Publisher's Synopsis
BOOK DESCRIPTION Imagine your entire life were on display: The fights with your family, your bathroom and showering habits, your sex life, what and how much you eat, and every other embarrassing, weird, quirky thing you would never want anyone to ever see, hear or know about you. Think bizarre reality show. And you can't put a stop to it, no matter how hard you try. Now picture strangers raking in the money hand over fist; making a spectacle of your life and paying you nothing in return. Can you say 21st Century slavery? That's what happened to Eileen Murdock. And sheesh, all Eileen wanted to do was Shed the Shell and be a nice person. But seedy and sinister people, amidst great laughter, merriment and overwhelming public support, had other plans for her. Think: Total, unabashed exposure 24/7. Think: Being completely and utterly naked in the valley of vultures where people can swoop in and take whatever they want any time they want. Think absolutely undressed and always a mess. The exposure became so great the words "absolutely undressed and always a mess" actually became synonymous with Eileen Murdock until she took to showering in her bathing suit. Then, of course, she was deemed "occasionally undressed, but alas, still always a mess." Can you say: What a fricking nightmare? This is the story of how Eileen was "picked clean" and disgraced by "people in high places" using today's latest spy technology to exploit her life for revenge and profit. But it is also a story about learning how to "pick up the pieces and go home" when nearly every truth she held dear turned out to be a total lie. This tell-all book struggles to make sense out of a trail of lies, betrayals and exploitations. Both light and heavy-hearted, Eileen delves into family dynamics and dysfunction. She explores how the family infrastructure plays a pivotal, crucial role in how we develop or falter as a society. For better or worse, everything begins and ends with the family. There are lessons to be learned here. Eileen's story has far-reaching ramifications for our increasingly growing, globalized world. And, not to put too fine a dramatic point on it, consequences for the future of humanity itself. Shedding the Shell in the Valley of Vultures is a timeless story of greed and profit; a cautionary tale of what happens to the little guy in the hands of unchecked wealth and power. Although this is Eileen's personal story of struggle, it is also filled with universal truths that apply to everyone. And believe it or not, it is also a kind of a whacky, tongue-in-cheek self-help book filled with all kinds of helpful insights on how to deal with life's disappointments and unexpected tragedies. It is basically a handbook on how to harness an inner sense of hope and strength to get you through in the face of the deepest, darkest, most disturbing psychological torture and trauma you could ever imagine. Because hey, trust me. When your life is on the Internet 24/7, you have to find the lighter side just to survive. Essentially you have to find a way to restore your spirit and your sense of humor just to be able to face the world. When your waking world becomes a distorted, never-ending episode of Smile! You're on Candid Camera, it becomes even more crucial to find a way to still dream; to still believe in something, even if that something is simply yourself. In spite of all the darkness, machinations and exploitations, Shedding the Shell in the Valley of Vultures is actually a fun book. Really it is. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and with all the perky advice Eileen dispenses, after reading it you may even think turtles can fly. In the end you'll heave out this great big sigh as in, "Gee, as bad as my life is, I'm sure glad I'm not Eileen Murdock." After all, Shedding the Shell in the Valley of Vultures is an uplifting book. It will make you feel better about yourself and your place in the universe, unless of course, you're one of thos
