CALL NOW: It is 2am, you cannot sleep, and just then you get the offer of a lifetime: A towel that supposedly holds 12 times its weight in liquid.

You doubt it. But maybe curiosity, or the charismatic if not mildly annoying ShamWow pitchman, gets to you. For $19.95 - plus $7.95 shipping and handling - you cannot help but climb out of the couch, reach for your wallet and dial that toll-free number.

You may hate to admit that such a cheesy ad would get the best of you, but you are not alone - one out of three Americans has ordered the Snuggie, George Foreman Grill, OxiClean or another iconic item marketed via infomercials.

"People talk about what they've ordered, or their favorite infomercial, like it's their dirty little secret," said Remy Stern, author of the recently published book about the $100 billion industry, "But Wait...There's More!"

"It's had such a pop culture impact that infomercial personalities like Tony Robbins and Billy Mays become mini-celebrities."

The ads may seem kitschy, but the tactic works, Stern said.

"It's silly, it's cheesy, but this is a vast industry that is savvy and sophisticated, and they've developed amazing insight into the minds of the consumer," he said. "People want to talk about them, and the next thing you know you've got girls who work at Vogue bonding over the Snuggie."

Stern admits he has bought a number of things that are "as seen on TV", including a juicemaker.

"If you've gotten so much enjoyment out of watching the commercial and wanna buy something that's $19.95, there's not a lot of harm in that," he said. "It's when you spend $900 on an exercise machine or invest in a get-rich-quick-scheme that it turns into a complete and total disaster."

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