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Has AI already killed self-help nonfiction books?

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

#201

Post by breezybottom »

digitaltrees wrote: post #200
breezybottom wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

I cant respond to your last response, probably because it was flagged. But I'll say, after looking at your other posts that drip with disdain and what appears to me to be arrogance masking self loathing I hope you recognize the price you pay for speaking to people that way. You don't know me, who I am or what I have done. And life isn't about the transactional potential of relationships, but saying something like "i…

Maybe, but you're gullible enough to buy self-help books, so you'll probably lose any money you make in a crypto scheme.

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

#202

Post by kamaal »

coliveira wrote: post #196
apatry wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Getting Things Done by David Allen gave me a framework to get out of the weeds when I am overwhelmed (usually once or twice a year when I stretch myself): build a to-do list that us complete enough to stop thinking about what you have to do, if a new task take less than 5 minutes just do it right away, and then prioritise the rest. Deep Work by Cal Newport gave me a way to think about my time management: information…

Yes, I read "Getting Things Done": he teaches you to make todo lists! That's it, nothing profound or from another planet. Basically you could get that information in 1 paragraph: "if you're overwhelmed, make a todo list", but he wouldn't have made a lot of money that way...

There is more than that, though. Deadlines, Next Tasks, Weekly list purge/build, Yearly alignment etc etc.

Also how you teach somebody a thing matters.

Stories have a profound effect on humans since the earliest of our days.

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

#203

Post by mannanj »

__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.

this self help industry completely reversed my diabetes, brought my adventure and satisfaction, and let me to making the best friends of my life.

maybe you are judging and dismissing something with prejudice?

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

#204

Post by tverbeure »

dcdgo wrote: post #179

I recently picked up a book at the airport called "Full Stack Human". Wish I hadn't because every second line has "It's not just about X - It's also about Y!" formatting that screamed LLM generated slop. I'd say it most certainly is dead!

Ferris isn’t doing himself any favor by writing “Let that sink in” in this blog post.

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

#206

Post by kdheiwns »

__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.

Every time someone has said some goofy thing will go away because people are getting smarter or realizing something, it's absolutely not the case. A large number of people will always want someone to tell them that they have everything figured out and others just don't see how great they are, that they'll wake up rich and famous one day, that they're powerful, that they're beautiful, etc. Many will pay to be told this. Many will pay for subscriptions to become even bigger and better.

As an extreme example, pickup artists had a wave of success a few years back and people paid big money for those ridiculous courses. They got replaced with Andrew Tate style "a real man just smokes and fights and hates women" type content and people paid money with the hopes of becoming like them. Trends and life goals change, but people still gobble up self help.

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

#207

Post by randycupertino »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #118
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.

Can you share an easy-to-understand example for someone who is similarly highly sceptical of self-help products?

How to Win Friends and Influence People helped my career a ton. I stopped having to job search and started getting pulled up as people I knew from work advanced they would bring me with them. I haven't had to job hunt in 9 years and it's solely because that book made me more likable and personable.

It made me enjoy life more too, because I have a diaspora of cool and interesting connections who would go to bat for me if needed. I'm friends with the grocery store checkout guy now, he asked me to go antiquing with him two weeks ago. I made friends in my neighborhood, I have a lady I walk with every week who offered to help me garden and even when ordering flooring from Home Depot the dude invited me to come to NASCAR with him and his buddies.

It honestly just changed my perspective to see the good in everyone and through this process boosted my personal, professional and family relationships immensely.

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

#209

Post by laserlight »

coliveira wrote: post #196
apatry wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Getting Things Done by David Allen gave me a framework to get out of the weeds when I am overwhelmed (usually once or twice a year when I stretch myself): build a to-do list that us complete enough to stop thinking about what you have to do, if a new task take less than 5 minutes just do it right away, and then prioritise the rest. Deep Work by Cal Newport gave me a way to think about my time management: information…

Yes, I read "Getting Things Done": he teaches you to make todo lists! That's it, nothing profound or from another planet. Basically you could get that information in 1 paragraph: "if you're overwhelmed, make a todo list", but he wouldn't have made a lot of money that way...

That's quite a reductionist view of Getting Things Done. There's nothing magic about the system, but someone had to put it together. It has been useful to me.

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

#210

Post by digitaltrees »

coliveira wrote: post #198
digitaltrees wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you feel when you make a comment like that? Satisfied at your intellectual superiority? Confident in your status as someone able to see what’s right? Proud of yourself that you “tell it like it is” Have you ever stopped to think about the prices you pay for that behavior? Let’s game it out. You don’t know me. I could be Paul Graham for all you know. I could be the person in the world that would unlock the ver…

> That being said. I thought it was a funny comment. This is very passive aggressive. You should think about how you communicate to people.

Not really passive. I made my position clear. I can take a joke and wasnt offended. It's also true that such behavior has a cost. Your interpretation that I offer that perspective to hurt them or defend myself is inaccurate, I actually want to help improve people, so it was actually an act of kindness.
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