Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House M.D. Virtual Book Tour March & April 2011

Chasing Zebras

Join Barbara Barnett, author of the nonfiction television book, Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D. (ECW Press), as she virtually tours the blogosphere March 1 – April 29 2011 on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

About Barbara Barnett

Barbara Barnett Barbara Barnett is Co-Executive Editor of Blogcritics, an Internet magazine of pop culture, politics and more owned by Technorati Media. Always a pop-culture geek, Barbara was raised on a steady diet of TV (and TV dinners), but she always found her way to TV’s antiheroes and misunderstood champions, whether on TV, in the movies or in literature.

Barnett’s regular column, “Welcome to the End of the Thought Process: An Introspective Look at House, M.D.” features insightful episode commentaries and interviews with the House cast and creative team. It is the place for intelligent discussion of the hit television series starring Hugh Laurie.

Barbara has had an eclectic career. With an undergraduate degree in biology and minors in chemistry and English, she pursued a PhD in Public Policy Analysis after spending a few years working in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Her first professional writing gig was with a food industry trade magazine, and although it wasn’t exactly like writing for The New Yorker, it completely hooked her on the profession of writing.

She also writes lots of other things, including technology (from a non-geek perspective), the movies, politics and all things Jewish. Based in the north shore suburbs of Chicago, Barnett is married with two brilliant children and a dog. Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D. is her first (commercial) book. She hopes it’s not her last.

Visit Barbara’s website at www.barbarabarnett.com.

About Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D.

Chasing Zebras

Medical students are taught that when they hear hoofbeats, they should think horses, not zebras, but Dr. House’s unique talent of diagnosing unusual illnesses has made House, M.D. one of the most popular and fascinating series on television. In Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D., Barbara Barnett, co-executive editor of Blogcritics magazine and widely considered a leading House expert, takes fans deep into the heart of the show’s central character and his world, examining the way this medical Sherlock Holmes’s colleagues and patients reflect him and each other; how the music, settings, and even the humor enhance our understanding of the series’ narrative; what the show says about modern medicine, ethics, and religion; and much more. Complete with an episode-by-episode guide and quotes from her numerous Blogcritics interviews with cast members, producers, and writers, Chasing Zebras is an intelligent look at one of television’s most popular shows.

Read the Excerpt!

“It is an axiom of medicine: “when you hear hoofbeats, you think horses, not
zebras.” Dr. Gregory House and his elite team of diagnostic fellows chase medicine’s “zebras” — the anomalies, the odd presentations, the diseases so rare that most doctors would not have encountered them in a normal medical practice.

House, M.D. is, itself, a zebra in a herd of horses. It is a rare find of a show
blessed with consistently sharp, intelligent writing: densely packed and multifaceted. It features one of the most complex characters ever to have been written for the small screen, Dr. Gregory House, brought to life through Hugh Laurie’s brilliant and nuanced performance.

I grew up on TV. By age nine, I was hooked on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and by 11, I was addicted to Star Trek classic. Nowadays, I have little time for series television. But when I get hooked on a television show, I really get hooked, and so it is with House, M.D.

Whenever the media say that women are attracted to House because he’s a
“bad boy,” I tend to cringe first and then shake my head in disagreement. I don’t like “bad boys” — real or fictional. I like my heroes, well . . . heroic. Heroic, but tragically flawed: equal parts Mr. Knightley and Edward Rochester; Mr. Spock and Rick Blaine.

House has a “public persona” and also one he keeps tightly under wraps, reluctant to reveal — to anyone. Publicly, he’s a brilliant diagnostician, intuitive, deductive, and eerily smart. He’s also a risk taker and more than a tad reckless.

In many ways he’s an adolescent boy constantly hatching his next manipulation or elaborate game. He’s crude and rude. House’s closest associates tell us that House cares only about the puzzle. No messiah complex for him; he has a
Rubik’s complex instead. But how does this image reconcile with the times we’ve seen him gazing yearningly from behind the glass into patient rooms,
watching them with their families? How often do we observe the arrogant and
egotistical Gregory House late at night, alone in his office or apartment, desperately searching for answers inside himself long after everyone else has gone home? Like the show that bears his name, House is as complex and rare as the medical cases he takes on: a zebra amongst the horses.

This book is a highly subjective look at a great television series through one fan’s perspective. Another writer might focus on the medicine, the humor, or
the mysteries. But I view House, M.D. fundamentally as a detailed character study: House’s journey, his struggles, and the people in his orbit. This is the
lens through which I enjoy House — and through which I understand it.

There are chapters here on the writing, the structure, and the elements that
make House, M.D. such a fascinating series. There are chapters on each of the
characters and some of the show’s oft-visited themes viewed through “closer
looks” at key episodes. I’ve also included an extensive six-season episode guide.

Although there are episode guides all over the Internet offering episode recaps
and credits (and even in-depth analyses, including my feature at Blogcritics), this guide is slightly different. It’s a road map through the series, showing you the highlights from six seasons: memorable scenes, House’s patented eureka
moments, clinic patients, relationship highlights, music, and more — all from
a fan’s perspective.”

Watch the Trailer!

Here’s what critics are saying about Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House M.D.!

“Guide to House, M.D. is a resource for seasoned fans, an atlas for new viewers, and a guide for students of television, film and pop culture…could not put this book down.”

— Monsters and Critics

“Barnett loves the show, as is evidenced in her very thorough guide to every episode up to the 6th season.  She neatly divides each storyline into its plot components and well as fun detours…”

— Crushable

“For any fan completely stoked about the return of Gregory House to the Fox TV network this fall, play close attention – Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D., is the perfect primer and referential resource for this fantastic show.”

— London (Ontario) Scene Magazine

“Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D. by Barbara  Barnett is outsider’s look at the inner workings of one of the best shows that has ever hooked me.  I say outsider because Barnett was not hired by the studio that produces the show (NBC Universal) nor has she ever worked for the show in any capacity, but she has gotten access to several of the show’s writers, producers, and actors and used that access to help craft as comprehensive a look at the show as you’re likely to find anywhere.”

— Blogcritics Magazine (Josh Hathaway)

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Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D. Virtual Book Tour Schedule

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books kk Tuesday, March 1
Guest blogging at The Book Faerie Reviews
Barbara blogs about the infamous Dr. Gregory House of House, M.D. in ‘Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know: Dr. Gregory House as Byronic Hero’!

Wednesday, March 2
Interviewed at Pump Up Your Book
Barbara tells us what’s the most frustrating thing about being an author!

Thursday, March 3
Interviewed at Virginia Beach Publishing Examiner
House M.D. expert Barbara is asked more about her book and writing experiences.

Friday, March 4
Interviewed at Digital Journal
Barbara talks about the House M.D. addiction in this candid interview about the popular television show!

Monday, March 7
Interviewed at As the Pages Turn
Read what Barbara had to research in order to write Chasing Zebras!

Tuesday, March 8
Guest blogging at As the Pages Turn
Barbara gives us 7 things you might not know about House, MD!

Wednesday, March 9
Interviewed at Literarily Speaking
Barbara tells us what the key ingredients are to writing nonfiction books!

Thursday, March 10
Guest blogging at Literarily Speaking
What’s the real reason Barbara wrote Chasing Zebras?  Read this and find out!

Friday, March 11
Guest blogging at Beyond the Books
Barbara tells us five things we need to know about Chasing Zebras!

Monday, March 14
Guest blogging at Pitching Pencils
Barbara tells us why writing a book is different from writing a blog!

Tuesday, March 15
Book reviewed at Ohio Girl Talks
Read the review!  Vanessa loved it!

Wednesday, March 16
Interviewed at The Book Connection

Thursday, March 17
Guest blogging at Writing Daze

Friday, March 18
Book reviewed at You Have How Many Kids?

Tuesday, March 22
Interviewed at Review From Here

Wednesday, March 23
Guest blogging at Market My Novel

Thursday, March 24
Interviewed at The Hot Author Report

Friday, March 25
Chat & Book Giveaway at PUMP UP YOUR BOOK’S MARCH 2011 AUTHORS ON TOUR FACEBOOK PARTY

Monday, April 4
Book reviewed at Rainy Day Reviews

Tuesday, April 5
Guest blogging at Books R Us

Wednesday, April 6
Book reviewed at Books R Us

Thursday, April 7
Book giveaway at Beyond the Books

Friday, April 8
Book reviewed at The Hot Author Report

Monday, April 11
Interviewed at Cafe of Dreams

Tuesday, April 12
Guest blogging at Night Owl Reviews

Wednesday, April 13
Book reviewed at Wakela’s World

Thursday, April 14
Interviewed LIVE on Blog Talk Radio’s A Book and a Chat with Storyheart (Barry Eva)

Friday, April 15
Guest blogging at Island Chick Travels

Monday, April 18
Interviewed at Book Marketing Buzz

Tuesday, April 19
Interviewed at American Chronicle

Wednesday, April 20
Interviewed at The Writer’s Life

Thursday, April 21
Guesting on Literarily Speaking’s April 2011 Book Panel

Friday, April 22
Interviewed at The Book Bin

Monday, April 25
Book reviewed at Books, Fitness & Other Stuff

Tuesday, April 26
Book reviewed at Chrissy’s World of Books

Wednesday, April 27
Book reviewed at Inspired by Savannah

Thursday, April 28
Guest blogging at Literal Exposure

Friday, April 29
Interviewed at Beyond the Books

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Barbara Barnett’s CHASING ZEBRAS: THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO HOUSE, M.D. VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR ‘10 will officially begin on March 1 and end on April 29 ’11. Please contact Dorothy Thompson at thewriterslife@yahoo.com if you are interested in hosting and/or reviewing her book or click here to use the form. Thank you!

If you would like to book your own virtual book tour with us, click here to find out how!

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