In this short but insightful book, Peter Whittle pinpoints one of the most conspicuous but shallowly perceived phenomena of our times. The cult of celebrity is in itself hardly news. We live in a time when fame has arguably eclipsed even money – with which it is so often paired – as the most desirable attribute to be pursued.

Once-serious newspapers now devote acres of space to the activities of TV or rock stars. The lives and homes of celebrities are exhaustively opened up to us through Hello! and OK! magazines. So desperate are ordinary people to achieve their fifteen minutes of fame that they queue up to be