Self-help

Published in 1859, 'Self-Help' by Samuel Smiles is a landmark in the self-help genre.

The book advocates for personal responsibility and the virtues of hard work, industry, and character.

It uses numerous biographical examples, including those of George Stephenson and Josiah Wedgwood, to illustrate how individuals can achieve success through their own efforts.

The book was highly influential in Victorian Britain and beyond, selling over a quarter of a million copies by the time of Smiles' death in 1904.

It has been translated into many languages and remains a significant text in the history of self-help literature.