Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?: When Celebrity Culture and Science Clash

by Timothy Caulfield

Over the past few decades, celebrity culture’s grip on our society has tightened. For Timothy Caulfield, a health science expert, this culture has a measurable influence on individual health-care decisions. But this is not a book about celebrity culture. Nor does it mock those who enjoy it (Caulfield in fact loves celebrity culture). Instead he identifies and debunks the messages and promises that flow from the celebrity realm, whether they’re about health, diet, beauty, or what is supposed to make us happy.

As he did so convincingly in The Cure for Everything, Caulfield separates sense from nonsense and provides usable, evidence-informed advice about what actually works and what is a complete waste of money and time.

In typical Caulfield manner, it isn't enough to just interview experts and read all the current studies (which he does). Caulfield employs a more hands-on approach: He tries celebrity-recommended beauty routines and diets. He signs on with a modelling agency and goes to a competition in New York. He follows celebrity Twitter feeds, peruses gossip blogs, and forces himself to read every issue—cover to cover—of People magazine, for an entire year, in his quest to understand the relationship between celebrity culture and our individual health choices.

Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong about Everything? That’s the question Caulfield sets out to answer in this fun, factual book that offers real-life advice.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Health, Psychology, Canada, Sociology, Pseudoscience

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 13, 2015

About the author

Timothy Caulfield is a Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy and a Professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. He has been the Research Director of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta since 1993. Over the past several years he has been involved in a variety of interdisciplinary research endeavours that have allowed him to publish over 300 articles and book chapters. He is a Fellow of the Trudeau Foundation and the Principal Investigator for a number of large interdisciplinary projects that explore the ethical, legal and health policy issues associated with a range of topics, including stem cell research, genetics, patient safety, the prevention of chronic disease, obesity policy, the commercialization of research, complementary and alternative medicine and access to health care. Professor Caulfield is and has been involved with a number of national and international policy and research ethics committees, including: Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Committee; Genome Canada’s Science Advisory Committee; the Ethics and Public Policy Committee for International Society for Stem Cell Research; and the Federal Panel on Research Ethics. He has won numerous academic awards and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. He writes frequently for the popular press on a range of health and science policy issues and is the author of The Cure for Everything: Untangling the Twisted Messages about Health, Fitness and Happiness (Penguin 2012) and Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?: When Celebrity Culture and Science Clash (Penguin 2015).

Reviews

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong about Everything isn't quite the book I expected it to be, or at least not entirely. In the first section, author (and professor/health science expert/celebrity culture aficionado) Timothy Caulfield personally puts celebrity-endorsed health and beauty regimes to the test (and this was, for some reason, what I thought the whole book would focus on). In the second section, Caulfield uses science (statistics, peer-reviewed journal articles, extensive personal interviews with celebrities) to demonstrate how astronomically unlikely it is that even an extraordinarily talented person will become a celebrity (and that includes actors, singers, dancers, and athletes). In the third section, Caulfield asks the question that we can all answer but never acknowledge: what's so great about being a celebrity anyway? Caulfield immerses himself in every area (from attempting to audition for American Idol to spending a month on Gwyneth Paltrow's favourite cleansing regime), appeals to recognised authorities to help him analyse his results, and writes in an accessible and self-effacing style (but I could have done without the frequent parenthetical exclamations!).

In a nice bit of synchronicity, I picked up this book the same day that Gwyneth Paltrow was publicly ridiculed for endorsing vagina steaming, and while I cracked the book with more than a little schadenfreude, it's not actually a takedown of Ms. Paltrow. Indeed, in the Acknowledgements, Caulfield states:

I thought about structuring the entire book around Gwyneth's antics. But two things changed my mind. First, poor Gwyneth got a lot of flak in 2013 and 2014. She didn't need more hurled in her direction, even if the hurler was an obscure Canadian academic. Second, getting near Gwyneth isn't easy. I tried. Often.

How Canadian is that, eh? Caulfield was too nice to pile on with the Gwyneth-haters (Conscious Uncoupling, anyone?) and wouldn't take her down too many pegs if Gwyneth declined to respond (but one does note that Gwyneth's name remains in the title, so Caulfield isn't opposed to using her to move a few books). In answer to the titular question -- is Gwyneth Paltrow wrong about everything? -- it would seem the answer is: yes. After spending a month on the Clean Cleanse, Caulfield did lose nine pounds (which he quickly regained afterward) but, using medical experts to evaluate his gut contents, there were no "detoxing" or "cleansing" effects (but negative -- anecdotal -- effects on his mood and stress levels). As Paltrow is apparently a smoker (and says that indulging now and then will "keep you vibrant") and advocates tanning ("I don't think anything that is natural can be bad for you") despite the alarming rise in skin cancer rates, her advice doesn't even appear to be internally consistent. Which brings Caulfield to his central point: why do we assume celebrities to be authorities on anything? After using science to explain the illusion of celebrity authority, and after using science to debunk the usefulness of everything from vitamin supplements to gemstone facials, Caulfield gives the following very unsexy advice:

1. Don't smoke.

2. Stay active, exercise regularly and include some vigorous activities.

3. Eat a balanced and calorie-appropriate diet that includes lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, etc.

4. Maintain a healthy weight (tough, I know).

5. Wear sunscreen.

6. Get an appropriate amount of sleep (which, for most, is between seven and nine hours a night).

That is it. Everything else is either total baloney or of such marginal value when compared to the impact of these actions as to be nearly irrelevant. For example, if you smoke or don't wear sunscreen, worrying about eating organic food is like Wile. E. Coyote using that tiny, broken umbrella to minimize the effects of a house-sized boulder falling on his head.

Celebrity culture, at best, is selling us a tiny, broken umbrella.

The next two sections of the book, as I said, take a closer look at celebrity culture (why everyone wants to be a star, why nearly no one will become one, and why fame and fortune don't guarantee happiness) and the most surprising fact I learned had to do with social mobility in the United States: while the mythology of the American Dream is alive and well, the US ranks third last in social mobility among developed countries, which means, "Moving up the socioeconomic ladder is nearly impossible. If you are born into poverty, you are likely to stay in poverty. If you are a middle-class kid, chances are you will be a middle-class adult. Ditto your kids." Celebrity culture makes people believe that "hitting the big time" is not only their ticket out of their social group, but that it's entire doable if you simply "reach for the stars". The following might be considered the ultimate conclusion that Caulfield drew, and even if it wasn't the book I was expecting to read, it makes the case for the importance of Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong about Everything?:

It seems that we are caught in a big, self-perpetuating celebrity-fueled cycle that goes something like this: declining social mobility and diminishing life options lead to increasing dreams of celebrity fame and fortune. This, in turn, enhances the power and allure of celebrity, which cause a focus (perhaps with an ever-increasing narcissistic resolve) on extrinsic aspirations that leads to less happiness and distracts us (and society more generally) from actions that may enhance social mobility, such as education and advocacy for social change.

I've never been to Paltrow's lifestyle website Goop, so I have no idea if she's an advocate for education and social change, but it would be encouraging if more celebrities focussed on things that matter instead of inviting you to join them in the steaming of lady parts.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Science of Celebrity....or Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong about Everything? by Timothy Caulfield educates while it entertains. Professor Caulfield is an expert on ethics, science, health, law and the influence generated by famous people. Just because someone is an household name, does it mean that what they preach, recommend, endorse and promote is safe, tested and good for your body and your mind. We have reached a point where many of us believe celebrity Twitter feeds, facebook and all social media are filled with truth and good advice. Caulfield himself has put many an endorsement to the test, some of the results being somewhat lacking in usefulness, some of them downright comical. When it comes to science, one is better off taking the advice of professionals. Celebrity does not necessarily make one an expert. Educational and fun: enough reasons to read this book. Recommended.

[Kelly (and the Book Boar)]

Since Ol' Goopy isn't the author, it's cool for me to talk smack about her when I read this one, right??????

[Michelle Rotteau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. While some of the criticism that the research in this book is a little shallow or that it is repetitive may be valid, the overriding message is so vital that I feel this book deserves 5 stars for it alone.

The message is that if you spend your life (and life savings) trying to attain some aspect of celebrity, you will fail. Additionally, you will have lost the time, energy and heart that you sunk into reaching for that ineffable goal. This includes not just being "famous" but also being thinner, younger and more beautiful than you already are.

I have thought a lot about this in the past, and this book confirmed it for me (yes, I recognize that this is confirmation bias in action), but I feel we need to have a more honest dialogue in the media about "success". The current message is that if you a) follow your dreams--regardless of how unrealistic they may be and b) work hard enough (what is enough?) then you will be successful...eventually. However, this implies that those who are not "successful" just didn't work hard enough and thus must be lazy or unworthy of success. (insert your preferred expletive) The message we get from the successful is that they just work a little bit harder than the rest of us (I'm not sure how they have a different 24 hours in their day than I do) we could be just like them. But I'm afraid we can't all be talk show hosts, movie stars, rock stars and CEOs. We just can't. Not all of us have the natural talent to become the best in our fields, and we should NOT feel bad about that. Stop asking people of wealth and privilege how we should live our lives.

I would like this to be required reading for all Grade 9/10 students (and their parents) as a wake up call to say that you need to have realistic expectations of the opportunities available to you and take advantage of what is suitable and live your life, not postpone it until you are thin enough, accomplished enough or famous enough. But now.

[Specialk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took a left hand turn downhill really quickly.

First off - the title is misleading. To a point. The first chapter is exactly what I expected/wanted: documented and scientifically performed research that underlines why fad diets, lifestyles and other regimes most often promoted by celebrities are bullshit. It was glorious. I devoured it.

Then come parts one and two. Here we lose a lot of science - while studies are cited, they are admittedly (by the author) not the most methodological. And even more annoyingly, the author admits (in a roundabout way), that some of this is stemming from his own failed shot at celebrity. These parts aren't telling us why we shouldn't believe the magazine headlines at the grocery store checkout - it's instead examining our (or at least, Western culture's) obsession with celebrity. And it's slim pickings, and oft repetitive.

So if the title of this book (and the blurb, which is from the stellar first chunk), is what drew you in, only read part one. You do not miss absolutely anything from not reading the last two. Except some blather about an author who is a professor who wishes he was a rock star and how impossible it is for you to be one too.

[Zainab · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book started off strong and presented some pretty interesting information and data. However, after the first few chapters, the focus of the book shifted and everything became quite redundant and repetitive. It eventually turned into a book about why you can't achieve "celebrity" status and that you shouldn't even try. Overall the book was quite negative, redundant, laden with mismatched statistics and data, redundant, and as the author mentions throughout the book - dream crushing... and did I mention redundant???

[Chuck Slack · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started strong and I appreciate the premise but the last half of the book lost my interest.

[Biblio Files (takingadayoff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the tabloid-like cover of Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything? this is a book about a serious subject. People pay attention to famous people like Gwyneth and professor of health law and policy Timothy Caulfield is concerned about that. And although the topic is serious, Caulfield brings a lot of humor to the book, as well as his public health and legal knowledge.

Perhaps, like me, you think that since you generally ignore celebrity advice, this doesn't concern you. Caulfield has news for you. We are all affected. For instance, the gluten-free craze is affecting what's in the supermarket, the restaurants, and even if you remain obstinately oblivious to celebrity trends, you are surely aware that there IS a gluten-free fad and you might be thinking that something this big must have something to it. There isn't. Caulfield backs up his swat-downs of celebrity advice with scientific studies, statistics, and advice from actual medical and science professionals. Juice cleanses to remove your bodily toxins? Bogus. Colonic irrigation? Crap. Snail slime or bird poop facial treatments? (real things, apparently) Complete waste.

Health claims, beauty elixirs, diet advice, all debunked.

In the second half, Caulfield addresses the fascination with fame in general and is alarmed to find that young people today, more than ever before, aspire to become famous. Since the chances of becoming famous are so slim as to be virtually nil, many people are being disappointed. In addition, this trend of treating one's career goals like a lottery, betting it all on the big win with no back up plan, is a sure recipe for unhappiness.

It's hard to imagine Caulfield getting many invitations to Today-type shows to plug his book. Wouldn't that be embarrassing to have him on the show just before Gwyneth appears to plug her latest movie or cookbook? It's a book that's fun and disturbing in equal doses.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating look at the vagaries of celebrity life, along with a fantastic debunking of the 'health claims' made by various celebrities (from snail facials to juice cleanses). Caulfield uses himself as a guinea pig for much of this, and reports back on the results and the science. From trying out for American Idol, to facials, to Gwyneth Paltrow's 21 day cleanse diet.

Caulfield is a great writer - funny and wry, and easily able to describe the science and the studies behind what he is talking about.

The first part of the book was probably the best (The Illusion of Celebrity Authority), and by part three the book did drag a bit, but not enough to make me enjoy it any less. The topics get a bit more serious the further into the book you go, but still remain relevant and funny.

Caulfield mentions, in passing, Jenny McCarthy and the anti-vaccine movement, but doesn't really go into it at all, which, considering recent events is a bit of a bummer. I would have loved to read his takedown of McCarthy.

Overall, a very funny book, on a fascinating topic.

[Anne-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Is Gwyneth Paltrow wrong about everything? When celebrity culture and science clash" is an entertaining non-fiction book by Timothy Caulfield exploring what it means to be in celebrity-obsessed world. In particular he looks at the authority of celebrity especially around health, diet, and beauty, as well as the illusions of the everyday person of obtaining fame and fortune. As always he backs it up with lots of evidence, interviews with people (including actors, struggling musicians, academics, and adult entertainment actresses), with a dash of his hilarious personal experiments.
Perhaps I didn't fully regard the subtitle and the synopsis of this book because I fully expected it to be more like the first half of the book and indeed more like his previous book "The Cure for Everything." While it was definitely entertaining and a great glimpse into celebrity culture (something I'm always fascinated by!) it wasn't what I expected. However, the concluding chapter (an epilogue almost
of sorts) was excellent and I particularly enjoyed how he ended it!

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is based on an ARC I received.

I loved Caulfield's The Cure for Everything. I read and re-read it. I would own a copy but I'm waiting for my mother to forget about her copy and then I'm going to grab hers and read it again. There is something fun and refreshing about Caulfield's style of writing. It is no-nonsense and confirms so many of the things I already suspected but he isn't all doom and gloom. Instead he does a good job mixing hard truths with the positive.

Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong about Everything had the same feel but with a focus on celebrity culture and how it influences our choices. Through interviews, research, and in some cases, his own experiments, Caulfield investigates cleanses/detoxes, beauty products and the ideas behind celebrity and happiness. His experiment with skin care products is particularly fun to read.

Informative, entertaining and thought-provoking. Another winner from Caulfield.

[Todd Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Using Gwyneth Paltrow as a poster child for unsubstantiated medical advice, Timothy Caulfield (professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta … eh?) investigates celebrity culture and the influence these individuals have on health fads. Amongst the nonsense for which no scientific evidence of effectiveness exists are: detox diets, cleanse diets, colonics, vitamin supplements, vagina steaming (yes, believe it or not, that’s a thing), juicing, cupping, raw food diets, organic food diets, gluten free diets and a host of other fad diets that appear with seasonal regularity (usually beneath a headline offering advice on how to achieve a “bangin’ bikini bod”).

Instead of chasing the latest diet trend, a better approach would be to follow the pithy advice provided by Michael Pollan -- "eat food, not too much, mostly plants". With the addition of a moderate exercise regimen you’ll be on your way to a bangin’ bod in no time.

Caufield then goes on to examine cosmetic and anti-aging skin treatments (including snail slime masks … also a thing), which claim to “rejuvenate” your skin and make it “youthful” and “radiant”. What he finds is that, while some prescription pharmaceuticals and invasive surgical procedures may have some small beneficial effect, claims of over-the-counter products are largely bunk and that you’d be better off just buying a hat and some sunblock than having ass-fat injected into your face.

He then looks at the effect that celebrity has had on cosmetic surgery, whose use has seen steady increases in the US and other developed countries despite the health risks (not to mention the risk of looking very weird). Caufield makes much of the influence that Pamela Anderson’s boobs have had on public acceptance of cosmetic surgery, but I’d be more likely to place the blame on a pervasive culture of narcissism that seems to have enveloped the US rather than on Ms. Anderson.

The book then takes an abrupt turn to discuss the culture of celebrity (everyone wants to be rich and famous) and the likelihood of achieving that goal (in case you were wondering, it’s not likely at all). Though this section (which makes up half the book) has absolutely nothing to say about whether Gwyneth Paltrow is wrong about everything, I did find it interesting so I’ll give Caulfield a pass for losing focus and entirely forgetting what his book was supposed to be about.

Caulfield goes on to speculate as to why people view stardom as a potential path to success despite the fact that the chances of achieving even modest fame and fortune so are so very close to nil. It’s a complex question with many contributing factors, but he settles on the leading causes as:
1. An innate optimism hard wired into the human brain (see Tali Sharot’s The Optimism Bias for example).
2. The rise of narcissism as a dominant trait in our current culture. Encapsulated by a tag line for a local Phoenix news station “It’s all about you!”.
3. A reduction in social mobility. As opportunities for social advancement become increasingly uncommon (it is far more likely than not that you will die in the same social class into which you were born these days) people become increasingly fixated on marginal opportunities (like the lottery or becoming famous) as a way to escape their lot in life.

In the end, Caulfield urges people to pursue their dreams out of passion rather than out of an unrealistic expectation of glory. Because honestly, the “glory” thing, isn't going to happen.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

So you want to be a star. You have what it takes to be a household name. With hard work and dedication you know you can make it to the top where untold fame, fortune and unbridled happiness awaits. If you’re sure you want to leave your day job to realize your destiny, do yourself a favor and read this book. If you have a child who has real talent and dedication and who is ready to quit school to become a star, then read this book together.

On its surface, this book looks like a light-hearted attempt to knock celebrities off their lofty pedestals. Indeed, Professor Caulfield seems pretty indiscriminate on which celebrities he chooses to mock. If nothing else, he is guaranteed to ruffle some finely preened feathers. However, there is more to this book. Much more. This is a book about how celebrity culture shapes our lives, often with warped messages. Professor Caulfield navigates this surprisingly complicated topic through two main themes.

The first theme is about the warped advice that celebrities casually dole out to their adorning public. In a provocative, humorous and self-effacing style, Professor Caulfield systematically challenges their authority to do so. Backed by an abundance of data and empirical evidence, Professor Caulfield convincingly argues that celebrities may be steering their fans down pointless (and sometime dangerous) paths.

The second theme takes on the prevalent warped perception that with enough talent and dedication celebrity status can be attained by anyone and that a long, prosperous and healthy life will inevitably follow. It would be easy to dismiss Professor Caulfield as a dream crusher; however, if you delve deeper you’ll see that he has a surprisingly philosophical message to deliver. You, or your child, may have an abundance of talent and an unwavering work ethic; however, in reality, whether celebrity status is ever attained is largely out of your control.

It may seem blasphemous to suggest that people should not strive towards celebrity status; however, Professor Caulfield presents a cogent, and unapologetic, case to exercise extreme caution in emulating celebrities.

If "becoming famous" is your life's ambition, then this book is a "must read".

[Hadley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Penguin Random House for the ARC!
I very much enjoyed reading this book. Caulfield's writing is balanced, accessible, and funny--great nonfiction for those who don't particularly like nonfiction. And the subject matter could not be more pertinent. Celebrity culture and the propagation of fantastic and unattainable goals is a serious social problem, one with effects that will become more damaging with each generation. I would recommend this book to anyone. You will learn and have fun doing so!

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The short answer to the title? Yes. This book was pretty great--I laughed out loud often while reading. Caulfield debunks many celebrity-hyped trends, explores the reasons why people strive to be famous, and proves that statistically, most will fail. This book was accessible, engaging, and a fairly quick read. Bonus points for all the "Canadian-isms" in the book. I would have liked a little more on Jenny McCarthy and the anti-vaccine movement, or just more debunking overall compared to the other sections, but overall, this was a fun and very readable study of celebrity culture.

[N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and clear. although if you're looking for celebrity pseudo-science trashing all the way through you'll be disappointed, the second half is more of a social science analysis of the concept of celebrity, and a critical analysis of what anyone's chances are of reaching the top of the celebrity heap in entertainment, sports etc. Well worth the read.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was super lucky to get an ARC of this book from goodreads first reads. This book was fascinating. I really enjoyed all of the science information. There was a good mix of science and humor. The author does a few of his own experiments to test some claims which were hilarious. Words like detoxify will bring your eye rolls to a whole new level after this.

[Barb Wiseberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

How could I resist a book with such a great title?

Written by a professor, whose research including subscribing to People Magazine for a year, this book was a great escape.

Starting with a Gwyneth-inspired cleanse, to debunking the probability that our kids will become celebrities, I enjoyed the book cover to cover.

[Anittha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to read this book for an upper-year university course, and I absolutely loved it! It literally was all my frustrations and thoughts about celebrity culture put in one! Caulfield did an amazing job using research to explain our current society, and honestly WOW! So much information, yet so nicely put that you really don't realize it! He has to be one of my new favourite authors (plus, he's Canadian)!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

So you want to be a star. You have what it takes to be a household name. With hard work and dedication you know you can make it to the top where untold fame, fortune and unbridled happiness awaits. If you’re sure you want to leave your day job to realize your destiny, do yourself a favor and read this book. If you have a child who has real talent and dedication and who is ready to quit school to become a star, then read this book together.

On its surface, this book looks like a light-hearted attempt to knock celebrities off their lofty pedestals. Indeed, Professor Caulfield seems pretty indiscriminate on which celebrities he chooses to mock. If nothing else, he is guaranteed to ruffle some finely preened feathers. However, there is more to this book. Much more. This is a book about how celebrity culture shapes our lives, often with warped messages. Professor Caulfield navigates this surprisingly complicated topic through two main themes.

The first theme is about the warped advice that celebrities casually dole out to their adorning public. In a provocative, humorous and self-effacing style, Professor Caulfield systematically challenges their authority to do so. Backed by an abundance of data and empirical evidence, he convincingly argues that celebrities may be steering their fans down pointless (and sometime dangerous) paths.

The second theme takes on the prevalent warped perception that with enough talent and dedication celebrity status can be attained by anyone and that a long, prosperous and healthy life will inevitably follow. It would be easy to dismiss Professor Caulfield as a dream crusher; however, if you delve deeper you’ll see that he has a surprisingly philosophical message to deliver. You, or your child, may have an abundance of talent and an unwavering work ethic; however, in reality, whether celebrity status is ever attained is largely out of your control.

It may seem blasphemous to suggest that people should not strive towards celebrity status; however, Professor Caulfield presents a cogent, and unapologetic, case to exercise extreme caution in emulating celebrities.

If "becoming famous" is your life's ambition, then this book is a "must read".

[Flora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seeing the title, I couldn't help but wonder whether Tim Caufield ever received a call from Gwenyth's PR team for misuse of her name. That being said, the book started off really strong in discussing celebrity pseudoscience in health, diet, "magical cures", beauty and plastic surgery. This section did a great job at dispelling the myths and the noise with a no-bullsh*t approach, data and expert interviews. As a scientist, I enjoyed all the geeky humor and fatherly wisdom this section had to offer. I think everyone could relate to this segment, because everyone inevitably had their own celebrity-crush phases in their teenage years. From "detox" to the evils of gluten, the science penetrated through all the nebulous terms. It also doesn't hurt that Caulfield took on a fairly frivolous/dark humor approach to deliver the technical information. In all honesty, the first part is something that teenage boys and girls should all read before mirroring after their idols - especially the youngsters in Asia, where plastic surgery and extreme diets are almost an epidemic because of k-pop stars and skeletal celebrities.

Then there comes the second part, which was depressing at best and condescending at worst.
I couldn't finish this part, because it was a bit infuriating. In stark contrast with the first, I personally did not enjoy the way Caulfield simply laid out some scant statistics to tell everyone that they should never pursue their dreams. He reminded me of obsolete parents who force their children to choose only from the pool of STEM and finance jobs to make a stable income. Sure, making it big is difficult, but that doesn't mean that people should never pursue artistic dreams just because they are against all odds. By his train of thoughts, the entire entertainment industry would cease to exist and all the talent we know of today would be buried. The "celebrity dream" is not something that can't be dissected by data, and it can't be forcefully be analyzed with pure science, either. All in all, the second part is just straight-up unfair to those with artistic gifts/talents.

Bottom-line: read the first part, but don't waste your time with the second and let it suck up your soul.

[Marita · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I have to say that I mostly enjoyed this book, I'm not entirely sure that Caulfield had a coherent sense of what he wanted the finished product to be. It starts out exactly as the title suggests: It examines the crazy fads promoted by various celebrities, and argues persuasively that they have no scientific backing whatsoever. And some of this stuff is truly weird (I could've gone my whole life not knowing what people do with "colonics"!). I appreciate that Caulfield is fair in his judgement of the (mostly) women celebrities that pitch this stuff, acknowledging that women are held to impossible standards in Hollywood, and aging is the death knell for their careers. So the first half of the book, fun, entertaining, and very informative.

Then came the second half...Caulfield was still entertaining in his self-deprecatory writing, but the second half of the book is basically a screed about how trying to become famous isn't worth the trouble because it's not likely to happen. Here is where I think the author lost the theme that the excellent title of his book promises. Sure, a lot of people want to become famous. But I don't think those are the people who bought this book. Being a great believer in science, I was interested in how celebrities clash with science when they peddle crap, so I was disappointed that I only got half a book that stayed on message. Caulfield is still a fun read, but some readers may find the gear switching aggravating.

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book is light, informative and somewhat comical. It's a study of pop culture's influence on the masses. Caulfield explores the credibility of celebrity-endorsed products. The ridiculousness of colon cleanses, beauty creams, and fad diets are exposed as bogus, with no scientific data to support the claims of improved health and/or physical attractiveness. He pokes fun at American Idol and other lame, reality shows, too.
The second half of the book addresses the desire to become rich and famous. Through questionnaires and surveys, it is evident that a startling number of children, teens and adults aspire to be rich and famous. They see the lives of actors, musicians, and athletes as the kind of lives they want for themselves. Inspirational one-liners, "Never Give Up", "Reach For the Stars", etc...are put into perspective; achieving excellence is a rarity.
Overall, it's an eye-opening, entertaining read. I'm always on the lookout for books that should be read in schools. Maybe this book should be required summer reading for young people entering their freshman year of high school. Reading this book could serve as an intervention, leading to an overall improvement in SAT scores and a reality check toward college and future goals!

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The answer is yes.....yes she is. But you already knew that and my correct confirmation bias (yes I am confirming my confirmation bias) led me to buy this book. Turns out, shocking I know, that celebrity endorsers have no idea what they are talking about and most of the beauty business is a hustle.
While the first part of the book looked at the scientific basis of celebrity claims, handily debunking pretty much all of them with many succinctly described studies, the second part of the book dealt with attaining celebrity status. To me this was a strange pairing. People who in general don't agree with celebrities don't usually aspire to be them. IDK, maybe that is just me. So the second half for me was not as interesting, with the exception of the statistical evidence of how it is virtually impossible to attain such status, and yet so many delude themselves into thinking that it is possible.
What was interesting to me was the neurological biases presented in the desire to attain or emulate celebrity culture. Most helpful sentence --- "simply learning to recognize and remind ourselves of the numerous cognitive biases that twist how we think about the world may help us to make more informed life choices" ---ding ding ding. (how about those presidential elections?)

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could not resist this book because of the title. The answer to the question it poses is, in a word, "yes."

This book is an entertaining and frequently humorous discussion of a serious subject: how endorsement of products and advice on health and beauty by celebrities gives credibility to diets, lifestyle choices and health decisions that are scientifically unfounded and even potentially harmful. Gwyneth is an obvious topic of discussion, because of the success of her Goop empire. Pamela Anderson is also discussed, as is Jenny McCarthy (though I would have liked more space devoted to her anti-vaccine beliefs and activism).

The author's style is approachable, in that he mixes results of scientific studies in with interview with celebrities and aspiring celebrities, as well as accounts of his own failed efforts to obtain celebrity.

The book goes off the rails a bit in the last third, which focuses on the downsides of chasing and being a celebrity. This could (and should have) been a separate book. Gwyneth is pretty much forgotten about, though the author does attempt to bring the book full circle by mentioning her a couple times in the last pages. Despite the veering off subject, I consider this book a 4 star read because it is insightful and entertaining.

[Angela Kelman · Rating 3 out of 5]

As in most of the non-fiction that I've read, the strongest, most compelling arguments come in the first part of Professor Caulfield's book. Toward the end, his data mining comes perilously close to being as shallow as the "alternative" facts that he debunks. But this book did satisfy my science-based way of thinking. I really wish that anyone who is thinking of dieting, juicing, cleansing, going gluten-free, taking supplements, undergoing cosmetic surgery, trying the latest skin care regime, auditioning for reality TV, or enrolling their kids in any kind of sport or acting/dancing/singing/music lessons would read this or something along the same line. It might save them a ton of money and heartache. At the very least, it will provide an important reality check. And it could just cause a much-needed societal shift.

[Lori Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why does something have to be proven by Western science in order for it to be considered credible? Caulfield uses his "health science expert" and academic background to refute any claim that isn't "proven" by a Western study. Sigh. While a lot of what he writes makes sense to me, I couldn't get past the fact that he would consider something that was studied by a scientist as "true" and everything else as a ridiculous claim. I get it: most of the examples seemed totally bizarre and ridiculous, but he gives no credit to science from other countries (um, the Chinese have been studying this stuff for a long time...) or to indigenous knowledge. Nope, if a Western scientist didn't do a study on it, it's wrong.

Other than that, it was a refreshing read from the usual health fluff.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amusing yet investigative look at how celebrities impact the diet, beauty regimens, plastic surgery trends of regular people. I was surprise ad how far down these celebrity endorsements, both paid and off the cuff, filter into the many levels of society. I discovered that even middle aged, not celebrity obsessed me is not immune. While I will admit to juicing and smoothies and thoughts of Botox, I never considered a colonic.

The second part explores how the goal of a high percentage of Millennials is to be famous. Not a singer or actress or sports star or doctor or anything, just famous.

I enjoyed Timothy Caulfield's humor as he explored diets, skin care, and auditions. I did skim so parts, but all is good. I'm glad I spent time with this book.

[Graham Heslop · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really want to give this book a higher rating. I have a growing respect for Caulfield's relentless and well researched criticism of celebrity culture, particularly in the areas of health, image, discontentment and social media. This books lends pages to all of these issues. But I wonder if a shorter, punchier piece could not have made the many necessary points Caulfield does, without the avalanche of anecdotes and narrated studies.

Perhaps I am being unfair, or failing to appreciate this book's intended audience. Let me conclude by saying that everything I have watched or read from Caulfield is worth the time. I also imagine that his critiques will only become more significant the deeper our culture spirals in its unhealthy obsession with the opinions and desired status of celebrities

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from goodreads giveaway.

I thoroughly enjoyed Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything, I finished it one sitting.
This was an all around a great read. Chuckle out loud, fun and informative. I feel like I should carry this book (and copies of it) for referencing back and handing out to some very self-righteous folks I know :))
Ironically enough, I stopped half way through for a few minutes while I did my regular nighttime beauty regime. Something about the "clean and clear nightly" just doesn't sound as fun and lavish as slathering my face in diamonds and rubies.