During the 19th century in both England and America, physical fitness became an important aspect of structured health and education programs. In 1880, recognizing the public's growing interest in the use of dumbbells and clubs, New York City champion strongman Guss Hill (1858 – 1937) made his publishing debut with an early exercise book.
In creating Consider the Consequences! authors Doris Webster (1885-1967) and Mary Alden Hopkins (1876-1960) were toying with a new idea: write a book that provided readers with narrative options. The result was the first choice-based novel ever printed as well as the precursor to the Choose Your Own Adventure book series that would become popular later in the 20th century.