Patricia Carlin

If you want a book that is BURSTING at the seams with funny then you're in luck because How to Make Your Cat an Internet Celebrity is just the book for you. This book is an entrepreneur's dream how-to manual giving step-by-step instructions on how to utilize the gifts of that pesky cat that up until now only slept and destroyed villainous toilet paper rolls. Instead of bemoaning the fact that your cat seems to think her water bowl is possessed by a demon catch her (on tape!) giving it show more distrustful looks before knocking it flying with a paw. If your cat looks fetching in an ascot (meow!) make sure to grab footage of him strutting his stuff while looking extraordinarily stylish. This book has every tip for making a mint by harnessing the hidden talents of the feline in your life. (Also, the pictures and captions are FANTASTIC.) show less

I've decided that it's time for Fluffy to start earning her keep. The good kibble ain't cheap, nor is the non-sketchy vet. Fluffy is certainly a consumer in this household; it's high time she became a producer. Thankfully opportunities abound on the internet. Cats make a fortune on the old tubes, and this guide is going to help us do it. This book helps the reader determine their cat's personality type. I think Fluffy falls somewhere between clown and lazy bum. Fluffy, or Contessa Fox, as show more she is now known, tends to get her butt stuck in the couch cushions, hence my personality assessment above. In addition to personality-typing, this guide also offers helpful suggestions for props and tricks, as well as advice on spamming, er, marketing, to Contessa's videos to all our friends. After reading this book I have a clear plan. Step 1: Cat Step 2: Step 3: $$$$

It's really that easy. show less

If there were a modicum of intelligence injected into this book, its writer and its photographer alike, would have tried to genuinely understand the nature of cats, and perhaps foremost what makes living beings enjoy life. The introduction to this book states that no cats were harmed in the production of the book. However, imagine a cat hissing for fun. They don't. The overwhelming majority of them hiss when feeling immensely and immediately threatened. Also, some of the cats in this book show more are fatally obese. This book was published in the USA, where I know a lot of well-minded persons report obesity in animals to the authorities so that their diet and general well-being can be looked after by people who both genuinely care for cats and who don't allow their enslaving and enabling of obese animals to be photographed for a book like this, obviously designed to only make its idiotic creators fast money. This is atrocious, and allow me to add that I've been part of making two photo books for cats and I am fortunate to live with a cat who's healthy. Also, every joke in this book stretches the mind by trying to compare cats with humans, be it in drawings, repetitive and trite text, or image, the message is clear: avoid this book. show less

How to Make Your Cat an Internet Celebrity walks you though the processes of brainstorming, identifying your cat's unique traits, gathering footage, uploading footage, and promoting your new star. At it's core, it's a how-to guide, but it really goes above and beyond with the specificity and quality of its examples. Carlin uses a combo of matter-of-fact and audience-degrading tones to get her point across.

Uncertain what kinds of cat personalities your pet might fall into? Carlin has several show more example tropes: sweet baby kitten, the daredevil, and even utterly bland are just a few--and these examples get your own wheels turning on what angle you could spin your cat on if he/she doesn't fit neatly into one of the ones Carlin provides. She also gives some tips to enhance your cat's persona--perhaps a new stage name or some props.

The identification and brainstorming first section is a bucket of fun, but Carlin doesn't stop there. She gets right into the gritty details in the next chapter with how to capture your pet's hilarious behaviors on screen. (OK, she doesn't actually get super into the details of filming, but at least she extends some suggestions on how you can get there...though in the end, you kind of just have to be tech savvy already.) What equipment do you need? Should or how should you stage your cat's scenes? Will extras be necessary? If you haven't considered these questions yet, don't worry. Carlin has. With extremely detailed and exacting diagrams, she offers plenty of ways to get your cat started: roll of toilet paper, vase with impossibly small opening, baby, etc.

The work (and the book) isn't done yet. Editing and uploading your video is a critical step that Carlin won't let you overlook. And she walks through some potential conflict areas in the future professional relationship between you and your cat.

The book is visually engaging, and the images reflect the quality and humor in the writing. A fun read, How to Make Your Cat an Internet Celebrity actually does work as a how-to book. If the cat I was caring for hadn't unexpectedly passed away (RIP Artie :(), we'd be on our way to stardom at this very moment. show less