Do Self-Help Books Really Work?
March 22nd, 2010 by Reeta Luthra
Do you start the day with a self-help book? Did “The Secret” turn your life around?
Do you think the only people who benefit from a self-help book are those who actually write them?
Self-help has been a rapidly growing sector for quite a while – in this documentary, Alan Yentob asks why self-help books are so popular.
Interviewing authors of some of the biggest sellers, including Susan Jeffers and Anthony Robbins, Yentob looks to investigate if self-help books are shallow offerings to desperate people, or if they actually have depth and long-term benefits.
One of the most acclaimed self-help books of all time, Man’s Search for Meaning: The Classic Tribute to Hope from the Holocaust, came out of a concentration camp.
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7 Responses to “Do Self-Help Books Really Work?”
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Hi Reeta,
GETTING THE MOST HELP OUT OF SELF-HELP BOOKS
In my experience there are three ways to get the most out of self-help books:
1) Read them: I’ve met so many people who seem to *collect* self-help titles without actually reading them;
2) Take action: stop reading more books and gathering even more information and actually implement the new knowledge from the book just completed.
3) Help others: now you’ve helped yourself, pay it forward and help others. Specifically, once you’ve read the book, applied the action and gotten the result – give the book to someone else so that they can benefit (rather than hoard paper on shelves.
Best to you, Reeta.
Shine on,
Robin
Robin Dickinson´s last blog ..The most powerful way to communicate
Great points Robin – I think it was Tony Robbins who observed that many people do not get past page 18 of a self help book.
Perhaps there is a comfort factor in buying self-help in that a person buys a book when they have a problem, get it home and relax a little knowing they now have the “solution” in their house if things get really bad again.
Or maybe there is a subconscious clash between adopting new behaviours and letting go of the internal beliefs etc that keep the current beliefs in place. A form of self-sabotage.
Coaching usually helps in getting a person over this “hump” so that Action becomes natural.
Thanks for your your comment Robin.
Hello Reeta,
About a year back, i read a book called “Creative Visualization” by Shakti Gawain and i happen to be doing a paper on it now. I was skeptical about reading it at first because i thought it wouldn’t work for me.
However, i did find out there were some key things i needed to understand and do. I had to be willing to experience change for my personal benefit, i had to also believe that as long as i held firm to my inner self and thoughts i would get the advice and help i needed, and I needed to be open to other ideas as well as letting myself receive help from another source, even if it be a book.
So do self-help books really work?
If you let them.
Sincerely,
-M
Mehjabeen Syed´s last blog ..This Is How It Feels
Hi Mehjabeen
Thanks for sharing your experience – especially when you say “I had to be willing to experience change for my personal benefit” That can be a tough one when it means learning to balance our desires, relationships and commitments with integrity and peace. Of course now I want to read your paper for more!
I appreciate you visiting and taking the time to comment.
Great post thanks, in my experience many self help books are written based on one individuals experiences (mainly just their successes). Unfortunately what works for one person doesn’t always work for another. People should be skeptical about purchasing self help books (i’m not saying don’t) as not to simply let it run their lives. People should discover things for themselves and should only use self help books as occasional guidance in my opinion.
Simon´s last blog ..Self Help Books and Saying Thank You