In the delightful Walt Disney movie Mary Poppins, Mary, a pert English nanny, pulls an unusual measuring tape from her carpetbag and with the aid of the children measures herself from head to toe.
In the last few years the media covered a case that has raised profound questions: a doctor had provided poison so a patient suffering from an incurable disease could kill herself.
In recent years many books have been published extolling theories about diet and exercise, as well as about popular psychology, positive thinking, and various means supposed to help one gain wealth rapidly and gain power over others.
