It is tempting to simplify Louis Walsh's apparent rise to international fame into an uncomplicated story of Irish success. Kathy Foley's carefully researched book shows the real Walsh is a great deal shrewder than he would like anyone to think. Baby You're a Star is a splendidly readable account of the rise and rise of Walsh on the international music scene. Following Walsh's career from his first job as an office boy, through his years in the music industry wilderness, to fame and wealth in the past decade, she had gained unrivaled access to his family, school friends, music industry figures, and the pop bands who fall under Walsh's control. Baby You're a Star tracks Walsh's successes and his equally spectacular failures as told by many people whose lives he has influenced over the years. Foley sets a new mark for pop industry writing, away from the more complimentary prose in the media. And she doesn't disappoint.