{"product_id":"theo-kalomirakis-private-theaters-book-brett-anderson-9780810963443","title":"Theo Kalomirakis' Private Theaters","description":"\u003cb\u003eA 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 \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\u003eA 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":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49568057032977,"sku":"GOR005912586","price":36.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50778694680849,"sku":"CIN0810963442VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50973677224209,"sku":"CIN0810963442G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0810963442.gif?v=1750818199","url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-au\/products\/theo-kalomirakis-private-theaters-book-brett-anderson-9780810963443","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}