Misfortune and Fame: 10 Reasons You Don’t Want to Be Rich (or Famous)

“The more money you have... the more problems you have,” according to this diverting if frivolous rundown of the hang-ups of the 1%. Noting that “rich people have problems with other rich people,” journalist Berton (Shopomania) recounts how a property developer painted her Kensington, London, mansion with garish red and white stripes in alleged retaliation after her neighbors, concerned about construction noise, convinced the local council to reject her plan to rebuild the house. Affluence also draws unwanted attention to one’s personal life, Berton contends, noting that Bill Gates’s reputation was sullied after his 2021 divorce proceedings revealed he had extramarital affairs and made unwanted sexual advances toward employees. The most consequential anecdotes are more about the misdeeds of the wealthy than why readers wouldn’t want to be in their position, such as when Berton discusses PayPal founder Peter Thiel’s use of legal loopholes to avoid paying taxes. For the most part, though, the focus is on such mundane matters as botched plastic surgeries and trouble with personal assistants. The celebrity stories amuse, but the conclusion that “money doesn’t necessarily make us happy” feels pat, and the assertion that “we need to elect governments that take wealth inequality seriously” is out of step with the mostly trivial anecdotes. This lets its subjects off too easy. (Apr.)