Self-help industry is a joke. My fave https://i.redd.it/uim9p5b9wpaz.png
The Delusional Scam of the Self-Help Book Industry
11–20 of 32 posts
Re: The Delusional Scam of the Self-Help Book Industry
#12I totally disagree with the premise of this article, unless I don't get the authors definition of "self help book" > there is an entire book industry that is focused on the premise that you are merely one good idea away from the future Many famous people started out with one good idea > The entire business-focused self-help industry is built on the fallacy that successful people read a lot of books Many famous succes…
> Many famous people started out with one good idea Which had nothing or almost nothing to do with their success. Bezos didn't succeed because he had the idea to "make an online bookstore".
Based on the limited background information I've read about Bezos, this seems true, but can you explain what you mean in more detail? Just because it's interesting.
Re: The Delusional Scam of the Self-Help Book Industry
#13>a book that tells you stuff like “remember people’s names” and “make them feel important,” which seems benign, but should only seem surprising to a child, and should not be something you have to unnaturally force your body to do. there is much good in pointing out the scamminess of the self-help industry, but this is a good example of making exactly the sort of assumptions the author is railing against. Many basic l…
It's also useful to remind ourselves to actually apply those lessons; many of us 'know', but fail to 'do' on a regular basis.
Re: The Delusional Scam of the Self-Help Book Industry
#14Some of these books are indeed trash, many have advice that's inapplicable to most people, a lot are based on anecdotal evidence, but some of them are alright and I read them and every once in a while I get something valuable out of it.
I think if you set your expectations right (e.g no book will make you happy / rich / whatever) they can be quite useful.
Re: The Delusional Scam of the Self-Help Book Industry
#15Summary of every self help book by AvE: https://youtu.be/E7RgtMGL7CA
Re: The Delusional Scam of the Self-Help Book Industry
#16Much of the industry is a scam. And (similar to business books) seems to exist to support the broader business of the author.
But… There are some nuggets in there. For example, did get value from reading Covey.
Re: The Delusional Scam of the Self-Help Book Industry
#17I totally disagree with the premise of this article, unless I don't get the authors definition of "self help book" > there is an entire book industry that is focused on the premise that you are merely one good idea away from the future Many famous people started out with one good idea > The entire business-focused self-help industry is built on the fallacy that successful people read a lot of books Many famous succes…
> Many famous people started out with one good idea Which had nothing or almost nothing to do with their success. Bezos didn't succeed because he had the idea to "make an online bookstore".
Bezos didn't view Amazon an online bookstore. He deliberately went into books first because they take up a lot of space and have a long tail of interest, which made them ideal for internet distribution vs. physical distribution. It's pretty clear from what Bezos has said and written over the past 20 years that he had a decent idea of what he wanted to accomplish and has been gradually executing on that.
Re: The Delusional Scam of the Self-Help Book Industry
#18I totally disagree with the premise of this article, unless I don't get the authors definition of "self help book" > there is an entire book industry that is focused on the premise that you are merely one good idea away from the future Many famous people started out with one good idea > The entire business-focused self-help industry is built on the fallacy that successful people read a lot of books Many famous succes…
I've avoided "Think and Grow Rich" for a long time due to the title and premise of the book. I picked it up a few weeks ago and really like it. Heck, I think if I read it 10 years ago I wouldn't even have the emotional maturity to appreciate it. There's a beauty to some of these books --- some of the ideas seem obvious and can easily be written off until you have the emotional wherewithal and maturity to appreciate t…
> I read it 10 years ago I wouldn't even have the emotional maturity to appreciate it
That's why I emphasized the right book at the right age. I know successful people who swear by the book. I appreciate it, but I have a small criticism: He basically preaches trampling all over personal boundaries to get what you want. It's an aggressive strategy.
Re: The Delusional Scam of the Self-Help Book Industry
#19I totally disagree with the premise of this article, unless I don't get the authors definition of "self help book" > there is an entire book industry that is focused on the premise that you are merely one good idea away from the future Many famous people started out with one good idea > The entire business-focused self-help industry is built on the fallacy that successful people read a lot of books Many famous succes…
> Many famous people started out with one good idea Which had nothing or almost nothing to do with their success. Bezos didn't succeed because he had the idea to "make an online bookstore".
You must be one of those who think ideas are worthless because everybody has them
Re: The Delusional Scam of the Self-Help Book Industry
#20Are books written by Ph.D. researchers who have spent their academic lives studying a topic considered "self help"? If so, not all "self help" books are alike.
My strategy has been to read books like "Stumbling on Happiness" - written by Daniel Gilbert, a Harvard Ph.D. -- rather than by journalists who only tangentially explore a subject to pump out yet another book.