Description

Book Synopsis
A charmingly illustrated history of midcentury instructional records and their untold contribution to the American narrative of self-improvement, aspiration, and success.

For the midcentury Americans who wished to better their golf game through hypnosis, teach their parakeet to talk, or achieve sexual harmony in their marriage, the answers lay no further than the record player. In Designed for Success, Janet Borgerson and Jonathan Schroeder shed light on these endearingly earnest albums that contributed to a powerful American vision of personal success. Rescued from charity shops, record store cast-off bins, or forgotten boxes in attics and basements, these educational records reveal the American consumers’ rich but sometimes surprising relationship to advertising, self-help, identity construction, and even aspects of transcendentalist thought.

Relegated to obscurity and novelty, instructional records such as Secrets of Successful Varmint Calling, Y

Designed for Success

    Product form

    £32.40

    Includes FREE delivery

    RRP £36.00 – you save £3.60 (10%)

    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Mon 29 Jun 2026.

    A Hardback by Janet Borgerson

    1 in stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Designed for Success by Janet Borgerson

      Publisher: MIT Press
      Publication Date: 5/14/2024 12:00:00 AM
      ISBN13: 9780262048835, 978-0262048835
      ISBN10: 0262048833
      Also in:
      Design and llustration

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      A charmingly illustrated history of midcentury instructional records and their untold contribution to the American narrative of self-improvement, aspiration, and success.

      For the midcentury Americans who wished to better their golf game through hypnosis, teach their parakeet to talk, or achieve sexual harmony in their marriage, the answers lay no further than the record player. In Designed for Success, Janet Borgerson and Jonathan Schroeder shed light on these endearingly earnest albums that contributed to a powerful American vision of personal success. Rescued from charity shops, record store cast-off bins, or forgotten boxes in attics and basements, these educational records reveal the American consumers’ rich but sometimes surprising relationship to advertising, self-help, identity construction, and even aspects of transcendentalist thought.

      Relegated to obscurity and novelty, instructional records such as Secrets of Successful Varmint Calling, Y

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account