America's Obsessives: The Compulsive Energy That Built A Nation
by Joshua Kendall /
2013 / English / PDF
2.8 MB Download
When most of us think of Charles Lindbergh, we picture a dashing
twenty-five-year-old aviator stepping out of the Spirit of St.
Louis after completing his solo flight across the Atlantic. What we
don't see is the awkward high school student, who preferred ogling
new gadgets at the hardware store to watching girls walk by in
their summer dresses. Sure, Lindbergh's unique mindset invented the
pre-flight checklist, but his obsession with order also led him to
demand that his wife and three German mistresses account for all
their household expenditures in detailed ledgers.
When most of us think of Charles Lindbergh, we picture a dashing
twenty-five-year-old aviator stepping out of the Spirit of St.
Louis after completing his solo flight across the Atlantic. What we
don't see is the awkward high school student, who preferred ogling
new gadgets at the hardware store to watching girls walk by in
their summer dresses. Sure, Lindbergh's unique mindset invented the
pre-flight checklist, but his obsession with order also led him to
demand that his wife and three German mistresses account for all
their household expenditures in detailed ledgers.
Lucky Lindy is just one of several American icons whom Joshua
Kendall puts on the psychologist's couch in AMERICA'S OBSESSIVES.
In this fascinating look at the arc of American history through the
lens of compulsive behavior, he shows how some of our nation's
greatest achievements-from the Declaration of Independence to the
invention of the iPhone-have roots in the disappointments and
frustrations of early childhood.
Lucky Lindy is just one of several American icons whom Joshua
Kendall puts on the psychologist's couch in AMERICA'S OBSESSIVES.
In this fascinating look at the arc of American history through the
lens of compulsive behavior, he shows how some of our nation's
greatest achievements-from the Declaration of Independence to the
invention of the iPhone-have roots in the disappointments and
frustrations of early childhood.
Starting with the obsessive natures of some of Silicon Valley's
titans, including Steve Jobs, Kendall moves on to profile seven
iconic figures, such as founding father Thomas Jefferson,
licentious librarian Melvil Dewey, condiment kingpin H. J. Heinz,
slugger Ted Williams, and Estee Lauder. This last personality was
so obsessed with touching other women's faces that she transformed
her compulsion into a multibillion-dollar cosmetics
corporation.
Starting with the obsessive natures of some of Silicon Valley's
titans, including Steve Jobs, Kendall moves on to profile seven
iconic figures, such as founding father Thomas Jefferson,
licentious librarian Melvil Dewey, condiment kingpin H. J. Heinz,
slugger Ted Williams, and Estee Lauder. This last personality was
so obsessed with touching other women's faces that she transformed
her compulsion into a multibillion-dollar cosmetics
corporation.
Entertaining and instructive, Kendall offers up a few scoops along
the way: Little do most Americans know that Charles Lindbergh,
under the alias Clark Kent, sired seven children with his three
German "wives." As Lindbergh's daughter Reeve told Kendall, "Now I
know why he was gone so much. I also understand why he was
delighted when I was learning German."
Entertaining and instructive, Kendall offers up a few scoops along
the way: Little do most Americans know that Charles Lindbergh,
under the alias Clark Kent, sired seven children with his three
German "wives." As Lindbergh's daughter Reeve told Kendall, "Now I
know why he was gone so much. I also understand why he was
delighted when I was learning German."