

Dan Gheesling is known for winning the grand prize on the hit CBS Reality TV show Big Brother. But what most people donโt know about Dan is the journey he actually took to get cast on Reality TV... until now. Follow Dan on his journey and experience first hand how many times Dan was rejected in the casting process and what exactly he did to overcome it. Learn how Dan started playing Big Brother before the game even started! Whether you are a Reality TV fan or just someone who loves an epic underdog story, How A Normal Guy Got Cast on Reality TV gives you an inside look at how a normal Catholic School Teacher from Michigan beat the odds and fulfilled his dream of being in the Big Brother house. Review: Such A Dream - My dream would be to be on Big Brother one day. Iโve been watching ever since I was a kid. I wasnโt much of a Dan fan back when he was on the first time around (but his comeback was definitely historic and he was extremely worthy of winning!). Anyway, for a long time I knew about the book he wrote and always wanted to read it. So I went for it. Itโs extremely insightful, and a perfect look into his attempt into making it on the show. Definitely give it a read if youโre as passionate about joining, as I truly am. Itโs a really fun read and gives some great advice! Review: Short, sweet, and applicable - While I'm not the biggest fan of Big Brother, the book is a great short read about the casting process behind reality television. As a person attempting to get cast on Survivor, I was afraid that maybe the tips and tricks detailed in Dan's story wouldn't apply to me as much as it would fans of Big Brother, but lo and behold, I still came out of the book feeling confident and invigorated in my own chances at achieving my dreams. Even if you're not a big fan of reality television or plan to audition, Dan provides a really entertaining and inspirational story about his journey that I think would appeal to an audience outside the RTV fan base. While the price is a bit too high for such a short read (that took about an hour give or take), I can really appreciate that Dan was willing to put his time into chronicling his story for the sake of helping hopefuls like myself and many others. It's a good, short read from a guy that knows his stuff.
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,806,116 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #803 in TV History & Criticism #14,656 in Performing Arts (Books) #36,208 in Personal Transformation Self-Help |
| Customer Reviews | 4.2 out of 5 stars 90 Reviews |
J**N
Such A Dream
My dream would be to be on Big Brother one day. Iโve been watching ever since I was a kid. I wasnโt much of a Dan fan back when he was on the first time around (but his comeback was definitely historic and he was extremely worthy of winning!). Anyway, for a long time I knew about the book he wrote and always wanted to read it. So I went for it. Itโs extremely insightful, and a perfect look into his attempt into making it on the show. Definitely give it a read if youโre as passionate about joining, as I truly am. Itโs a really fun read and gives some great advice!
C**E
Short, sweet, and applicable
While I'm not the biggest fan of Big Brother, the book is a great short read about the casting process behind reality television. As a person attempting to get cast on Survivor, I was afraid that maybe the tips and tricks detailed in Dan's story wouldn't apply to me as much as it would fans of Big Brother, but lo and behold, I still came out of the book feeling confident and invigorated in my own chances at achieving my dreams. Even if you're not a big fan of reality television or plan to audition, Dan provides a really entertaining and inspirational story about his journey that I think would appeal to an audience outside the RTV fan base. While the price is a bit too high for such a short read (that took about an hour give or take), I can really appreciate that Dan was willing to put his time into chronicling his story for the sake of helping hopefuls like myself and many others. It's a good, short read from a guy that knows his stuff.
A**R
Fascinating insider look at Big Brother casting
It's tough to classify this book as either a memoir or as some kind of self-help, advice book, but it's definitely worth a read for anyone who is a big fan of Big Brother. Understanding the casting from the perspective of a participant makes watching the show a little bit more rewarding when you know what the people on the show had to go through just to be in the house in the first place. Survivor fans might also enjoy the book because Dan does talk about applying for that show as well. In that sense, really anyone who is interested in reality TV in general might enjoy the book. With it being such a quick read - only 60 some pages on Kindle - it's worth the read if you have any interest in trying to understand shows like Big Brother more than the surface level.
T**P
Just OK
This was a quick read and I'm not even sure why I bought it except that Dan was one of my fave players on Big Brother and someone mentioned recently that he had written a book. So...yeah, it's ok. Not great. Not even good, but he's likable and the book has merits for anyone who likes Big Brother or reality TV. I gave it a (merciful) three stars because he's engaging and also went into into excruciating detail about the casting process of reality TV, which was interesting and surprising. Had no idea it took that long! Probably deserves two stars because it's only OK and because this book is probably a teaser for other wares he's trying to hawk on his website, but I gave him a break because the dude pulled off a Big Brother coup that was EPIC and he's still really likable. Overall though? Eh.
A**R
Love it!
If you're on this page considering whether or not to buy this book - BUY IT! Dan gives a never-before-seen, behind the scenes look at reality TV casting for all of you reality show buffs out there that is priceless, especially if you're considering trying out for a show. Even if you're not into reality TV, this story about an underdog achieving his dreams is inspirational for anybody who has a goal in life that seems impossible to reach. A quick, easy to understand read that I couldn't put down until I was finished!
T**A
Fun read - enjoyable
If you are a fan of Big Brother or other reality shows, this is a fun, simple read - it could be a little more indepth about the process, but all in all, it was a fun read - only about 65 pages on Kindle - I enjoyed reading about Dan's efforts to get on BB and Survivor - a little of me lives in him; he has proven himself a worthy competitor and I just hope he wins BB14 this year. Thanks Dan!
S**3
Short but interesting
While this book was a bit overpriced (it was free for the first few months it was released), it still is a great quick read and provides really good insight into the reality TV casting process (in particular, CBS's Big Brother). I am a huge fan of Dan Gheesling, and I have read this book a couple of times while taking short flights over the last month. Definitely a motivating story, and would have been a 5 star if it was a little longer or cheaper.
C**Y
Great....but
Left me wanting more! I really enjoyed hearing about Dan's long arduous process of BB application. However I wanted to hear about his impressions of when he first walked on the set. The lead up of how they prepped him for the show. Some tidbits about "production." But I am sure his mention of this 37 page contract had something in it about "what happens in the BB house, STAYS in the BB house or get sued."
M**A
Love it!
this book by Dan Gheesling was really amazing if your a fan of him and big brother like i am i would read it! this whole book is about his interview journey process on how he got on big brother and how many times it took him before he got there which i was very suprised how many auditions he went through, there are some smart tips in there i really just loved this book overall and it got me really inspired immediatly after to audition for the show in Canada and im only 17.:)
P**R
Reality tv
Interesting
C**H
Amazing Read!
Amazing book by an amazing man and hope to pursue my dream as he did his
M**9
loved it!
Finally an idea of what it's like to audition and go through the casting process. So fascinating and motivating! Thanks Dan!
R**S
Very good read for big brother fans
Was a good page turner, big dan fan so was very interesting! I suggest getting it!
Trustpilot
1 month ago
2 months ago