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

About this book

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 nations 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 dont want to follow all the advice they proffered. Eating graham crackers will not make you a better person and wearing blue to work wont guarantee a promotion. But for all that has changed in American life its a comfort to know that our hang-ups fears and hopes have not. Weve always loved seeking advice -- so long as its anonymous and as long as its clear that were not asking for ourselves; were just asking for a friend.