Feeding off the frenzy of fleeting fame and image overload, Hostetler takes anecessary look at the false gods in modern society. This timely book can helpreaders realize and overcome their own idolatries.

Go behind the scenes of Season 4! ·Up close and personal with the Top 12 ·Sneak peak at creating an Idol ·Candid backstage photos ·Lifestyles of the Top 12 ·See what happens when the cameras aren't rolling ·Exclusive poster of your favorite contestants

A celebration of the hit show "American Idol" chronicles each season with profiles of the finalists, judges, and winners, and includes more than seven hundred images depicting memorable moments from the show's ten-year history.

Platinum-award winning country music star Scotty McCreery shares his journey from North Carolina to American Idol and the top of the country music charts. American Idol was just a simple singing competition that seemed fun to audition for. Who knew what kind of doors it might open for a sixteen-year-old from Garner, North Carolina? Go Big or Go Home is the story of a kid with country songs in his soul. Daring to enter the limelight at a young age, Scotty found himself embraced by the nation, and even overseas, as he competed on season 10 of American Idol. In Go Big or Go Home, Scotty shares his journey from his North Carolina roots to winning America's most popular singing competition and launching the musical career he had always dreamed of. Along the way, Scotty teaches us: What it means to have an uncompromising faith The power of dreaming big The importance of embracing your God-given talents Join Scotty as he shares a glimpse of where he came from and the impact his faith, family, and friends have had on a humble guy who keeps asking, "Why me?" Praise for Go Big or Go Home: "Revealing, touching, and often humorous, Go Big or Go Home takes fans behind the scenes of Scotty McCreery's journey so far and pulls back the curtain on American Idol and the music industry while McCreery navigates the tricky waters of instant fame with grace, insight, and, above all, gratitude for the gifts he has been given." --Melinda Newman, music journalist "Being an artist takes you out of your comfort zone and thrusts you into the world. Some of what you experience you are prepared for and some of it you aren't. To quote the country music prophet Aaron Tippin, 'You've got to stand for somethin' or you'll fall for anything.' Scotty McCreery stands for something. You hear it in his voice. You see it in his actions. And you feel it in his songs. This book outlines the wild ride he's been on being thrust into the world." --Josh Turner, Grammy-nominated and multiplatinum-selling MCA recording artist and bestselling author

Stories from Idols and Their Fans for Everyone Who Believes in a Dream. . . With stories from Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken, Jordin Sparks, Ruben Studdard, Melinda Doolittle, Blake Lewis, Sanjaya Malakar, and many other top Idols from every season! Do you love the thrill of seeing people's dreams come true? Do you enjoy the excitement of rooting for your favorite contestant ? Has your spirit ever soared from watching a performance on American Idol ? For anyone who has watched America 's best loved television show, here's a collection of captivating stories that take you into the hearts, minds and souls of the Idols, the fans, and the team that makes the show possible. These are the stories the television cameras don't see--true, uplifting, and entertaining tales told with humor and candor that will leave you laughing, crying, and feeling inspired, whether you are a die-hard Idol watcher or an occasional fan . Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul is the perfect marriage of the #1 show in television history and the #1 non-fiction book series in publishing history--both dedicated to celebrating the triumph of spirit over adversity, the fulfillment of dreams coming true, and the power of love. In Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul , those closest to the heart of American Idol -- from the executive producers to the stylists, from the fans to the judges, from the top finalists to the behind-the-scenes crew --share their moving stories of obstacles overcome, love and support shared, lessons learned and lives touched and changed forever. This is truly the stuff that dreams are made of--and why almost 60 million people faithfully tune in week after week, year after year.

Tony Evans is one of the most influential church leaders of our time and has been studying and preaching the Gospel for over 50 years. He is senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, TX and founder of The Urban Alternative, a ministry which promotes a kingdom agenda philosophy designed to enable people to live all of life underneath the comprehensive rule of God. The Tony Evans Bible Commentary includes an introduction to each Bible book followed by passage-by-passage exposition of the entire Bible by Dr. Tony Evans. In addition, there is a special front matter section with introductory resources. The insights in this commentary will help explain God’s Word in a fresh way. Applying these truths will empower readers to have transformed lives that then transfer the values of the kingdom of God to others. The Tony Evans Bible Commentary features the highly readable, highly reliable text of the Christian Standard Bible® (CSB). The CSB stays as literal as possible to the Bible's original meaning without sacrificing clarity, making it easier to engage with Scripture's life-changing message and to share it with others.

From Elvis and a hound dog wearing matching tuxedos and the comic adventures of artificially produced bands to elaborate music videos and contrived reality-show contests, television--as this critical look brilliantly shows--has done a superb job of presenting the energy of rock in a fabulously entertaining but patently "fake" manner. The dichotomy of "fake" and "real" music as it is portrayed on television is presented in detail through many generations of rock music: the Monkees shared the charts with the Beatles, Tupac and Slayer fans voted for corny American Idols, and shows like" Shindig! "and "Soul Train "somehow captured the unhinged energy of rock far more effectively than most long-haired guitar-smashing acts. Also shown is how TV has often delighted in breaking the rules while still mostly playing by them: Bo Diddley defied Ed Sullivan and sang rock and roll after he had been told not to, the Chipmunks' subversive antics prepared kids for punk rock, and things got out of hand when" Saturday Night Live "invited punk kids to attend a taping of the band Fear. Every aspect of the idiosyncratic history of rock and TV and their peculiar relationship is covered, including cartoon rock, music programming for African American audiences, punk on television, Michael Jackson's life on TV, and the tortured history of MTV and its progeny.