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

Self-help books may seem especially ubiquitous today, but as journalist Weisberg writes in her winning debut, the “American self-help empire has been sprawling aggressively for decades.” She recounts the evolution of professional advice giving via 16 different practitioners spanning over three centuries, from late-17th-century London publisher John Dunton through 21st-century “life coach” Martha Beck. While cautioning that some of the advice discussed is “extreme, outdated, or downright insane” (such as 19th-century diet guru William Alcott’s strict no-tomatoes rule), Weisberg stresses that her subjects were essentially well-intentioned, and not charlatans or hypocrites. Intriguingly, the book highlights trends over time, including the emergence of secular advice givers from the late 17th to mid-19th century, the domination of the 20th by either self-styled “confidants” or credentialed experts, and the current trend of striking a balance between approachability and professionalism. Weisberg describes the distinctive traits of her book’s subjects, such as Ben Franklin’s use of pseudonyms, columnist Dorothy Dix’s combination of sympathy with tough love, and astrologer Joan Quigley’s direct line to the Reagan White House. Both those devoted to and bemused by self-help literature will profit from this insightful look into an ever-relevant and changing facet of American society. (Apr.)