Has AI already killed self-help nonfiction books? • Hacker News Board

Re: Has AI already killed self-help nonfiction books?

#181

Post by digitaltrees » Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 1:48 AM UTC

jayers wrote: post #174

jasonfarnon wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"because of what I learned." Do these books/seminars actually teach you something new about being married or a father, that you didn't know before? Like what? I always figured they were more about coaching, persuasion, convincing. To the extent I've scanned them, I never saw any kind of new fact, definitely not about something like being married.

Self help usually doesn't teach you anything that is new. Usually they just repackage the same common sense that you've heard a million times before in a new way. That doesn't mean it is useless though, I have had my own life changed by several self help/business books. Sometimes you just need someone to tell you common sense in the right way so that you actually listen to it.

You don’t come out of the womb with common sense. And you don’t know all common sense possible.

Re: Has AI already killed self-help nonfiction books?

#182

Post by rfc3092 » Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 1:52 AM UTC

sanswork wrote: post #146

jasonfarnon wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"because of what I learned." Do these books/seminars actually teach you something new about being married or a father, that you didn't know before? Like what? I always figured they were more about coaching, persuasion, convincing. To the extent I've scanned them, I never saw any kind of new fact, definitely not about something like being married.

I'm definitely a better father because of a bunch of the self help books I've read. Things like better ways to communicate with my son, more effective ways to transfer knowledge, encourage independence, etc. Other areas of my life have definitely improved too though I agree when people say most self help books could be a blog post and in cases where it's an expansion of a blog post I'll generally just go read that. W…

Please share “better father” books.

Re: Has AI already killed self-help nonfiction books?

#183

Post by dimitrios1 » Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 1:55 AM UTC

__alexander wrote: post #50

Personally, I see the self-help industry dying because people are starting to realize that it’s just a network of individuals selling products, promoting each other’s products, and creating new avenues to sell more products. I refer to it as the “self-help mafia.” Tim Ferriss kind of created it.

Not to be a contrarian, because I agree for a lot of the industry, but there are some genuine gems out there. Few examples:

Extreme Ownership really helped me be a better leader and take more accountability for my own actions

Atomic Habits really helped me think about goal setting and what the underlying driver was

Coaching Habit improved my 1:1s drastically (I basically stopped talking or advice giving and just listened -- profound, I know, but the book helped smack me in the face with it)

Many more examples, but there is definitely a ton of self-help hack slop out there as well.

Re: Has AI already killed self-help nonfiction books?

#184

Post by AnimalMuppet » Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 1:58 AM UTC

rfc3092 wrote: post #182

sanswork wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm definitely a better father because of a bunch of the self help books I've read. Things like better ways to communicate with my son, more effective ways to transfer knowledge, encourage independence, etc. Other areas of my life have definitely improved too though I agree when people say most self help books could be a blog post and in cases where it's an expansion of a blog post I'll generally just go read that. W…

Please share “better father” books.

Here's the problem: You can be a bad father by being too strict, or you can be a bad father by being too lenient.

In Zion National Park there's a hike called Angel's Landing. You wind up on this ridge, with a 1000 foot cliff on one side and a 500 foot cliff on the other side. And the ridge is not very wide - only a couple of feet in some places.

Parenting is like that. You think, oh, I see people causing problems by being too strict, so I want to back away from that cliff. But there's a cliff behind you, so don't back too far...

And the problem with parenting books is that, if you're the kind of parent who needs the books warning you about being too strict, then the books that warn against being too lenient are probably the ones that resonate more with you. That is, you're drawn to the ones you don't need, not to the ones that you do need.

All that said, yes, get books and read them. Be sure to get a variety of them.

I can't give specifics off the cuff, as I'm well past that phase now.

Re: Has AI already killed self-help nonfiction books?

#185

Post by sanswork » Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 2:04 AM UTC

rfc3092 wrote: post #182

sanswork wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm definitely a better father because of a bunch of the self help books I've read. Things like better ways to communicate with my son, more effective ways to transfer knowledge, encourage independence, etc. Other areas of my life have definitely improved too though I agree when people say most self help books could be a blog post and in cases where it's an expansion of a blog post I'll generally just go read that. W…

Please share “better father” books.

The self driven child was one I just finished 2 weeks ago that I really enjoyed and felt had a lot of good advice that ran counter to my natural tendencies.

The How to talk books(there are a few of them for different ages), no drama discipline.

Cal Newports books while not specifically about parenting have helped me with disconnecting more from my tech which has always been a challenge since it's my job and a part of a lot of my hobbies which has definitely led to being a better father.

Re: Has AI already killed self-help nonfiction books?

#186

Post by dartharva » Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 2:06 AM UTC

digitaltrees wrote: post #117

__alexander wrote: post #50

Personally, I see the self-help industry dying because people are starting to realize that it’s just a network of individuals selling products, promoting each other’s products, and creating new avenues to sell more products. I refer to it as the “self-help mafia.” Tim Ferriss kind of created it.

Hard disagree. I have read lots of books, participated in events and training seminars and had profound results in my life. My marriage is better because of what I learned, I am a better father and leader because of what I learned. And the fact that people sell things as part of that growth journey is how they support their ability to share the lessons and techniques.

Pretty sure that's a result of the larger gestalt driven more by your own drive and savviness to seek new ideas on living than the books themselves, as it is for everyone who claims to have benefited. If the books are gone today and only LLMs remain, nothing will change in this front.

Re: Has AI already killed self-help nonfiction books?

#187

Post by dartharva » Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 2:08 AM UTC

__alexander wrote: post #50

Personally, I see the self-help industry dying because people are starting to realize that it’s just a network of individuals selling products, promoting each other’s products, and creating new avenues to sell more products. I refer to it as the “self-help mafia.” Tim Ferriss kind of created it.

Tim Ferris? Bro humanity has invented religion that served exactly this purpose long since before it even invented the wheel.

Re: Has AI already killed self-help nonfiction books?

#188

Post by dartharva » Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 2:09 AM UTC

chris_money202 wrote: post #126

iLoveOncall wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would be extremely surprised if piracy accounts for any serious dent in the sales of books.

If this was true, they wouldn't be getting sued and aggressively pursued for takedowns

Suing is a lucrative business in America, so much so that there are entire businesses dedicated to it. It doesn't have to actually protect anything.

Re: Has AI already killed self-help nonfiction books?

#189

Post by thepryz » Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 2:09 AM UTC

jasonfarnon wrote: post #128

digitaltrees wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hard disagree. I have read lots of books, participated in events and training seminars and had profound results in my life. My marriage is better because of what I learned, I am a better father and leader because of what I learned. And the fact that people sell things as part of that growth journey is how they support their ability to share the lessons and techniques.

"because of what I learned." Do these books/seminars actually teach you something new about being married or a father, that you didn't know before? Like what? I always figured they were more about coaching, persuasion, convincing. To the extent I've scanned them, I never saw any kind of new fact, definitely not about something like being married.

I view self help books in a similar light as management books. They're usually not going to teach me anything new. What they will do is present something I already know, in potentially new ways and new contexts that allow me to contemplate them and keep them more front of mind. I tend to think of it almost like right thought right action. It's also worth noting that sometimes you just need to be at the right moment in time for a lesson to resonate and stick so reading such books can provide more opportunity for that to happen.

I do, however, try to limit who and what I read though because there is a lot of derivative garbage out there.

Re: Has AI already killed self-help nonfiction books?

#190

Post by chrisweekly » Wed, Jun 17, 2026, 2:14 AM UTC

digitaltrees wrote: post #171

breezybottom wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's fine, but at least I don't sound like a Linkedin serial entrepreneur.

Like Paul Graham or dalton Caldwell or half of YC? We are all serial entrepreneurs

I think you're arguing with a trollbot