The Rules: A dating handbook - a podcast by BBC World Service

On Valentine's Day 1995, authors Sherrie Schneider and Ellen Fein published a dating handbook called The Rules: Time Tested Secrets for Capturing the Heart of Mr Right. The book advised women that if they wanted to find a husband they should not approach a man first or pay for themselves on dates. Criticised in some quarters as anti-feminist, it soon became a bestseller, with celebrity fans from Beyonce to Meghan Markle. Lucy Burns speaks to Sherrie Schneider about creating a cultural phenomenon.

(Photo: Groom and bride exchanging wedding ring. Credit: Wavebreakmedia/iStock)

Further episodes of Witness History

Further podcasts by BBC World Service

Website of BBC World Service