Asking for a Friend

Three Centuries of Advice on Life, Love, Money, and Other Burning Questions from a Nation Obsessed

Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Reference, Etiquette, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Popular Culture, History
Cover of the book Asking for a Friend by Jessica Weisberg, PublicAffairs
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Author: Jessica Weisberg ISBN: 9781568585352
Publisher: PublicAffairs Publication: April 3, 2018
Imprint: Bold Type Books Language: English
Author: Jessica Weisberg
ISBN: 9781568585352
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Publication: April 3, 2018
Imprint: Bold Type Books
Language: English

A delightful history of Americans' obsession with advice--from Poor Richard to Dr. Spock to Miss Manners

Americans, for all our talk of pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps, obsessively seek advice on matters large and small. Perhaps precisely because we believe in bettering ourselves and our circumstances in life, we ask for guidance constantly. And this has been true since our nation's earliest days: from the colonial era on, there have always been people eager to step up and offer advice, some of it lousy, some of it thoughtful, but all of it read and debated by generations of Americans.

Jessica Weisberg takes readers on a tour of the advice-givers who have made their names, and sometimes their fortunes, by telling Americans what to do. You probably don't want to follow all the advice they proffered. Eating graham crackers will not make you a better person, and wearing blue to work won't guarantee a promotion. But for all that has changed in American life, it's a comfort to know that our hang-ups, fears, and hopes have not. We've always loved seeking advice--so long as it's anonymous, and as long as it's clear that we're not asking for ourselves; we're just asking for a friend.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

A delightful history of Americans' obsession with advice--from Poor Richard to Dr. Spock to Miss Manners

Americans, for all our talk of pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps, obsessively seek advice on matters large and small. Perhaps precisely because we believe in bettering ourselves and our circumstances in life, we ask for guidance constantly. And this has been true since our nation's earliest days: from the colonial era on, there have always been people eager to step up and offer advice, some of it lousy, some of it thoughtful, but all of it read and debated by generations of Americans.

Jessica Weisberg takes readers on a tour of the advice-givers who have made their names, and sometimes their fortunes, by telling Americans what to do. You probably don't want to follow all the advice they proffered. Eating graham crackers will not make you a better person, and wearing blue to work won't guarantee a promotion. But for all that has changed in American life, it's a comfort to know that our hang-ups, fears, and hopes have not. We've always loved seeking advice--so long as it's anonymous, and as long as it's clear that we're not asking for ourselves; we're just asking for a friend.

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