If you ask me : essential advice from Eleanor Roosevelt

If you ask me Essential advice from Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962

Book - 2018

"Experience the timeless wit and wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt in this annotated collection of candid advice columns that she wrote for more than twenty years. In 1941, Eleanor Roosevelt embarked on a new career as an advice columnist. She had already transformed the role of first lady with her regular press conferences, her activism on behalf of women, minorities, and youth, her lecture tours, and her syndicated newspaper column. When Ladies Home Journal offered her an advice column, she embraced it as yet another way for her to connect with the public. "If You Ask Me" quickly became a lifeline for Americans of all ages. Over the twenty years that Eleanor wrote her advice column, no question was too trivial and no topic was ou...t of bounds. Practical, warm-hearted, and often witty, Eleanor's answers were so forthright her editors included a disclaimer that her views were not necessarily those of the magazines or the Roosevelt administration. Asked, for example, if she had any Republican friends, she replied, "I hope so." Queried about whether or when she would retire, she said, "I never plan ahead." As for the suggestion that federal or state governments build public bomb shelters, she considered the idea "nonsense." Covering a wide variety of topics--everything from war, peace, and politics to love, marriage, religion, and popular culture--these columns reveal Eleanor Roosevelt's warmth, humanity, and timeless relevance"--

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Subjects
Roosevelt, Eleanor, > 1884-1962 > Political and social views.
Advice columns.
Conduct of life.
Published
New York, NY : Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc 2018.
Language
English
Main Author
Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962 (-)
Item Description
"Based on the book If you ask me by Eleanor Roosevelt with additional extracts from Ladies home journal and McCall's columns drawn from the corpus edition of The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers"--Title page.
Physical Description
xxv, 245 pages ; 22 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN
9781501179792
Contents unavailable.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Eleanor Roosevelt, among her many public roles, wrote an advice column called "If You Ask Me" for more than two decades, starting in 1941, first for the Ladies Home Journal and then for McCall's. In this collection, Binker, consulting editor for the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project, organizes Roosevelt's thoughtful answers by topic, including "Women and Gender," "Race and Ethnicity," "Civil Liberties," and "War and Peace." Roosevelt emerges as blunt and opinionated, but also open, compassionate, and genuinely interested in others. Readers will learn, among other things, that she occasionally gave money to panhandlers, felt the House Un-American Activities Committee was ruining the U.S.'s reputation abroad, and believed that work was the best antidote to depression. Asked in 1950 what she thought accounted for the failure of so many Americans to vote, she replied it came from the misguided idea that democracy is self-sustaining, adding that children should be taught that "our duties as citizens in a democracy come before any other duties." When a sixth grader wrote in asking how to make the world more peaceful, Roosevelt advised the child to "learn to live harmoniously with people of your own age even though they might be of different races and different religions." Quotable and surprisingly timely, this optimistic book is both bracing and comforting. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

Consulting editor for the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project at George Washington University, editor Binker resurrects excerpts from the former first lady's advice column in Ladies' Home Journal (1941-49) and McCall's (1949-62). In her own caring way, Roosevelt answers questions from readers on everything from politics and marriage to health and aging. Accompanying historical context for each of the writings shows how relevant Roosevelt's advice is to issues still being debated today and how thoughtful responses unite people on both sides of the aisle. -VERDICT Particularly appealing to Roosevelt fans but strongly recommended for all engaged citizens. © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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