When American nation-wide network radio was still in its infancy, new programs such as Ma Perkins began to feature ongoing story lines in fifteen minute episodes focusing on home life and romance. Procter & Gamble and other soap companies were the most common sponsors, and soon the genre of soap opera had been christened.

In this entertaining but probing inquiry into the nature, history, and significance of the soaps, anthropologist Dorothy Anger shows how they reflect and shape the ethos of particular nations. Anger's primary focus is on the similarities and contrasts...