diff -r 8c1438c15ed0 Lib/pydoc.py
--- a/Lib/pydoc.py	Mon Jul 28 00:19:36 2014 +0200
+++ b/Lib/pydoc.py	Mon Jul 28 18:46:51 2014 +0100
@@ -1567,7 +1567,9 @@
     if isinstance(thing, str):
         object = locate(thing, forceload)
         if not object:
-            raise ImportError('no Python documentation found for %r' % thing)
+            raise ImportError('No Python documentation found for %r.\n'
+                'Use help("help") or just help() to get the interactive help utility.\n'
+                'Use help(str) for help on the str class.' % thing)
         return object, thing
     else:
         name = getattr(thing, '__name__', None)
@@ -1852,7 +1854,7 @@
     def help(self, request):
         if type(request) is type(''):
             request = request.strip()
-            if request == 'help': self.intro()
+            if request == 'help': self()
             elif request == 'keywords': self.listkeywords()
             elif request == 'symbols': self.listsymbols()
             elif request == 'topics': self.listtopics()
@@ -1866,6 +1868,7 @@
             elif request in self.keywords: self.showtopic(request)
             elif request in self.topics: self.showtopic(request)
             elif request: doc(request, 'Help on %s:', output=self._output)
+            else: doc(str, 'Help on %s:', output=self._output)
         elif isinstance(request, Helper): self()
         else: doc(request, 'Help on %s:', output=self._output)
         self.output.write('\n')
diff -r 8c1438c15ed0 Lib/test/test_pydoc.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py	Mon Jul 28 00:19:36 2014 +0200
+++ b/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py	Mon Jul 28 18:46:51 2014 +0100
@@ -249,7 +249,9 @@
                                       for s in expected_data_docstrings)
 
 # output pattern for missing module
-missing_pattern = "no Python documentation found for '%s'"
+missing_pattern = os.linesep.join(['No Python documentation found for %r.\n',
+    'Use help("help") or just help() to get the interactive help utility.\n',
+    'Use help(str) for help on the str class.'])
 
 # output pattern for module with bad imports
 badimport_pattern = "problem in %s - ImportError: No module named %r"