Everyone seems to want to be a celebrity, attracted to the fame, fortune and wealth associated with this status. While their lives may seem glamorous, celebrities not only have to manage daily stress and pressure, but they often have to do so under the microscope of the public eye, which may not be as forgiving as the prying eyes of our own family and friends. According to Laurel and Sharon House, authors of The Gurus’ Guide to Serenity, the rich and famous have their own ways of handling these pressures, and their book comprises of a “menu of celebrity stress reducers” that we can all incorporate into our daily lives to achieve the same soothing results.

Each chapter focuses on a certain theme, such as taking a bath, doing yoga, meditating, cooking, knitting or working out, and provides descriptions of how certain celebrities avail themselves of particular benefits. For example, in the chapter on beauty and bath, we learn the details about Susan Lucci’s nightly ritual of taking a bubble bath and listening to Latin or Jazz music. In the chapter centering on massages, we learn about the benefits of a good massage as well as basic techniques used by celebrity massage therapist Michelle Luckas, whose clients include Salma Hayek, Joe Pesci, Ashley Judd and Sigourney Weaver.

We also learn a great deal about mediation and yoga and the celebrities who participate in these types of activities. Apparently Golide Hawn has a meditation atrium, Shannon Elizabeth performs grounding meditations, and the meditation Marla Maple engages in is rooted in the Kabbalah. If you look to the comfort of home-cooking as a source of relaxation, you will see you share a bond with some celebrities who present some of their favorite recipes in the chapter dedicated to cooking. Information on celebrities who consider both the creation and collection of art to be a relaxing hobby is the focus of a later chapter.

The chapter entitled “Little Luxuries” focuses on just that, explaining that Susan Lucci will drink a warm glass of water with lemon to relax, Melissa Rivers will dim the electric lights and light an aroma-therapy candle at the end of a long day, Lauren Holly will take deep, cleansing breaths to reduce stress, and Liza Huber will drive long distances to unwind.

Whether or not you will enjoy this book will depend upon the nature of your interest in celebrities. Personally, if I want to learn about meditation, yoga, or the latest developments in fitness training, I tend to gravitate toward reading a book written by an expert who has some formal training in it as opposed to attempting to learn about it from a casual participant. Further, I find all the information I want to know about celebrities on the pages of celebrity magazines. Perhaps my collection of celebrity information in this manner is a significant source of their stress, but I guess the good news is that I no longer have to feel bad about my guilty pleasure because this book suggests they are well-prepared to handle it.