Paul Berton takes aim at the waste and excess of consumer culture with a lively and satire-laced exposé of the rich, famous and totally miserable.

There is little argument that having enough money to meet your needs is important. But beyond that, what makes us happy? Is a lot of money the answer? Is a glamorous life actually glamorous? Must we have thousands of followers on social media, only to have the internet rabble criticize us at every turn? Amid all the fun and frivolity, there is inevitable misery and madness. A double-edged sword. A poisoned chalice. That’s what this book is about: In ten punchy chapters full of anecdotes about the miseries and misfortunes of the affluent, Berton offers readers ten reasons NOT to wish for fame or fortune.

Paul Berton’s previous book about consumerism, Shopomania (2022), was described as “a must-read primer for understanding how our thirst for acquiring and showcasing things has exacted heavy tolls on our psychology, on our society, and on the environment. Cataloguing the symptoms of our shopaholic culture, Berton shares wisdom about breaking the shackles imposed by our possessions.” (Mark Cleveland, PhD, professor and Dancap Chair in Consumer Behavior, University of Western Ontario.)

Paul Berton is an award-winning journalist and editor-in-chief of The Hamilton Spectator. He is also the supervising editor for five Ontario regional daily newspapers: the St. Catharines Standard, The Peterborough Examiner, the Waterloo Region Record, the Niagara Falls Review and the Welland Tribune. His weekly “editor’s desk” column in the Spectator is a must-read for 100,000 print readers, as well as countless others online, as was a similar column he wrote for The London Free Press, where he was formerly editor-in-chief. He lives in Hamilton, ON.

Paul Berton's profile page

“An antidote for envy. Funny, fascinating, forcefully written and at times unsettling. You will never look at fame and fortune the same way again.”

Will Ferguson, winner of the Governor General’s History Award for Popular Media: Pierre Berton Award, author of <i>Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw</i>

“The seven deadly sins are re-assessed in Paul Berton’s clever and comical take on how lovesick we are with power, money and the greatest of aphrodisiacs...fame.”

Vicki Gabereau

“Paul Berton’s hilariously eye-opening book will make you think twice about the wealth and celebrity we’re encouraged to pursue. Being rich and famous is both delightful and terrible, and the greater the excess, the greater the distress. Sharp and engaging, Misfortune and Fame reminds us to be careful what we wish for.”

Jamie Tennant, author of <i>River, Diverted<i>