Stephen Potter's "Upmanship" books are satirical takes on status-seeking under the cloak of sociableness – 'remember, that it is just on such occasions that an appearance of geniality is most important' – cast in advice-book form. A few decades later, with the neoliberal turn, such advice – 'Remember the reality of self-interest' – would be being seriously advocated in the self-help world: in bestsellers like "Swim with the Sharks", all 'kinds of seemingly benign guile are encouraged', on the principle that 'status displays matter: just don't be suckered by them yourself'.