Dreams Guide Ventures of Many Detroiters: Big Business Deals Often Hinge on Occult. Women are More Fascinated by Study of Mysterious than Men, Observer Says

Detroit Free Press, April 21, 1929 (enlarge)

Occultism was alive and thriving in both notoriety and acclaim in the Detroit of 1929 but the craze of dream interpretation and practical usage in public and private decision making was taking a foothold.

Dorothy Pons, manager of a large downtown bookstore confirmed as much in this Free Press article saying that previous books on the subject were dry, grasping texts that lacked imaginative and scholarly inclination and were looked upon as novelty reading.

There was also a psychological element to these new books that spoke to the fanciful convictions of the reader and seemingly confirmed their biases while simultaneously making the publications best-sellers.

However, the biggest boon for the book industry was the willingness of the consumer to pay significantly more for the new-fangled material. Generally considered dime store reading just a few years past the consumer was ready to part with up to 20 times the previous going rate for the self-serving tomes.

While women were the primary buyers men were just as willing to embrace the fad but were often too busy to procure and disseminate the information within. Wives, female friends and relatives often served as surrogates for promulgating the message to their male counterparts, who eagerly followed the trend and suggestions.