Why do Tiffany Haddish, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep and Apple’s Tim Cook turn us on, and why do some other public figures drive us crazy and turn us off? Who are the behind-the-scenes gurus who help public figures turn us on or off? And what do Moses and Benjamin Franklin have to do with any of it?

In The Turn-On, Steven Goldstein breaks down the industry of creating likeability and how public figures present it – and how they sometimes destroy it through scandals. As a television producer, Congressional lawyer, leader of state and national civil rights organizations, and communications advisor to corporate and political leaders, Goldstein has been a mover and shaker in every sector of American power. He knows what makes public figures likeable and unlikeable.

Based on his 25 years of experience and original teachings, Goldstein tells us why we like certain public figures and dislike others. Why do we let some into our personal world and refuse to let others enter? Goldstein names names, covering nearly 300 of the world’s best-known stars as well as up-and-comers. Why do we like Ellen DeGeneres and Morgan Freeman, yet find Gwyneth Paltrow sometimes maddening? Why do we like Warren Buffett, Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and Google’s Sundar Pichai aside from their products and profits? And apart from our ideology, why do some of us like Barack and Michelle Obama and others Donald Trump?

Goldstein has developed a paradigm that describes how we fall in like, reminiscent of falling in love, with the public figures who shape our lives. He identifies eight traits of likeability that every public figure reveals to us in successive pairs, with each pair deepening our relationship with that person. The pairs are: Captivation and Hope; Authenticity and Relatability; Protectiveness and Reliability; and Perceptiveness and Compassion. But the traits aren’t static. As Goldstein reveals, likeability isn’t just something you have or you don’t. Likeability can be manufactured – and it can disappear. Public figures can be their own worst enemies in saying or doing things that turn us off. Why do we forgive some but not others?

The Turn-On will make you think twice about a celebrity reinvention, a glamorous media appearance or a perfectly crafted speech, and will give you tools to take control of your own likeability and become more like your favorite star.