The origins of self-help writing are often traced back to ancient times. This episode talks through some early versions of it, the goal-setting advice of a founding father, and the beginnings of the modern self-help genre.

Research:
Brady, Diane. “Charles Manson’s Turning Point: Dale Carnegie Classes.” Bloomberg Businessweek. July 22, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130925204803/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-07-22/charles-mansons-turning-point-dale-carnegie-classes
Britannica Editors. "Lunyu". Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Jan. 2019, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lunyu
Britannica Editors. "Norman Vincent Peale". Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 May. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Norman-Vincent-Peale
Carnegie, Dale. “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” London. Vermillion. Digital: https://dn720004.ca.archive.org/0/items/english-collections-1/How%20To%20Win%20Friends%20And%20Influence%20People%20-%20Carnegie%2C%20Dale.pdf
Fairbanks, Douglas. “Laugh and Live.” New York. Britton Publishing Company. 1917. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12887/pg12887.txt
Fontaine, Carole R. “A Modern Look at Ancient Wisdom: The Instruction of Ptahhotep Revisited.” The Biblical Archaeologist, vol. 44, no. 3, 1981, pp. 155–60. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3209606
Franklin, Benjamin. “The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.” HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY. 1916. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/20203/20203-h/20203-h.htm#X
Battiscombe G. “THE INSTRUCTION OF PTAH-HOTEP AND THE INSTRUCTION OF
KE'GEMNI: THE OLDEST BOOKS IN THE WORLD.” London. John Murray. 1906. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/30508/30508-h/30508-h.htm
Lilienfeld, Scott O. and Hal Arkowitz. “Can positive thinking be negative?” Scientific American. May 1, 2011. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-positive-thinking-be-negative/
Ray, J. D. “Egyptian Wisdom Literature.” Wisdom in Ancient Israel. Ed. John Day, Robert P. Gordon, and Hugh Godfrey Maturin Williamson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. 17–29. 
Stableford, Brian. “Samuel Smiles.” Ebsco. 2023. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/samuel-smiles
Seneca, Lucius Annaius, and Garth D. Williams (tr.). “On the Shortness of Life.” https://ia601705.us.archive.org/25/items/SenecaOnTheShortnessOfLife/Seneca%20on%20the%20Shortness%20of%20Life.pdf
Tabor, Nick. "Dale Carnegie". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Nov. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dale-Carnegie

The origins of self-help writing are often traced back to ancient times. This episode talks through some early versions of it, the goal-setting advice of a founding father, and the beginnings of the modern self-help genre.
Research:
<ul>
<li>Brady, Diane. &ldquo;Charles Manson&rsquo;s Turning Point: Dale Carnegie Classes.&rdquo; Bloomberg Businessweek. July 22, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130925204803/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-07-22/charles-mansons-turning-point-dale-carnegie-classes</li>
<li>Britannica Editors. "Lunyu".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Jan. 2019, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lunyu</li>
<li>Britannica Editors. "Norman Vincent Peale".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 May. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Norman-Vincent-Peale</li>
<li>Carnegie, Dale. &ldquo;How to Win Friends and Influence People.&rdquo; London. Vermillion. Digital: https://dn720004.ca.archive.org/0/items/english-collections-1/How%20To%20Win%20Friends%20And%20Influence%20People%20-%20Carnegie%2C%20Dale.pdf</li>
<li>Fairbanks, Douglas. &ldquo;Laugh and Live.&rdquo; New York. Britton Publishing Company. 1917. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12887/pg12887.txt</li>
<li>Fontaine, Carole R. &ldquo;A Modern Look at Ancient Wisdom: The Instruction of Ptahhotep Revisited.&rdquo;&nbsp;The Biblical Archaeologist, vol. 44, no. 3, 1981, pp. 155&ndash;60.&nbsp;JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3209606</li>
<li>Franklin, Benjamin. &ldquo;The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.&rdquo; HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY. 1916. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/20203/20203-h/20203-h.htm#X</li>
<li>Battiscombe G. &ldquo;THE INSTRUCTION OF PTAH-HOTEP AND THE INSTRUCTION OF KE'GEMNI: THE OLDEST BOOKS IN THE WORLD.&rdquo; London. John Murray. 1906. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/30508/30508-h/30508-h.htm</li>
<li>Lilienfeld, Scott O. and Hal Arkowitz. &ldquo;Can positive thinking be negative?&rdquo; Scientific American. May 1, 2011. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-positive-thinking-be-negative/</li>
<li>Ray, J. D. &ldquo;Egyptian Wisdom Literature.&rdquo;&nbsp;Wisdom in Ancient Israel. Ed. John Day, Robert P. Gordon, and Hugh Godfrey Maturin Williamson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. 17&ndash;29.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Stableford, Brian. &ldquo;Samuel Smiles.&rdquo; Ebsco. 2023. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/samuel-smiles</li>
<li>Seneca, Lucius Annaius, and Garth D. Williams (tr.). &ldquo;On the Shortness of Life.&rdquo; https://ia601705.us.archive.org/25/items/SenecaOnTheShortnessOfLife/Seneca%20on%20the%20Shortness%20of%20Life.pdf</li>
<li>Tabor, Nick. "Dale Carnegie".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Nov. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dale-Carnegie</li>
</ul>

Join Holly and Tracy as they bring you the greatest and strangest Stuff You Missed In History Class in this podcast by iHeartRadio.

Stuff You Missed in History Class

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The origins of self-help writing are often traced back to ancient times. This episode talks through some early versions of it, the goal-setting advice of a founding father, and the beginnings of the modern self-help genre. 

Self-help Books Throughout History

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8fe4d5df-6cc3-455b-a11f-b3bf0167588a/transcript

Émile Coué genuinely seems to have wanted to help people by teaching them how to plant helpful directives in their subconscious minds. Whether he was effective is something that's still debated. 

Research:
Baldwin, J. Mark, et al. “A Disclaimer.” Science, vol. 12, no. 309, 1900, pp. 850–850. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1629542
Baudouin, Charles. “Émile Coué and His Life’s Work.” American Library Service. New York. 1923. https://digirepo.nlm.nih.gov/ext/dw/55330740R/PDF/55330740R.pdf
Baudouin, Charles. “Suggestion and Autosuggestion.” New York. Dodd, Mead and Company, 1921. https://dn720207.ca.archive.org/0/items/suggestionauto00bauduoft/suggestionauto00bauduoft.pdf
Britannica Editors. "Émile Coué". Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Feb. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Emile-Coué
“Coue, After Goodby Lecture, Flees City.” Boston Globe. January 31, 1923. https://www.newspapers.com/image/430295545/
“Coue Explains How to Use Auto-Suggestion.” Boston Globe. January 7, 1923. https://www.newspapers.com/image/430953338/?match=1&terms=Coue
COUÉ, EMILE. “SELF MASTERY THROUGH CONSCIOUS AUTOSUGGESTION.” AMERICAN LIBRARY SERVICE PUBLISHERS. NEW YORK. 1922. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/27203/27203-h/27203-h.htm
“Delirium Tremens.” Cleveland Clinic. June 5, 2023. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/25052-delirium-tremens
“EMILE COUÉ DEAD; A MENTAL HEALER; Many Made Well by Saying ‘Every Day, in Every Way, I'm Growing Better and Better.’” New York Times. July 3, 1926. https://www.nytimes.com/1926/07/03/archives/emile-Coué-dead-a-mental-healer-many-made-well-by-saying-every-day.html
Heid, Markham. “Is Hypnosis Real? Here’s What Science Says.” Time. March 2, 2023. https://time.com/5380312/is-hypnosis-real-science/
Myga, Kasia A et al. “Autosuggestion: a cognitive process that empowers your brain?.” Experimental brain research 240,2 (2022): 381-394. doi:10.1007/s00221-021-06265-8
Neal, E. Virgil, ed. “Hypnotism and hypnotic suggestion. A scientific treatise on the uses and possibilities of hypnotism, suggestion and allied phenomena.” New York State Publishing Company. Rochester, NY. 1906. https://archive.org/details/hypnotismhypnoti00roch/page/n9/mode/1up
“Pliny 1813 Years Ahead of Coue … “ Boston Globe. January 30, 1923. https://www.newspapers.com/image/430295455/?match=1&terms=Coue
Rapp, Dean R. “‘Better and Better—’ Couéism as a Psychological Craze of the Twenties in England.” Studies in Popular Culture, vol. 10, no. 2, 1987, pp. 17–36. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23413989
Sage, X. Lamotte. “Hypnotism As It Is: A Book for Everybody.” New York State Publishing Company. Rochester, NY. 1900. Accessed online: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Hypnotism_as_it_is%3B_a_book_for_everybody_%28IA_hypnotismasitisb00sage%29.pdf
Sari, N. K. et al.“The role of autosuggestion in geriatric patients’ quality of life: a study on psycho-neuro-endocrine-immunology pathway.” Social Neuroscience, 12(5), pp. 551–559. 2017. doi: 10.1080/17470919.2016.1196243
Schlamann, Marc et al. “Autogenic training alters cerebral activation patterns in fMRI.” The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis 58,4 (2010): 444-56. doi:10.1080/00207144.2010.499347
Whiteside, Thomas. “Better and Better.” The New Yorker. May 9, 1953. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1953/05/16/better-and-better
Yeates, Lindsay B. “Émile Coué and his Method (I): The Chemist of Thought and Human Action.” Australian Journal of Clinical Hypnotherapy & Hypnosis, Volume 38, No.1, (Autumn 2016), pp.3-27. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374753633_Emile_Coue_and_his_Method_I_The_Chemist_of_Thought_and_Human_Action

&Eacute;mile Cou&eacute; genuinely seems to have wanted to help people by teaching them how to plant helpful directives in their subconscious minds. Whether he was effective is something that's still debated.&nbsp;
Research:
<ul>
<li>Baldwin, J. Mark, et al. &ldquo;A Disclaimer.&rdquo;&nbsp;Science, vol. 12, no. 309, 1900, pp. 850&ndash;850.&nbsp;JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1629542</li>
<li>Baudouin, Charles. &ldquo;&Eacute;mile Cou&eacute; and His Life&rsquo;s Work.&rdquo; American Library Service. New York. 1923. https://digirepo.nlm.nih.gov/ext/dw/55330740R/PDF/55330740R.pdf</li>
<li>Baudouin, Charles. &ldquo;Suggestion and Autosuggestion.&rdquo; New York. Dodd, Mead and Company, 1921. https://dn720207.ca.archive.org/0/items/suggestionauto00bauduoft/suggestionauto00bauduoft.pdf</li>
<li>Britannica Editors. "&Eacute;mile Cou&eacute;".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Feb. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Emile-Cou&eacute;</li>
<li>&ldquo;Coue, After Goodby Lecture, Flees City.&rdquo; Boston Globe. January 31, 1923. https://www.newspapers.com/image/430295545/</li>
<li>&ldquo;Coue Explains How to Use Auto-Suggestion.&rdquo; Boston Globe. January 7, 1923. https://www.newspapers.com/image/430953338/?match=1&amp;terms=Coue</li>
<li>COU&Eacute;, EMILE. &ldquo;SELF MASTERY THROUGH CONSCIOUS AUTOSUGGESTION.&rdquo; AMERICAN LIBRARY SERVICE PUBLISHERS. NEW YORK. 1922. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/27203/27203-h/27203-h.htm</li>
<li>&ldquo;Delirium Tremens.&rdquo; Cleveland Clinic. June 5, 2023. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/25052-delirium-tremens</li>
<li>&ldquo;EMILE COU&Eacute; DEAD; A MENTAL HEALER; Many Made Well by Saying &lsquo;Every Day, in Every Way, I'm Growing Better and Better.&rsquo;&rdquo; New York Times. July 3, 1926. https://www.nytimes.com/1926/07/03/archives/emile-Cou&eacute;-dead-a-mental-healer-many-made-well-by-saying-every-day.html</li>
<li>Heid, Markham. &ldquo;Is Hypnosis Real? Here&rsquo;s What Science Says.&rdquo; Time. March 2, 2023. https://time.com/5380312/is-hypnosis-real-science/</li>
<li>Myga, Kasia A et al. &ldquo;Autosuggestion: a cognitive process that empowers your brain?.&rdquo;&nbsp;Experimental brain research 240,2 (2022): 381-394. doi:10.1007/s00221-021-06265-8</li>
<li>Neal, E. Virgil, ed. &ldquo;Hypnotism and hypnotic suggestion. A scientific treatise on the uses and possibilities of hypnotism, suggestion and allied phenomena.&rdquo; New York State Publishing Company. Rochester, NY. 1906. https://archive.org/details/hypnotismhypnoti00roch/page/n9/mode/1up</li>
<li>&ldquo;Pliny 1813 Years Ahead of Coue &hellip; &ldquo; Boston Globe. January 30, 1923. https://www.newspapers.com/image/430295455/?match=1&amp;terms=Coue</li>
<li>Rapp, Dean R. &ldquo;&lsquo;Better and Better&mdash;&rsquo; Cou&eacute;ism as a Psychological Craze of the Twenties in England.&rdquo;&nbsp;Studies in Popular Culture, vol. 10, no. 2, 1987, pp. 17&ndash;36.&nbsp;JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23413989</li>
<li>Sage, X. Lamotte. &ldquo;Hypnotism As It Is: A Book for Everybody.&rdquo; New York State Publishing Company. Rochester, NY. 1900. Accessed online: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Hypnotism_as_it_is%3B_a_book_for_everybody_%28IA_hypnotismasitisb00sage%29.pdf</li>
<li>Sari, N. K.&nbsp;et al.&ldquo;The role of autosuggestion in geriatric patients&rsquo; quality of life: a study on psycho-neuro-endocrine-immunology pathway.&rdquo;&nbsp;Social Neuroscience, 12(5), pp. 551&ndash;559. 2017. doi: 10.1080/17470919.2016.1196243</li>
<li>Schlamann, Marc et al. &ldquo;Autogenic training alters cerebral activation patterns in fMRI.&rdquo;&nbsp;The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis 58,4 (2010): 444-56. doi:10.1080/00207144.2010.499347</li>
<li>Whiteside, Thomas. &ldquo;Better and Better.&rdquo; The New Yorker. May 9, 1953. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1953/05/16/better-and-better</li>
<li>Yeates, Lindsay B. &ldquo;&Eacute;mile Cou&eacute; and his Method (I): The Chemist of Thought and Human Action.&rdquo; Australian Journal of Clinical Hypnotherapy &amp; Hypnosis, Volume 38, No.1, (Autumn 2016), pp.3-27. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374753633_Emile_Coue_and_his_Method_I_The_Chemist_of_Thought_and_Human_Action</li>
</ul>

Émile Coué genuinely seems to have wanted to help people by teaching them how to plant helpful directives in their subconscious minds. Whether he was effective is something that's still debated. 

Émile Coué and Autosuggestion

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0594d8b0-2b73-4409-bdc2-b41d0061a817/transcript

This 2021 episode covers Louis Daguerre, who comes up almost any time we mention photography. Well before he figured out how to capture images through a camera obscura, he was an artist and innovator in entertainment.

This 2021 episode covers Louis Daguerre, who comes up almost any time we mention photography. Well before he figured out how to capture images through a camera obscura, he was an artist and innovator in entertainment.

SYMHC Classics: Louis Daguerre

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/85f40d77-21a2-4e8e-9ea5-b41a010b59dd/transcript

Holly talks about the frustration of not finding any solid evidence of where Richard Peters stood on the issue of slavery. Tracy wonders what Elizabeth Fulhame's relationship with her husband was like.

Holly talks about the frustration of not finding any solid evidence of where Richard Peters stood on the issue of slavery. Tracy wonders what Elizabeth Fulhame's relationship with her husband was like.

Behind the Scenes Minis: Atlanta and Textiles

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/dd23d747-af1c-4559-a02a-b41a00601ae0/transcript

Self-help Books Throughout History

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