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Promise Land: My Journey Through America's Self-Help Culture (2014)

by Jessica Lamb-Shapiro(Favorite Author)

3.51 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

1439100195 (ISBN13: 9781439100196)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Simon & Schuster

review 1: Maybe more like 2.5 stars for me. The personal narrative sections were always much better than when the author inserted historical context in a rather jumbled and hasty way. At many points the book reminded me of Bright Sided, but Barbara Ehrenreich handled such transitions much more smoothly and made the history more interesting to read. Lamb-Shapiro often slipped into a tone of voice that made her sound like a resentful, sarcastic teenager, which made sense given her personal connections to self-help, but seemed an unfair way to treat a worthy topic. But when she allowed herself to be vulnerable and genuine, I liked the book quite a lot (phobia desensitization and grief camp were stand-out sections).
review 2: Loved this book. I was surprised how quickly it p... moreulled me in. Her writing is clear and honest and interesting. She takes you on a select journey of the self-help world, but doesn't linger too long on each topic. She has no qualms about taking that world to task, including her father's works (he created a slew of self-help games and pamphlets over the years). But she's always kind and thoughtful with her comments. There are parts I found particularly touching, re: her father and their own family tragedy. This book will be a valuable part of my library. I look forward to reading her future works. less

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