

Self-Help Books 1st edition

Why Americans Keep Reading Them

Self-Help Books 0 9780252075186 0252075188






Details about this item
Self-Help Books: Based on a reading of more than three hundred self-help books, Sandra K. Dolby examines this remarkably popular genre to define "self-help" in a way that's compelling to academics and lay readers alike. Self-Help Books also offers an interpretation of why these books are so popular, arguing that they continue the well-established American penchant for self-education, articulate problems of daily life and supposed solutions for them, and present their content in an accessible rather than arcane form and style. Using methods associated with folklore studies, Dolby then examines how the genre makes use of stories, aphorisms, and a worldview that is at once traditional and contemporary. The overarching premise of the study is that self-help books, much like fairy tales, take traditional materials, especially stories and ideas, and recast them into extended essays that people happily read, think about, try to apply, and then set aside when a new embodiment of the genre comes along.
Back to top

Rent Self-Help Books 1st edition today, or search our site for Sandra K. textbooks. Every textbook comes with a 21-day "Any Reason" guarantee. Published by University of Illinois Press.