{"product_id":"promise-land-my-journey-through-americas-self-help-culture-paperback","title":"Promise Land: My Journey Through America's Self-Help Culture - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJessica Lamb-Shapiro\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A funny yet surprisingly nuanced look at the legends and ideas of the self-help industry\" (\u003ci\u003ePeople\u003c\/i\u003e, 3.5 stars), \u003ci\u003ePromise Land\u003c\/i\u003e explores the American devotion to self-improvement--even as the author attempts some deeply personal improvements of her own.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eRaised by a child psychologist who was himself the author of numerous self-help books, as an adult Jessica Lamb-Shapiro found herself both repelled and fascinated by the industry: did all of these books, tapes, weekend seminars, groups, posters, t-shirts, and trinkets really help anybody? Why do some people swear by the power of positive thinking, while others dismiss it as so many empty promises? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003ePromise Land\u003c\/i\u003e is an irreverent tour through the vast and strange reaches of the world of self-help. In the name of research, Jessica attempted to cure herself of phobias, followed The Rules to meet and date men, walked on hot coals, and even attended a self-help seminar for writers of self-help books. But the more she delved into the history and practice of self-help, the more she realized her interest was much more than academic. Forced into a confrontation with the silent grief that had haunted both her and her father since her mother's death when she was a baby, she realized that sometimes thinking you know everything about a subject is a way of hiding from yourself the fact that you know nothing at all. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A jaunty, cannily written memoir\" (\u003ci\u003eChicago Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e)\u003ci\u003e, Promise Land\u003c\/i\u003e is cultural history from \"a witty and enjoyably self-aware writer...Jessica Lamb-Shapiro's talent as a storyteller is undeniable\" (\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eJessica Lamb-Shapiro has published fiction and non-fiction in \u003ci\u003eThe Believer\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eMcSweeney's\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eOpen City\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eIndex \u003c\/i\u003emagazine, among others. She has been a fellow at the MacDowell Colony and the New York Foundation for the Arts. She lives in New York City and Columbia County, NY.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 240\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.6 x 9.1 x 4.2 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e January 20, 2015\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48053081243896,"sku":"9781439100219","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0698\/5629\/7208\/files\/xONM1qKITH9781439100219.webp?v=1783207785","url":"https:\/\/barneysbooksellers.com\/products\/promise-land-my-journey-through-americas-self-help-culture-paperback","provider":"Barney's Book Sellers","version":"1.0","type":"link"}