocrat born ahead of her time. but her talents as a hostess. benefactor. social activist and benign landlord are as meaningful today as they were in her time. Please read this book as you will discover a feisty woman who never let bad situations get the better of her. put love of family above all else and who grabbed life by the throat and lived it to the full. This biography is beautifully written and one feels a sense of Marys remarkable charm and joie de vivre throughout. One wants to cheer out loud at her successes and provide the hankies when life treats her so unfairly.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Wonderful Biography. so well presentedhellip;hellip;.By Reid1An amazing life story. intriguing. exciting and packed with factual information (. documented by letters and references). the storyof the Countess of Elgin reads like a piece of fiction--except it is as true as the author could make it with materials available. I had no idea I would be so thrilled with this book when I ordered it but it has to be the most exceptional and factual account of a female aristocrat of her times that I have had the pleasure to read. I am so glad that Susan Nagel took it upon herself to search out this story and that she presented it as she did. giving a portrait not just of Countess Elgin but also details of her adventures and the times she lived in. Mary Nisbet was a most modern woman. one buried in the annals of history and really not encountered much or by many in other histories. She may have been only remembered by some for "the scandal of her divorce". in itself a very unusual action for her social class but there was so much more to her as an individual--intelligent. progressive and bold . I strongly recommend this book to those that want to get a real understanding of the reality and restrictions embraced by the social structures of European and British history--and the adventures to which some women were exposed during Continental travel in the "best" of society.
