The fear of sinking : the American success formula in the Gilded Age /
Kilmer, Paulette D.,1949-
Knoxville : University of Tennessee Press,
[1996]
Includes bibliographical references (p. [197]-212) and index.
Introduction : passing through the eye of the needle -- News and fiction : prescriptions for living -- The magic formulas of the people's press -- "Book soap" : clean thoughts for clean folks -- The fear of sinking -- Why children read success tales -- Biography--truth or legend? -- The repulsive fascination of fires -- Fantastic reality and realistic fantasy -- Epilogue : the inevitability of sinking--success in the nineties.
Success in popular culture