Ideas from the realms of psychology and self-help often flow into popular culture in surprising ways, and not always to good effect. The much-heralded self-esteem movement, which unofficially began in 1969 with the publication of Nathaniel Branden’s book The Psychology of Self-Esteem , within a decade became a key contributor to what sociologist Christopher Lasch identified as a “culture of narcissism.” By the late 1970s, this culture was flourishing in the nation’s educational system,