How to Become Famous: Lost Einsteins, Forgotten Superstars, and How the Beatles Came to Be

This probing analysis from Sunstein (Decisions About Decisions) explores serendipity’s role in determining why some thinkers, artists, and athletes hit the big time while others languish in obscurity. For instance, Sunstein recounts how after Muhammad Ali’s bicycle was stolen when he was 12, the future champion reported the theft to a police officer who happened to run a boxing gym and recommended Ali try out the sport. Talent matters, but it’s not sufficient to explain why some artists become famous, Sunstein argues, reporting that though 19th-century Scottish novelist Mary Brunton enjoyed greater acclaim in her lifetime than her contemporary Jane Austen, the former had no children whereas the latter’s descendants were ceaseless champions of Austen’s oeuvre and succeeded in posthumously boosting her profile. Elsewhere, Sunstein suggests that one of the factors that fueled Beatlemania in the 1960s was group polarization, which describes the tendency of individuals to become more enthusiastic in their opinions when around like-minded people. Sunstein’s argument that circumstance rather than talent drives fame is well observed, though the plethora of case studies feels like overkill as Sunstein struggles to find new ways to elaborate on his thesis in the book’s final stretch. It’s a stimulating if overlong study of the vagaries of fame. Photos. Agent: Rebecca Nagel, Wylie Agency. (May)