Asking for a friend : three centuries of advice on life, love, money, and other burning questions from a nation obsessed / Jessica Weisberg.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Weisberg, Jessica, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Advice columnists--United States--Biography.

Advice columnists.

United States.

Genre:

Biographies.

Nonfiction.

Physical Description:

x, 304 pages ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Nation Books, 2018.

Summary:

"A delightful history of Americans' obsession with advice and self-help -- from Poor Richard to Dr. Spock to Miss Manners." -- From book jacket.

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. And 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. 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. -- adapted from jacket.

Contents:

Part one: Old, wise men

In praise of the maggot: John Dunton

Politeness vs. honesty, part 1: Lord Chesterfield

Funny business: Benjamin Franklin

American guru: William Alcott

Part two: As a friend

Sob sister: Dorothy Dix

Happy thoughts: Dale Carnegie

Everything changes: Dear Abby and Ann Landers

Indulgence is a virtue: Mildred Newman

Part three: Experts among us

Honorary pants: Sylvia Porter

Doctor's orders: Benjamin Spock

Death's best friend: Elizabeth Kübler-Ross

Guide to the stars: Joan Quigley

Part four: Advice for all, by all

Stand by me: Harville Hendrix and Helen Hunt

Politeness vs. honesty, part 2: Judith Martin

How to coach a life coach: Martha Beck

The king of Quora: Michael King.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 253-288) and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Weisberg, Jessica. Asking for a friend.

ISBN:

9781568585345

1568585349

OCLC:

1000584160