Before "Self-Help" became an entire industry of self-proclaimed gurus promising empowerment via simplistic advice, there was Dr. Norman Vincent Peale's The Power of Positive Thinking. First published in 1952, and now with a reputed 7 million copies in print, this tome advises readers to reach their potential by putting aside pessimism and getting some (Christian) religion. Today, of course, telling people how to empower themselves is a lucrative field with many competitors offering variations on Peale's theme. (Most bookstores have more shelves devoted to self-help than, say, history.) Although Dr. Peale is no longer with us, you can nevertheless join the Norman Vincent Peale Center for Positive Thinking, and presumably think really, really positive thoughts. While this direct-mail brochure doesn't specify what the Center actually does beyond "showing people how to live a more successful, rewarding life by believing in the power they have within themselves," it does tout quite a few goodies in return for your $10 "gift." Included in the envelope are free postcards with helpful advice from the good doctor ("Optimism is positive thinking lighted up.") as well as a membership card with your name already printed on it. Bargain!

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