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

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts. 

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts.&nbsp;

Podcasts from iHeartRadio

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

Tracy talks about papers about history written by economists. Holy talks about linoleum having a bad reputation because of the designs of the 1970s and '80s.

Tracy talks about papers about history written by economists. Holy talks about linoleum having a bad reputation because of the designs of the 1970s and '80s.

Behind the Scenes Minis: Smashing Linoleum

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/272f3c9a-227d-4df3-8b2b-b4a501610d2c/transcript

Frederick Walton caused a lot of financial family friction on the way to developing linoleum. And even though he believed he had revolutionized home dec, he didn't expect to be remembered.

Research:
“4,000 for His ‘Devoted Attendant.’” Western Daily Press. August 3, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/813758815/?match=1&terms=%22Frederick%20Walton%22
Baker, Anne Pimlott. "Walton, Frederick Edward (bap. 1834, d. 1928), inventor of linoleum." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  September 23, 2004. Oxford University Press. Date of access 20 Jul. 2026, <https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-67799
Kaldewei, Gerhard, ed. “Linoleum: History, Design, Architecture 1882-2000.” Hatje Cantz. 2000.
“Cork Carpets.” The Chatauquan. Volume 21. 1895. https://books.google.com/books?id=a2cXAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA471#v=onepage&q&f=false
Gross, Linda. “The Evolution of Linoleum.” Hagley Museum and Library. March 19, 2018. https://www.hagley.org/librarynews/evolution-linoleum#:~:text=In%201860%20Walton%20applied%20for,1864%2C%20in%20Staines%2C%20England.
Hodgson, R.D. “Frederick Walton: Centenary of the Birth of the Inventor of Linoleum.” Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry. Vol. 53. Issue 10. March 1934. Pages 209-232. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jctb.5000531003
“Inventor’s Will.” Daily Record. Aug. 3, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1041447745/?match=1&terms=%22Frederick%20Walton%22
“Lincrusta History.” https://lincrusta.com/about-us/#history
Parsons, Ralph. “Linoleum: A Chiswick Invention.” Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society. https://brentfordandchiswicklhs.org.uk/local-history/industries-and-crafts/linoleum-a-chiswick-invention/
D.H. “CENTENARY OF FREDERICK WALTON, INVENTOR OF LINOLEUM.” Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, vol. 82, no. 4240, 1934, pp. 432–33. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41317315
Simpson, Pamela H. “Comfortable, Durable, and Decorative: Linoleum’s Rise and Fall from Grace.” APT Bulletin: The Journal of Preservation Technology, vol. 30, no. 2/3, 1999, pp. 17–24. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1504636
“Society of Arts.” The Morning Post. April 3, 1862. https://www.newspapers.com/image/396195800/?match=1&terms=Frederick%20Walton%20&search-id=58db9118-0a75-49e3-a4ae-68272c242a64&search-rank=1
Walton, Frederick. “The infancy and development of linoleum floorcloth.” Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent. London. 1925.
“Walton-Scruby.” The Morning Post. March 22, 1867. https://www.newspapers.com/image/396195945/?match=2&terms=frederick%20walton&search-id=ed4e6ef1-9806-4b3d-84bb-62b4e8e0efc6&search-rank=1

Frederick Walton caused a lot of financial family friction on the way to developing linoleum. And even though he believed he had revolutionized home dec, he didn't expect to be remembered.
Research:
<ul>
<li>&ldquo;4,000 for His &lsquo;Devoted Attendant.&rsquo;&rdquo; Western Daily Press. August 3, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/813758815/?match=1&amp;terms=%22Frederick%20Walton%22</li>
<li>Baker, Anne Pimlott. "Walton, Frederick Edward (bap. 1834, d. 1928), inventor of linoleum."&nbsp;Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.&nbsp;&nbsp;September&nbsp;23,&nbsp;2004. Oxford University Press. Date of access 20 Jul. 2026, &lt;https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-67799</li>
<li>Kaldewei, Gerhard, ed. &ldquo;Linoleum: History, Design, Architecture 1882-2000.&rdquo; Hatje Cantz. 2000.</li>
<li>&ldquo;Cork Carpets.&rdquo; The Chatauquan. Volume 21. 1895. https://books.google.com/books?id=a2cXAQAAIAAJ&amp;pg=PA471#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false</li>
<li>Gross, Linda. &ldquo;The Evolution of Linoleum.&rdquo; Hagley Museum and Library. March 19, 2018. https://www.hagley.org/librarynews/evolution-linoleum#:~:text=In%201860%20Walton%20applied%20for,1864%2C%20in%20Staines%2C%20England.</li>
<li>Hodgson, R.D. &ldquo;Frederick Walton: Centenary of the Birth of the Inventor of Linoleum.&rdquo; Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry. Vol. 53. Issue 10. March 1934. Pages 209-232. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jctb.5000531003</li>
<li>&ldquo;Inventor&rsquo;s Will.&rdquo; Daily Record. Aug. 3, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1041447745/?match=1&amp;terms=%22Frederick%20Walton%22</li>
<li>&ldquo;Lincrusta History.&rdquo; https://lincrusta.com/about-us/#history</li>
<li>Parsons, Ralph. &ldquo;Linoleum: A Chiswick Invention.&rdquo; Brentford &amp; Chiswick Local History Society. https://brentfordandchiswicklhs.org.uk/local-history/industries-and-crafts/linoleum-a-chiswick-invention/</li>
<li>D.H. &ldquo;CENTENARY OF FREDERICK WALTON, INVENTOR OF LINOLEUM.&rdquo;&nbsp;Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, vol. 82, no. 4240, 1934, pp. 432&ndash;33.&nbsp;JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41317315</li>
<li>Simpson, Pamela H. &ldquo;Comfortable, Durable, and Decorative: Linoleum&rsquo;s Rise and Fall from Grace.&rdquo;&nbsp;APT Bulletin: The Journal of Preservation Technology, vol. 30, no. 2/3, 1999, pp. 17&ndash;24.&nbsp;JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1504636</li>
<li>&ldquo;Society of Arts.&rdquo; The Morning Post. April 3, 1862. https://www.newspapers.com/image/396195800/?match=1&amp;terms=Frederick%20Walton%20&amp;search-id=58db9118-0a75-49e3-a4ae-68272c242a64&amp;search-rank=1</li>
<li>Walton, Frederick. &ldquo;The infancy and development of linoleum floorcloth.&rdquo; Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent.&nbsp;London. 1925.</li>
<li>&ldquo;Walton-Scruby.&rdquo; The Morning Post. March 22, 1867. https://www.newspapers.com/image/396195945/?match=2&amp;terms=frederick%20walton&amp;search-id=ed4e6ef1-9806-4b3d-84bb-62b4e8e0efc6&amp;search-rank=1</li>
</ul>

Frederick Walton caused a lot of financial family friction on the way to developing linoleum. And even though he believed he had revolutionized home dec, he didn't expect to be remembered. 

Frederick Walton and the Invention of Linoleum

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/fc4537fe-d386-4a3c-afda-b4a30169264b/transcript

The Swing Riots took place in eastern and southern England in the years between the Luddite uprising and the Rebecca Riots. One of the hallmarks of the riots was the destruction of threshing machines – but that’s just part of the story.

Research:
Caprettini, Bruno and Hans-Joachim Voth. “Rage Against the Machines: Labor-saving Technology and Unrest in England, 1830-32.” American Economic Review: Insights. Vol. 2, no. 3, September 2020. https://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/aeri.20190385
Carl J. Griffin, “Luddism, Machine-Breaking and the Swing Riots”, Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique [Online], XXX-1 | 2025, Online since 13 January 2025, connection on 14 April 2026. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/12984 ; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/133dc
Chiltern Open Air Museum. “What were the Swing Riots?” https://www.coam.org.uk/blogs/swing-riots
Cobbett, William. “Selections from Cobbett's political works : being a complete abridgment of the 100 volumes which comprise the writings of ‘Porcupine’ and the ‘Weekly political register.’” London. Anne Cobbett. 1835.
Dyck, Ian. "Cobbett, William (1763–1835), political writer and farmer." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. September 23, 2004. Oxford University Press. Date of access 22 Jul. 2026, https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-5734
Griffin, Carl J. “Swing, Swing Redivivus, or Something After Swing? On the Death Throes of a Protest Movement, December 1830-December 1833.” International Review of Social History. Vol. 54, No. 3. December 2009. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44583279
Griffin, Carl J. “The Violent Captain Swing?” Past & Present, Nov. 2010. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40960936
Hampshire History. “The Swing Riots in Hampshire.” https://www.hampshire-history.com/the-swing-riots/
History Hub. “William Cobbett: a champion of the rural poor and the reform of Parliament | Documentary.” YouTube. 10/22/2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWO4wjfqJBw
Jones, Peter. “Finding Captain Swing: Protest, Parish Relations, and the State of the Public Mind in 1830.” International Review of Social History. Vol. 54, No. 3. December 2009. Via JSTOR. http://www.jstor.com/stable/44583278
Kellett, Ian. “’Swing’ Rioters Smash Machinery at Pythouse near Tisbury.” Shaftesbury Gold Hill Museum. https://goldhillmuseum.org.uk/swing-rioters-smash-machinery-at-pythouse-near-tisbury/
Navickas, Katrina. “Captain Swing in the North: the Carlisle Riots of 1830.” History Workshop Journal. No. 71. Spring 2011. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41306809
Navickas, Katrina. “Rural Resistance and the Swing Riots.” Protest and the Politics of Space. http://protesthistory.org.uk/moors/rural-resistance-and-the-swing-riots
Randall, Adrian. “‘The Luddism of the poor’: Captain Swing, machine breaking and popular protest.” Southern History, 32, 2010, pp. 41-61.
Randall, Adrian. “Captain Swing: A Retrospect.” International Review of Social History. Vol. 54, No. 3. December 2009. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44583277
Wells, Roger. “Mr William Cobbett, Captain Swing, and King William IV.” Agricultural History Review, Volume 45 Part 1 (1997), pp. 34–48. https://www.bahs.org.uk/AGHR/ARTICLE.html?ID=439&MOD=this

The Swing Riots took place in eastern and southern England in the years between the Luddite uprising and the Rebecca Riots. One of the hallmarks of the riots was the destruction of threshing machines &ndash; but that&rsquo;s just part of the story.
Research:
<ul>
<li>Caprettini, Bruno and Hans-Joachim Voth. &ldquo;Rage Against the Machines: Labor-saving Technology and Unrest in England, 1830-32.&rdquo; American Economic Review: Insights. Vol. 2, no. 3, September 2020. https://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/aeri.20190385</li>
<li>Carl J. Griffin, &ldquo;Luddism, Machine-Breaking and the Swing Riots&rdquo;, Revue Fran&ccedil;aise de Civilisation Britannique [Online], XXX-1 | 2025, Online since 13 January 2025, connection on 14 April 2026. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/12984 ; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/133dc</li>
<li>Chiltern Open Air Museum. &ldquo;What were the Swing Riots?&rdquo; https://www.coam.org.uk/blogs/swing-riots</li>
<li>Cobbett, William. &ldquo;Selections from Cobbett's political works : being a complete abridgment of the 100 volumes which comprise the writings of &lsquo;Porcupine&rsquo; and the &lsquo;Weekly political register.&rsquo;&rdquo; London. Anne Cobbett. 1835.</li>
<li>Dyck, Ian. "Cobbett, William (1763&ndash;1835), political writer and farmer." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. September 23, 2004. Oxford University Press. Date of access 22 Jul. 2026, https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-5734</li>
<li>Griffin, Carl J. &ldquo;Swing, Swing Redivivus, or Something After Swing? On the Death Throes of a Protest Movement, December 1830-December 1833.&rdquo; International Review of Social History. Vol. 54, No. 3. December 2009. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44583279</li>
<li>Griffin, Carl J. &ldquo;The Violent Captain Swing?&rdquo; Past &amp; Present, Nov. 2010. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40960936</li>
<li>Hampshire History. &ldquo;The Swing Riots in Hampshire.&rdquo; https://www.hampshire-history.com/the-swing-riots/</li>
<li>History Hub. &ldquo;William Cobbett: a champion of the rural poor and the reform of Parliament | Documentary.&rdquo; YouTube. 10/22/2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWO4wjfqJBw</li>
<li>Jones, Peter. &ldquo;Finding Captain Swing: Protest, Parish Relations, and the State of the Public Mind in 1830.&rdquo; International Review of Social History. Vol. 54, No. 3. December 2009. Via JSTOR. http://www.jstor.com/stable/44583278</li>
<li>Kellett, Ian. &ldquo;&rsquo;Swing&rsquo; Rioters Smash Machinery at Pythouse near Tisbury.&rdquo; Shaftesbury Gold Hill Museum. https://goldhillmuseum.org.uk/swing-rioters-smash-machinery-at-pythouse-near-tisbury/</li>
<li>Navickas, Katrina. &ldquo;Captain Swing in the North: the Carlisle Riots of 1830.&rdquo; History Workshop Journal. No. 71. Spring 2011. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41306809</li>
<li>Navickas, Katrina. &ldquo;Rural Resistance and the Swing Riots.&rdquo; Protest and the Politics of Space. http://protesthistory.org.uk/moors/rural-resistance-and-the-swing-riots</li>
<li>Randall, Adrian. &ldquo;&lsquo;The Luddism of the poor&rsquo;: Captain Swing, machine breaking and popular protest.&rdquo; Southern History, 32, 2010, pp. 41-61.</li>
<li>Randall, Adrian. &ldquo;Captain Swing: A Retrospect.&rdquo; International Review of Social History. Vol. 54, No. 3. December 2009. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44583277</li>
<li>Wells, Roger. &ldquo;Mr William Cobbett, Captain Swing, and King William IV.&rdquo; Agricultural History Review, Volume 45 Part 1 (1997), pp. 34&ndash;48. https://www.bahs.org.uk/AGHR/ARTICLE.html?ID=439&amp;MOD=this</li>
</ul>

The Swing Riots took place in eastern and southern England in the years between the Luddite uprising and the Rebecca Riots. One of the hallmarks of the riots was the destruction of threshing machines – but that’s just part of the story.

Swing Riots

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/4a3e86af-435a-472e-831e-b4a200314c97/transcript

Self-help Books Throughout History

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