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What drives people to crave fame and celebrity? How does fame affect people psychologically? These issues are frequently discussed by the media but up till now psychologists have shied away from an academic away from an academic investigation of the phenomenon of fame. In this lively, eclectic book David Giles examines fame and celebrity from a variety of perspectives. He argues that fame should be seen as a process rather than a state of being, and that 'celebrity' has largely emerged through the technological developments of the last 150 years. Part of our problem in dealing with celebrities, and the problem celebrities have dealing with the public, is that the social conditions produced by the explosion in mass communications have irrevocably altered the way we live. However we know little about many of the phenomena these conditions have produced - such as the 'parasocial interaction' between television viewers and media characters, and the quasi-religious activity of 'fans'. Perhaps the biggest single dilemma for celebrities is the fact that the vehicle that creates fame for them - the media - is also their tormentor. To address these questions, David Giles draws on research from psychology, sociology, media and communications studies, history and anthropology - as well as his own experiences as a music journalist in the 1980s. He argues that the history of fame is inextricably linked to the emergence of the individual self as a central theme of Western culture, and considers how the desire for authenticity, as well as individual privacy, have created anxieties for celebrities which are best understood in their historical and cultural context.

David Giles examines digital culture’s impact on established celebrities from traditional media while charting the rise of new forms of celebrity such as vloggers and influencers, offering novel insights on topics such as parasocial relationships, micro-celebrity, memes and celetoids.

From newspapers to social networking sites, the mass media play a huge role in shaping the way we see ourselves and others. In this engaging introduction, Giles explores our relationship with the media, looking at the effects of advertising, celebrity worship and media influence on violent behaviour. Whatever your level of study, this introduction will help you to evaluate the full reach of the media in our lives.

How do you perform a MANOVA? What is grounded theory? How do you draw up a repertory grid? These, and many other questions are addressed in this wide-ranging handbook of methods and analytic techniques which uniquely covers both quantitative and qualitative methods. Based on a broad survey of undergraduate curricula, the book takes curious readers through all of the methods that are taught on psychology courses worldwide, from advanced ANOVA statistics through regression models to test construction, qualitative research and other more unusual techniques such as Q methodology, meta-analysis and log-linear analysis. Each technique is illustrated by recent examples from the literature. There are also chapters on ethics, significance testing, and writing for publication and research proposals. Advanced Research Methods in Psychology will provide an invaluable resource for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers who need a readable, contemporary and eclectic reference of advanced methods currently in use in psychological research.

Media Psychology examines the impact that 21st century media use has on human behavior, from teenage crushes on pop stars to soap fandom in adulthood. It brings together North American communication research with European media research in a variety of disciplines--psychology, sociology, communication and media studies--and in doing so, maps out the territory for media psychology. David Giles argues that psychologists have been guilty of ignoring the influence of the media over the last century, seeing it at best as a minor nuisance that will eventually go away. However, with the increasing prevalence of new electronic forms of mass communication, the media seem to have a greater influence than ever over our daily lives. In this book, Dr. Giles tackles the traditional topics of media psychology--sex, violence, advertising--along with sections on developmental aspects of media influence and the psychology of the audience. He also examines a number of specific media genres--news, sports, soaps, and the increasingly popular audience participation media, such as "reality" and "lifestyle" television. In addition, he asks what light psychology can shed on the popularity of these genres and the response of their audiences. Finally, there are chapters on the increasing influence of the Internet and on the representation of psychology and psychologists themselves in the media.

Dave illustrates a viewpoint of Judas Iscariot' actions are a crucial part of our salvation and that Judas was honored by Jesus. There is more than just someone to blame for Jesus' crucifixion. A new church was being formed with Jesus at the center. This advanced theology narrative is not for the faint-hearted beginner on their new path to eternity. Let us continue with the four Gospels for new members of the church. Dave takes us through the formation of the early church. Through the customs and traditions of the times and how much Judas was special to Jesus. Judas was the scapegoat providing the populace with someone to unite against as the reason Jesus died. He was more educated, thoughtful, and able to get the deeds done that needed to be borne by "Good Friday". Even to the point of goading the authorities into crucifying Jesus now rather than after the feast. With Judas as the "Demon of Satan", the church was able to be united. The Conference of Nicaea reaffirms traditions and lays the plan for the church to grow by providing selected works to be included in a Bible. God's hand definitely inspired these men. Here we are 2,000 years later, women are preachers, and all the apostles went forth to preach (including Judas) and many of our inhibitions and doctrines have been laid to rest. Finally, Dave ends with Grace is given to all of us, Jew, and gentile alike. When the Lord said "forgive them, they know not what they do" he asked God in his name to forgive all of us, Romans, Greeks, us and even Judas. We are all forgiven. So, if Jesus can forgive, can we do less? Our salvation is only dependent on our believe that Jesus died for all of our sins; past, present and future. There is an underlying current to Dave's work. Go forth! Prosper, enjoy life, and live the abundant life. We need to revisit Judas' role of traitor. Judas is actually a Saint.

When Professor Giles Dawson, historian of magic and the great illusionists, visits the Circus Tropicana, wintering at a former RAF airfield in Devon, he is not there to be entertained. He is there at the request of the circus boss, Ramon Mordomo.Ramon Mordomo has experienced a series of disasters at the circus, which appear to be the work of someone trying to force him to give up the circus he loves – making him run the Gauntlet of Fear.Once Giles has been introduced to the list of suspects, he witnesses a number of so-called accidents – which any one of the suspects could have caused. He then receives some cryptic messages.... which only add more mystery to the puzzle. Things turn deadly when an accident in the ring turns out to be murder... watched by hundreds of spectators. The attempt to solve the riddle leads Giles to York, where the circus opens the season and where a second murder is committed in a locked room. A murder which is so bizarre that supernatural influences might have to be considered. As Giles begins to solve the riddle, he realises he can’t prove his suspicions. So he calls together all the suspects and plays a magic trick .... a trick designed to lure the culprit into a deadly confrontation.

Every serious baseball fan can attest to the perennial excellence of stars like Babe Ruth and Ken Griffey, Jr. But how many can recall the exploits of Fred Dunlap, George Stone, Bobby Shantz, or Mark Fidrych? Each of these players performed like a superstar for a single season, but none of them came close to replicating that success in subsequent years. Some achieved early success and flamed out, while others overcame early setbacks to achieve brief stardom late in their careers. Some were one-year wonders, and others sustained solid careers after setting an early standard that they would never again reach. This book contains the bittersweet stories of 30 such players who tantalized their fans with visions of greatness, but ultimately fell short.

Japan's invasion of China in 1937 saw most major campaigns north of the Yangtze River, where Chinese industry was concentrated. The southern theater proved a more difficult challenge for Japan because of its enormous size, diverse terrain, and poor infrastructure, but Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek made a formidable stand that produced a veritable quagmire for a superior opponent--a stalemate much desired by the Allied nations. In the first book to cover this southern theater in detail, David Macri closely examines strategic decisions, campaigns, and operations and shows how they affected Allied grand strategy. Drawing on documents of U.S. and British officials, he reveals for the first time how the Sino-Japanese War served as a "proxy war" for the Allies: by keeping Japan's military resources focused on southern China, they hoped to keep the enemy bogged down in a war of attrition that would prevent them from breaching British and Soviet territory. While the most immediate concern was preserving Siberia and its vast resources from invasion, Macri identifies Hong Kong as the keystone in that proxy war-vital in sustaining Chinese resistance against Japan as it provided the logistical interface between the outside world and battles in Hunan and Kwangtung provinces; a situation that emerged because of its vital rail connection to the city of Changsha. He describes the development of Anglo-Japanese low-intensity conflict at Hong Kong; he then explains the geopolitical significance of Hong Kong and southern China for the period following the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Opening a new window on this rarely studied theater, Macri underscores China's symbolic importance for the Allies, depicting them as unequal partners who fought the Japanese for entirely different reasons-China for restoration of its national sovereignty, the Allies to keep the Japanese preoccupied. And by aiding China's wartime efforts, the Allies further hoped to undermine Japanese propaganda designed to expel Western powers from its Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. As Macri shows, Hong Kong was not just a sleepy British Colonial outpost on the fringes of the empire but an essential logistical component of the war, and to fully understand broader events Hong Kong must be viewed together with southern China as a single military zone. His account of that forgotten fight is a pioneering work that provides new insight into the origins of the Pacific War.