Do you read self-help books?

Whispa

Do you read self-help books? If you do you're not alone as many self-help books are in Ireland's best sellers list. So what is it about them that makes them so popular do you think?

Denerick

They provide simple answers to complex questions. Explain why I am so neurotic. Its not something that can be fixed by me telling myself 'I'm a good person' x 1,000.

Frankly most of the people who read these books are naive and impressionable; especially the ones with pyschological problems who consult these books at the expense of a trained professional.

Permabear

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Denerick

I'm not so sure about that. I know of at least one histrionic relative who is currently reading some utter rot about how to 'control their emotions'. Good, perhaps, that they are pursuing something that may help them. Bad that they think they can get it through a patronising load of rubbish by some profiteering yank.

Maybe I am being a little harsh here. My real gripe is with alternative medicines and homepathy. The thought of someone reading a book about how to cure yourself of cancer by positive mental reinforcement infuriates me for some reason.

Eliot Rosewater

I don't accept Denerick's dismissal of people who read self-help books, but I don't think the books are totally harmless, either.

My major problem with a part of the genre (of which The Secret is a typical example) is that it gives readers the notion that they don't have to work hard to achieve goals. The Secret, for instance, features a blank check which you fill out with a sum of money you desire, and which "the universe" will then fulfil without much effort on your part. My mother has, unfortunately, bought into this. It has resulted in her taking a naive approach to business in which she dismisses all criticisms levelled at her plans, because critics, like me, are only negative and "the universe" will surmount those difficulties.

The resulting evidence, from my mother's experience, overwhelmingly suggests otherwise. Putting your fate in an external entity to create your success leads to hubris and poor decision making, which makes problems much worse.

Permabear

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Denerick

I think that I was assuming that we were talking about books in the vein of 'The Secret', if Permabear is referring to less egregious forms of self help books then I couldn't really comment.

Asphyxia

Never read them before and I don't think I will but a friend of mine always has one with her.

Nhead

In general I do not read self-help books however, I did read Allan Carr The Only Way to Stop Smoking Permanently over three years ago and haven't had a cigerette since. Considering I used to smoke about 20/30 a day it is a book that changed my life.

Earthhorse

I wouldn't read them as a matter of course but a book called The Power of Now helped me immensely in my life. It's probably nearer the fuzzier range of self-help titles than a quiting smoking manual but I still got a lot from it.

Like others, I would be sceptical of the benefit of the really out there stuff; I was once lent a book which claimed that back pain was caused by lack of emotional support in life. That was actually one of the saner claims the book made. People looking for answers from this kind of literature would probably do better to look elsewhere.

I recently bought Getting Things Done as a present for a friend, at his request. Scanning the book left me skeptical as it was littered with little aphorisms in the margins that made the whole thing seem trivial. But a read of the first chapter left me thinking there probably were some techniques in the book that I could use to help organise my life better.

So like any genre of literature you'll find good and bad in the self-help section.

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

Putting your fate in an external entity to create your success leads to hubris and poor decision making, which makes problems much worse.

Typo or deliberate?

Permabear

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Eliot Rosewater

Earthhorse wrote: »

Typo or deliberate?

Typo!!

kickarykee

I would read them if I felt I needed help with something specific.
I think they are as popular as they are cause you don't have to admit that you have a problem in order to buy and read it, you can always pretend to just be interested.
Most people with problems are afraid of admiting to them.

Hookah

I came across this one yesterday, 59 Seconds, which had this review from New Scientist, `This is a self-help book, but with a difference: almost everything in it is underpinned by peer-reviewed and often fascinating research.'

It also got the thumbs up from super-sceptic Derren Brown. And it pretty much rubbishes the claims in the Secret on the first page.

I'll be giving it a go.

Denerick

A French vegan couple were held responsible there the other day for refusing to give their malnourished baby the medical treatment advised by their GP. Instead they used self help books, fortified the child by giving him an 'earth bath', and generally following the advice of pseudoscientific nonsense in a self help book. The mother was deficient in many nutrients and was directly responsible for the death of the baby as her breastmilk lacked the necessary nutrients to properly maintain the life of the baby.

Surely we can all agree that we can't reach a stage where we allow our kooky indulgances affect the wellbeing of children.

johnanchovie

Denerick wrote: »

A French vegan couple were held responsible there the other day for refusing to give their malnourished baby the medical treatment advised by their GP. Instead they used self help books, fortified the child by giving him an 'earth bath', and generally following the advice of pseudoscientific nonsense in a self help book. The mother was deficient in many nutrients and was directly responsible for the death of the baby as her breastmilk lacked the necessary nutrients to properly maintain the life of the baby.

Surely we can all agree that we can't reach a stage where we allow our kooky indulgances affect the wellbeing of children.

This kind of thing is so very wrong. I just don't get how our society is still hooked on rubbish. This is the 21st Century, is it not? Why does our society buy into such craven pseudo science? I have a solution: Read my new book ' Overcoming your crippling addiction to pseudo science', it will change your life!! available in all good bookstores Today!. the author is not responsible for any resultant psychotic breaks, divorces deaths etc...