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Also by Jake Halpern:

Nightfall, October 2015
Hardcover / e-Book
Fame Junkies, January 2007
Hardcover / e-Book
Braving Home, June 2004
Trade Size

FAME JUNKIES
By: Jake Halpern

The Hidden Truths Behind America's Favorite Addiction

Houghton Mifflin
January 2007
On Sale: January 10, 2007
224 pages
ISBN: 0618453695
EAN: 9780618453696
Kindle: B007PREYG2
Hardcover / e-Book
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Non-Fiction

A prismatic portrait of our national obsession with celebrity, in the tradition of Fast Food Nation and Blink For several years, Jake Halpern has reported on Hollywood for NPR's All Things Considered. In his new book, he explores the fascinating and often dark implications of America's obsession with fame. Why do more people watch the ultimate competition for celebrityhood, American Idol, than watch the nightly news on the three major networks combined? Why do seemingly normal, educated people care about Paris Hilton's dating life? Why do teenage girls - when given the option of pressing a magic button and becoming either stronger, smarter, famous, or more beautiful - overwhelmingly opt for fame? Halpern answers these and other questions by traveling to America's fame factories and profiling a colorful and surprisingly insightful cast of characters, including diehard fans, aspiring stars, and celebrities like Rod Stewart and U2's The Edge. Interspersing these stories with new research including original findings from his own fame survey. Halpern helps us understand how psychology, technology, evolution, and profit conspire to make us so enthralled with the world of red carpets and velvet ropes.

Media Buzz

This American Life - March 24, 2012
This American Life - February 12, 2011
This American Life - July 4, 2009
Weekend Edition Sunday - February 24, 2008
Weekend Edition Sunday - February 10, 2008
20 / 20 - January 5, 2007