"A funny yet surprisingly nuanced look at the legends and ideas of the self-help industry" (People, 3.5 stars), Promise Land explores the American devotion to self-improvement--even as the author attempts some deeply personal improvements of her own.

Raised 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...