{"product_id":"9781439101605","title":"Promise Land: My Journey through America's Self-Help Culture","description":"“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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\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?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\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.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\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).","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47154135040240,"sku":"9781439101605","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781439101605_p0.jpg?v=1763757077","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781439101605","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}