Jennifer, Gwyneth & Me (Rachel Bertsche)

Jennifer, Gwyneth & Me: The Pursuit of Happiness by Rachel Bertsche is one of those books that I'm not quite sure how I feel about.  On the one hand, reading about Bertsche's common struggles with having a baby will, I'm sure, resonate with a lot of women.  However, she intersperses those vignettes with her attempts to lead a celebrity-driven lifestyle that, at times, can seem a little disjointed.  It was almost like reading two different books, one about infertility struggles and one about her strives to be Jennifer Aniston, et al.

The basic concept of this book is rather simple.  Bertsche looks at the various aspects of her life and decides which superstar best exemplifies that aspect's highest pillar of success.  For example, which celebrity does she deem the best cook?  Gwyneth Paltrow.  Who has the best marriage?  Jennifer Garner.  She then reads up for hours and hours on how Jennifer Aniston works out, etc., and tries to emulate her.  By the end, she tries to do it all (and there is a celebrity who best exemplifies that too).  However, all of this seems out of place next to her infertility issues in the same chapter.

I think Jennifer, Gwyneth & Me would have been best suited for two separate books, but that's just my opinion.  With how well Us Weekly and People Magazine sell, I'm sure there will be enthusiastic readers of this tome.

MY RATING - 3

Priorities Please?????

Reading People magazine cover to cover has been one of my Friday night rituals for a few years now. It signifies to me that my work week is over, and now I can ease into my weekend with some great reading material. People do not believe me when I tell them that my favorite part of reading the magazine is not the latest celebrity info, but the "real" people stories.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010...where were you when you heard that a 7.0 earthquake hit one of the poorest countries on Earth? Perhaps you don't remember. Would you be able to tell me where you were when you heard that the legend that was Michael Jackson passed away? It is amazing to me how much we value celebrity in this country. Nowhere does this prove my point more than the last two issues of my favorite magazine.

To be fair to People, since the earthquake happened on a Tuesday, I was pretty sure that it would not make it to print in just two short days. However, I was absolutely repulsed by what I saw on the cover when I opened my mailbox that Friday. This was not the week to see a tell-all about some reality show "star" that was so addicted to plastic surgery that she had 10 procedures in 1 day (grand total: $30,000).

So repulsed that I did not even read the issue, I looked forward to getting my next issue, sure that People would write about Haiti in a way that they deserved. 200,000 most likely dead. Mass graves with not even the dignity of a funeral service. Some will never be identified or found. Some amazing survival stories and reunions. In the February 1, 2010 issue of my favorite magazine, the earthquake gets the top eighth of the cover. People is telling its readers that Jennifer Aniston's "fun, flirty, and forty!" life is more important this week. How else do you explain the cover?

I am disgusted about the value placed on celebrity in this country. We are to blame. The sad truth is that People is only printing what will sell.