Along with Reviving Ophelia, Deadly Persuasion (also known as Can’t Buy Me Love) was one of the books that changed my life. Those two books were originally the first ones that convinced me I needed to get the message out about negative body image and what advertising is doing to us subliminally. This book blew me away to the degree that I could barely sleep at night because I was consumed in what I was reading. I can’t tell you how many times my jaw dropped in this book and I just shook my head. It’s mind-boggling.

Deadly Persuasion talks about how advertising works and how it effects us. She addresses how advertising sells more than products, how it corrupts relationships, promotes addiction, violence, and rebellion. She also talks about her own struggle with addiction and how she overcame it.

Reading this book allowed me to become aware of what advertising does and how it works, which is the first step to fighting it. It has also allowed me to think about consumerism and how it affects me. There was a time in my life where I’d walk through the mall and have the idea in my head that buying things could make my life better, and I’m happy to have realized that no object holds the power to really enhance my life.

Jean Kilbourne has spent twenty years speaking and drawing awareness to this topic. I think this book should be read by every American considering we are living in a world with advertising around every corner. If you want to become aware and fight consumerism along with it’s negative affects, you need to read this book!